I am Sára Simon, a fourth-year student of Commerce and Marketing at Széchenyi István University. Between 28-30 April 2025, I took part in the 37th National Scientific Student Conference, in the Economics section, which was organized by the University of Miskolc.
I submitted two papers to the conference, both presented in the “Influencer marketing” section. The first paper was entitled “The negative effects of influencer marketing on consumers” and the second “Manipulation or inspiration? Examining consumer attitudes towards real and virtual influencers”. My research focused on the impact of influencers on consumer decisions, one of the most topical issues in digital marketing. This is confirmed by the fact that this year, for the first time, research on this topic has been divided into a separate section.
Participating in the conference gave me the opportunity to present my work to a wider audience and to receive valuable feedback from both the peer review panel and other participants. Not only did I come away with exciting questions, but also with useful ideas that could influence the direction of my future research.
I was honoured to be awarded second place by the jury for my work in this exceptionally strong section, which featured a number of excellent research and presentations. This result was also a feedback that the topic I was working on was current and relevant.
The preparation process has also contributed to my personal and professional development, and I have learned a lot along the way. I would like to take this opportunity to express my special thanks to my preparation teacher, Dr. Veronika Keller. Without her dedicated support, professional guidance and motivating attitude this result would not have been possible.
The atmosphere of the conference and the company of like-minded students gave me an experience that I will take with me for a long time. In addition to being a valuable experience for me, participation has confirmed that research and academia can be an important part of my future career.
Photo: Sára Simon
