AKSU Journal of Communication Research (AJCR)

Abstract
This study examined how the intentionsto make purchases by university students in South- South Nigeria are influenced by celebrity endorsement on social media. The objective of the study was to assess the influence of celebrity brand endorsements on social media on the purchasing decisions of University students in south-south, Nigeria. The study employed survey research design to gather data from a study population of 396,327. Meyer sample size determination formula was used to draw a sample size of 383. Source Credibility Theory and the Elaboration Likelihood model served as the theoretical framework. Finding showed that the students were exposed to celebrity endorsements; it was found that the impact of these endorsements on their intentions to buy depended on a variety of factors, including the consumer's trust in the celebrity, the type of product or brand being endorsed, and the celebrity's credibility. Results revealed that the persuasiveness of celebrity endorsements in advertisements and their impact on purchase intention are contingent upon university students' motivation, their capacity for information processing during the decision-making process, and their perception of the celebrity's trustworthiness. It therefore recommended that celebrity endorsers be carefully chosen by marketers to ensure that they have the same values as the brand and appeal to the target demographic.