As part of the Stillman Speaks series, Prof. Debra Lee Surface explored the growing influence of social media marketing and the importance of personal branding.
The Stillman School of Business, in collaboration with the Hall Social Lab, hosted “Reel Talk: Exploring the Impact of Influence” on Sept. 30, examining the growing role of influencer marketing in business and the importance of personal branding on social media.
As part of the Stillman Speaks series, Debra Lee Surface, an assistant professor of marketing, discussed what influence means for students and how it drives key decisions in marketing and business.
Surface emphasized that students entering the workforce must learn to present themselves professionally on social media by combining creative expression with their long-term career goals.
During the presentation, Surface discussed the different types of influencers, from “mega-influencers” and celebrities who are paid millions for advertisement brand deals, to “micro-” or “nano-” influencers with smaller audiences.
“Reel Talk” described how brands have begun to partner with smaller creators to reach highly engaged audiences. According to Surface, relationships among small influencers and their followers are strong and trusted.
Surface explained that many consumers make purchases based on influencer recommendations on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, a trend that has increasingly changed the marketing landscape.
Marketing students at the presentation expressed concern about social media’s impact on the field, citing pressure to keep their brands relevant and ethical as trends change.
Hayden Eze, a freshman economics major, said social media has increased marketing opportunities while simultaneously increasing pressure on students to make ethical branding choices on social media.
“Social media…shows you that marketing is just behind everything,” Eze said. “Almost everything we do is…influenced by it.”
To that end, Addison Mihas, a freshman business major, emphasized the need for students to brand themselves professionally online to avoid controversy.
“I think social media has helped marketing because people can connect with creators they relate to,” Mihas said. “On the other hand, brands sometimes create controversy when they promote ideas that people don’t agree with.”
While some students expressed concern about social media’s role in marketing, Allison Adancero, a sophomore marketing major, said she believes it offers opportunities for students to stand out and combine self-expression with their careers.
“Anyone can become an influencer,” Adancero said. “It’s not just for people who are good at taking pictures or making videos; anyone can find their purpose and build an audience.”
Students who want to experiment in the influencer sphere can do so in the Hall Social Lab, established by Surface. In an interview with The Setonian, she discussed the lab’s origins and the importance of preparing students for the evolving social media landscape.
The lab was founded in fall 2025 after the marketing department recognized social media’s growing impact on the field and sought to give students the knowledge and skills needed to enter the space, Surface said.
“We’re always trying to stay on top of what students need where students are,” Surface said.
Students collaborate with the lab’s social media manager, Susanna Buonaiuto, a senior finance and marketing major, along with influencers and other professionals in the field, to create and publish content for the lab’s platforms, Surface said.
Alongside the Hall Social Lab, the Stillman School offers a course on influencer marketing,which Surface teaches. The course is designed to teach students strategies related to influencer marketing, trends, personal branding and content creation with the goal of building their own personal brands while studying how influencer marketing works in practice.
“The one big thing that we’re talking about is understanding that you need to provide the value from your own perspective,” Surface said. “The one thing that will help you in this space is…where can you offer your knowledge. You can offer something that is unique.”
Beyond learning the ins and outs of influencer marketing strategies, students also create their own personal brands.
“From the day that we start class, students are applying their own creativity,” Surface explained. “They immediately jump into thinking about their niche area that they are interested in and then they start building out their own brand. By the end of the class, they’re posting their own content and they’re really building up their own brand.”
As they shape their brands, Surface reminds students to design ethical campaigns, emphasizing that their brands reflect who they are in life.
“Understanding that you are a brand is important, having the ability to represent yourself in a way that aligns with your product,” Surface said. “When you go into the job market, you’re a brand. You have to sell yourself just like a product.”
Samantha Doell is a writer forThe Setonian’s News section. She can be reached atsamantha.doell@student.shu.edu.
