Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.

Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.

Displaying 1 - 10 of 31
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Description
I Am Not A Millennial is an honors thesis project that combines research with a creative application to determine the best practices for companies and advertising agencies. The thesis consists of three main sections: an overview of what a millennial is, bursting the millennial hype bubble, and discussion of whether

I Am Not A Millennial is an honors thesis project that combines research with a creative application to determine the best practices for companies and advertising agencies. The thesis consists of three main sections: an overview of what a millennial is, bursting the millennial hype bubble, and discussion of whether new targeting techniques, new ideas for content, or new ways of advertising are necessary to engage the Millennial consumer. The thesis will first look at the Millennial Generation to answer the question of "Who are they?" with the emphasis on removing the negative stereotypes from the Millennial generation. This section will be supported by the following section which will discuss the lack of statistical information that truly separates the Millennial generation from its predecessors. Finally, by presenting information on my experiences leading a student-run advertising non profit, case studies, and working within an account management department of an advertising agency, this thesis will present conclusions that advertising agencies and businesses need to develop targeting and content practices that focus in on consumers' interests and tell the story of "why" in order to connect with Millennials.
ContributorsCondo, Ashley Roelle (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Giles, Bret (Committee member) / Department of Management (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
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Description
Combining the research of case studies with a creative application, this thesis consists of four main sections: an overview of data surrounding current application marketing efforts on mobile devices, an analysis of three brands that have successfully used applications marketing to engage their audiences and sell their products, the creation

Combining the research of case studies with a creative application, this thesis consists of four main sections: an overview of data surrounding current application marketing efforts on mobile devices, an analysis of three brands that have successfully used applications marketing to engage their audiences and sell their products, the creation and explanation of a proposed application marketing strategy, and a practical use of the previously found conclusions to a mobile application marketing strategy for Nutella USA. The outcome is to determine how companies use mobile applications to successfully engage consumers and lead to product purchases.
ContributorsBooker, Rebecca Allison (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Giles, Bret (Committee member) / Sabbatini, Cristina (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2015-05
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Description
In my thesis paper, I examine the gothic elements found in classical gothic fairy tales from European and Japanese tradition, particularly those works by the Brothers Grimm and Yei Theodora Ozaki. By examining the principle gothic elements that are unique to both stories, and further analyzing the commonalities of story,

In my thesis paper, I examine the gothic elements found in classical gothic fairy tales from European and Japanese tradition, particularly those works by the Brothers Grimm and Yei Theodora Ozaki. By examining the principle gothic elements that are unique to both stories, and further analyzing the commonalities of story, plot, and other major tropes, a better understanding of the message meant to be imparted and other cultural nuances can be ascertained. Gothic literature creates an atmosphere of gloom and suspense, toying with concepts of dread and darkness by employing Gothic elements such as shadows, the supernatural, sinister buildings, and strong-willed villains, all of which affect the rational mind in an irrational way. Fairytales freely use such tropes to their advantage, playing with the many fears of children, while simultaneously painting an idealistic fantasy world. The degree of usage and the application of gothic elements is closely examined in the Grimm works, "Hansel and Gretel," and "The Robber Bridegroom," as well as the Japanese tales, "The Goblin of Adachigahra,""Kintaro the Golden Boy" and "The Monkey and the Crab." These stories have been chosen due for their usage of animal tricksters, themes of control, and aspects of isolation, supernatural entities, and substantial gothic imagery. The gothic elements of death, sinister older women, the supernatural, fears of abandonment, and cunning animals are akin to both Western and Eastern tales, while the concept of gothic setting and the type of monsters prepared to feast on men is significantly different for both cultures, similar lessons are intended to be gleaned by children from these tales, with the intention of generally producing positive results \u2014 while the means differ, the message is strikingly similar, yet there remain cultural differences in terms of central themes and character traits.The effect of re-introducing the darker, gothic elements of traditional fairy tales into modern literature and retellings of the original narratives has been profound.Today, whether it has been at the bequest of the public or simply a new-age movement by modern cinema audience for the "gritty and realistic," fairy tales are returning to their former gothic forms. "Snow White and The Huntsman" is one example of a film which has gone this route, opting for a more gothic, classic telling rather than the chip, cheery, rosy cheeked Disney versions. There is a tendency for most media nowadays to be far less censored and fantastical, aiming for a more realistic, grittier approach \u2014 this bleeds into film and literature likewise, and thus children are impacted by this shift as well. Children seem to be able to handle more, perhaps desensitized at younger and younger ages by the products of our widely consumerist society, or perhaps due to parents raising their children in such a way so that the darkness that tinges these tales doesn't disturb and derail but rather, emphasizes their meaning of teaching certain lessons. Tales such as these are still valuable, and will continue to be so long as we seek a reality greater than our own, where the evil of the world is wiped away, and we all live happily ever after.
ContributorsMoschonas, Jerasimos Theodore (Author) / Ellis, Lawrence (Thesis director) / Hoyt, Heather (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Arizona State University has prided itself on the mission to become a global leader in innovation, sustainability, and inclusion for students of all backgrounds. To provide the most meaningful experiences and promote student growth both personally and professionally, the university offers over 800 students organizations for involvement and leadership on

Arizona State University has prided itself on the mission to become a global leader in innovation, sustainability, and inclusion for students of all backgrounds. To provide the most meaningful experiences and promote student growth both personally and professionally, the university offers over 800 students organizations for involvement and leadership on campus. With a heavy reliance on paper and print materials, large-scale engagement events such as Passport to ASU and Panhellenic Formal Recruitment have become wasteful and inefficient, straying from the goals established by university president, Michael M. Crow. The processes involved within these two events are outdated and limit accessibility for many students, minimizing the opportunity to get involved and connect with their peers. Engage is a company founded by an Arizona State University student, hoping to find feasible solutions to meet the needs and improve the overall student engagement experience. By designing two separate mobile applications for Passport to ASU and Panhellenic Formal Recruitment, Engage has eliminated the need for paper and print materials while simplifying the event processes for incoming students and the organizations. These apps will similarly improve accessibility for all students, allowing users to get involved and connect with peers without limitations such as transportation or time. Innovation is a key focus of Arizona State University, and to stay competitive they must find new ways to improve the student experience and modernize current offerings. Getting involved is often considered one of the defining parts of collegiate life, and the university must work to maximize opportunities and make the transition as effortless and enjoyable as possible. By implementing these two mobile apps, student engagement will reach new heights and realign with the missions Arizona State University was founded upon.
ContributorsFitzgerald, Paige Elizabeth (Author) / Montoya, Detra (Thesis director) / Giles, Bret (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
The purpose of this thesis is to examine the effects of digital on the fashion industry. In order to accomplish this, we must first examine the fashion industry, as well as the emerging digital space, and how these two industries are rapidly colliding. Fashion, an industry that has been around

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the effects of digital on the fashion industry. In order to accomplish this, we must first examine the fashion industry, as well as the emerging digital space, and how these two industries are rapidly colliding. Fashion, an industry that has been around since the early 1800s in the United States (Fashion History: The American System for Fashion, 2009), is being forced to pivot, and change its traditional practices, in order to remain relevant in a world heavily influenced by the Internet and consumer preferences. The largest changes taking place within fashion include the power of various industry influencers, including designers, magazines, retailers and lifestyle bloggers, and the rise of blogging as a fashion news source. Although designers, magazines and retailers still have significant clout within the industry, bloggers are becoming a force to be reckoned with, adding a new variable to the industry.

Meanwhile, digital is still being defined, as countless people work to determine best practices and reconcile the unending amount of information available into something that can be used. Trends in digital include the concept of new media, blogging, social media and new channels of media. Overall, we are seeing a shift to user-­‐ generated content, available all the time, and a proliferation of content being created and published on the Web.

Some of the ways these two industries are colliding include the rise of lifestyle bloggers, developments and usage of technology, an abundance of new e-­‐commerce models, and finally, a shift in the ways consumers curate and discover products online.

Predictions for the future include a more streamlined and user-­‐friendly process for search and product discovery online, increase in social commerce and personalization of products, and finally, a return to brick and mortar shopping, but with an improved, experiential model. These trends will affect industry stakeholders dramatically, and so necessary actions for these stakeholders are also discussed, such as allocating more resources to content generation and e-­‐commerce, giving consumers the ability to personalize, and improving their physical shopping experiences to provide something valuable and entertaining.
ContributorsLose', Jenna Elizabeth (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Giles, Bret (Committee member) / Boonlorn, Jennifer (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2013-05
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Description
As the use of Big Data gains momentum and transitions into mainstream adoption, marketers are racing to generate valuable insights that can create well-informed strategic business decisions. The retail market is a fiercely competitive industry, and the rapid adoption of smartphones and tablets have led e-commerce rivals to grow at

As the use of Big Data gains momentum and transitions into mainstream adoption, marketers are racing to generate valuable insights that can create well-informed strategic business decisions. The retail market is a fiercely competitive industry, and the rapid adoption of smartphones and tablets have led e-commerce rivals to grow at an unbelievable rate. Retailers are able to collect and analyze data from both their physical stores and e-commerce platforms, placing them in a unique position to be able to fully capitalize on the power of Big Data. This thesis is an examination of Big Data and how marketers can use it to create better experiences for consumers. Insights generated from the use of Big Data can result in increased customer engagement, loyalty, and retention for an organization. Businesses of all sizes, whether it be enterprise, small-to-midsize, and even solely e-commerce organizations have successfully implemented Big Data technology. However, there are issues regarding challenges and the ethical and legal concerns that need to be addressed as the world continues to adopt the use of Big Data analytics and insights. With the abundance of data collected in today's digital world, marketers must take advantage of available resources to improve the overall customer experience.
ContributorsHaghgoo, Sam (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Giles, Bret (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Management (Contributor)
Created2014-05
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Description
This honors thesis project provides analysis on the barriers to treatment seeking regarding mental health. Research on treatment seeking barriers was done, and then used to create a digital campaign that was run via organic sharing and a boosted Facebook post using custom audiences. The research begins to examine the

This honors thesis project provides analysis on the barriers to treatment seeking regarding mental health. Research on treatment seeking barriers was done, and then used to create a digital campaign that was run via organic sharing and a boosted Facebook post using custom audiences. The research begins to examine the relationships between stigma and help-seeking regarding mental health. The leading barriers for seeking mental health treatment include both social and self stigma. Social stigma involves fearing judgment from others regarding mental health, and self stigma involves people's negative judgments about having mental health issues themselves. There is a negative cycle between self and social stigma as people's self perceptions often reflect into society, and society's general opinions often influence people's perceptions of themselves. In order to decrease mental health stigma efforts must be made to erase both self and social stigma. Research on consumer psychology showed the effectiveness of targeting people's need for belonging. In order to target people's need for belonging the campaign was designed to show mental health issues as a commonality between people that can be solved, rather than as a negative discrepancy. Research into digital marketing trends showed Facebook as one of the most powerful platforms for reach and audience targeting, so it was chosen as the ideal platform for this campaign. The analysis of barriers to treatment seeking, consumer psychology, and digital marketing culminated in the digital campaign, "Just because you can't see it...doesn't mean it's not there," promoting mental health awareness, which ran for 5 days reaching 9,874 people and getting 5,117 views.
ContributorsCastronova, Naomi Liana (Author) / Ostrom, Lonnie (Thesis director) / Cavanaugh Toft, Carolyn (Committee member) / Giles, Bret (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
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Description
Brands are increasingly turning towards content marketing as a tactic to engage with the people they are trying to serve. While creating content is a way to increase awareness about and affinity towards a brand beyond its product and service offerings, there are many brands that are not creating engaging

Brands are increasingly turning towards content marketing as a tactic to engage with the people they are trying to serve. While creating content is a way to increase awareness about and affinity towards a brand beyond its product and service offerings, there are many brands that are not creating engaging and valuable content as it does not align with the objectives of the brand or the goals and pain points of its audience. Understanding content marketing best practices allows brands to see a higher return on investment for the content it is publishing. The content marketing learnings in "Building an Audience through Engaging Content" are applied to a project designed for the W. P. Carey Marketing Department. The Marketing Department wants to increase student engagement with and affinity towards the Department in the short term as students move from exploring their major and career opportunities into the long term as students become alumni. Marketing Matters is a marketing resource site designed by students for students. Research from interviews with content marketing professionals and secondary research on best practices from content marketing mavens resulted in the creation of a content marketing strategy for Marketing Matters that aligns with the objectives of the Marketing Department and the students it is serving. The content marketing strategy includes a discussion of strategy and tactics developed for the site, a voice and tone guide that content creators should follow when creating content for the site, and examples of content that would be used for the site.
ContributorsRobertson, Courtney Rose (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Giles, Bret (Committee member) / Department of English (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
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Description
The novella Flicker by Rachel Ponstein is a climate fiction story. It draws influence from the post-apocalyptic and dystopian genres as well as classic gothic literature. The story utilizes elements of gothic literature including Freud's Uncanny, uneven framing, and bildungsroman. It also utilizes subhuman species to incite conversation about the

The novella Flicker by Rachel Ponstein is a climate fiction story. It draws influence from the post-apocalyptic and dystopian genres as well as classic gothic literature. The story utilizes elements of gothic literature including Freud's Uncanny, uneven framing, and bildungsroman. It also utilizes subhuman species to incite conversation about the importance of perspective and the use of an alternative lens on the post-Reckoning world. The disaster story is ambiguous to focus the reader on the importance of the characters and their progress throughout the journey rather than the overall plotline. The analysis below serves as an explanation for the intentional decisions made to fit a sub-genre and engage the reader in an intellectual conversation about the issues broached.
ContributorsPonstein, Rachel Kay (Author) / Fette, Donald (Thesis director) / Hoyt, Heather (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
The consumer decision making process is becoming less complicated, as consumers are turning more and more to social media and peers for reviews and suggestions of new products to purchase. Changes in purchasing trends, along with other external factors, have created a perfect environment for influencer marketing to become more

The consumer decision making process is becoming less complicated, as consumers are turning more and more to social media and peers for reviews and suggestions of new products to purchase. Changes in purchasing trends, along with other external factors, have created a perfect environment for influencer marketing to become more effective for brands than traditional marketing strategies (including television, print, email and radio advertising)—by reaching the right target market with easier ways to track conversion rates and other returns on investment. This thesis looks at the factors that go in to influencer marketing, including why brands utilize this strategy—in terms of budget, returns on investment and best practices for finding the perfect influencers. It also looks at influencer marketing from the view of the influencers themselves. This thesis looks at the spectrum of influence and the motivation and goals of each level—from macro-influencers to micro-influencers and brand advocates. To better understand the research presented in this thesis, a case study of a successful brand, analysis of influencers and a creative project are all presented.
ContributorsOakes, Katherine Danielle (Author) / Montoya, Detra (Thesis director) / Giles, Bret (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05