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Abstract: This manuscript investigates how
advertisement media influence students’ choice of higher learning institutions
using Saint Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) as the case. Guided by the
Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), the study examined the effect of radio
advertising, poster advertising, and social media advertising on students’
awareness, intention to apply, and final enrollment decisions. A quantitative
cross-sectional design was adopted. Data were collected from 367 first-year
undergraduate students through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using
SPSS. Reliability analysis showed that the instrument was internally
consistent, with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.81 to 0.88 and an
overall reliability of 0.85. Descriptive results showed that all three forms of
advertising were positively perceived by respondents, with social media
recording the highest overall mean score (4.02), followed by radio (3.96) and
posters (3.96). Pearson correlation results showed positive and statistically
significant associations between all three media and student choice. Multiple
regression analysis indicated that the predictor variables jointly explained
58.4% of the variance in student choice (R = 0.764, R² = 0.584, Adjusted R² =
0.581; F = 132.985; p < 0.001). Social media advertising exerted the
strongest standardized effect (β = 0.438), followed by radio advertising (β =
0.272) and poster advertising (β = 0.218). The findings suggest that social
media is currently the most influential medium because it combines rich
information, interactivity, and peer influence, while radio remains valuable
for broad awareness and rural outreach and posters reinforce institutional
visibility in public spaces. The study concludes that universities in Tanzania
should adopt an integrated marketing communication strategy that combines
digital, traditional, and outdoor media to strengthen visibility, engagement,
and enrollment outcomes. DOI: https://doi.org/10.51505/IJEBMR.2026.10618 |
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