Project 5

📄 Description

For this project, I conducted an in-depth survey to understand how social media influencers and celebrities affect the shopping habits of digital audiences. My group member and I collected data from a diverse group (mostly aged 18–25) to see what makes an audience trust, or stop trusting, an influencer. I was responsible for designing the survey, analyzing the responses, and presenting the findings. We discovered that audiences today value honesty over fame and that "micro-influencers" often have more power to drive sales than big celebrities.

🔍 Justification

Through this project I was able to understand the psychology of the modern consumer. In public relations, knowing how to manage a brand’s reputation through third-party voices (like influencers) is essential. This work shows that I don’t just "follow trends"; I analyze them. By identifying that authenticity and "how-to" content are more effective than flashy ads, I’ve gained the skills to advise brands on exactly which creators they should partner with to build real trust.

📊 Key Outcomes

• This project taught me the technical side of audience research, specifically how to use tools like Google Forms and data analysis to support a PR strategy. I learned that in the digital world, transparency is the best PR. My research showed that 40% of people appreciate it when an influencer admits a mistake, a key lesson in crisis management. I also improved my public speaking and presentation skills, learning how to turn complex data into a simple, persuasive story for my audience.