Home⇛International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research⇛vol. 6 no. 10 (2025)

The Influence of Promotional Discounts, Perceived Scarcity, and Emotional Appeal on the Purchase Intention of College Students at a State University in Cebu City

Ma. Yassah R. Kangleon | Mark Anthony N. Polinar | Alexander Franco A. Delantar

Discipline: Marketing

 

Abstract:

This research aimed to explore the impact of promotional discounts, per-ceived scarcity, and emotional appeals on the purchasing intentions of col-lege students attending a state university in Cebu City. The study employed a quantitative method that integrated descriptive, correlational, and pre-dictive designs. Data were gathered from 395 students through a modified survey questionnaire, yielding a Cronbach's alpha of 0.924. The study em-ployed descriptive statistics, Spearman’s rho correlation, and multiple re-gression to test the gathered data. The results showed that all three factors significantly influenced students' purchasing intentions; the highest pre-dictor among the three was emotional appeal, followed by promotional discounts and perceived scarcity. This suggests that students may be influ-enced by marketing strategies that invoke urgency; however, what ulti-mately affects them more are those that give emotional sentiments while providing value with discounts and promotions. The study, therefore, con-cludes that students’ purchasing intentions are probably influenced more by marketing strategies that combine emotional engagement with a rea-sonable price and scarcity acting as a supporting marketing strategy. Fur-thermore, this research offers valuable insights into how sales promotions, feelings of scarcity, and emotional appeal impact college students' pur-chasing intentions.



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