Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
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 88
Description
An in-depth analysis of Homeview Realty and Homeview Financial was conducted. A marketing plan for both companies was prepared for this project. Homeview Realty and Homeview Financial are in the midst of dynamic industries. The landscape of doing business in the real estate and mortgage industries are constantly changing and evolving. Thus, it is vital for Homeview Realty and Homeview Financial to constantly be knowledgeable in these fields. With this dynamic aspect, the landscape for marketing has also changed; it became digital in nature. Thus, it is important to analyze Homeview Realty and Homeview Financial currently and create a live marketing plan that can be updated when needed. With a marketing plan in hand, Homeview will be able understand its business model, mission, goals, and objectives and in turn be able to create marketing campaigns compatible with the companies objectives and strategic directions.
ContributorsCrowley, Rachel Victoria (Author) / Ostrom, Lonnie (Thesis director) / Montoya, Detra (Committee member) / Mirshak, Paul (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
The Athleta Esprit de She is a national women's racing series owned and produced by Life Time Athletic Events, a branch of the company Life Time Fitness. Esprit de She (EDS) has fourteen events per year in areas ranging from Minneapolis, MN to San Diego, CA. These events include 5K/10K runs, triathlons, duathlons, and cycle tours. The purpose of this study was to determine recommendations for the brand from both a marketing and event production standpoint. Through the use of a survey, the research team received participant feedback regarding the events. Once receiving participant survey responses, the research team used Importance-Performance Analysis to analyze the data. The goals of the study were to see how participants perceive the production of the event as well as the social media presence of the brand. Participants also provided insights as to whether or not they are ready to accept a greater challenge with a longer distance race. The overall aim of this study was to see what changes needed to be made to both the brand as well as the events themselves in order to improve the overall customer experience with Esprit de She.
ContributorsFlanagan, Kelly Lynn (Author) / Hultsman, Wendy (Thesis director) / Montoya, Detra (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Community Resources and Development (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Influencer marketing occurs when a brand elicits an individual to publicly promote or review its product in exchange for some benefit, which can often be either monetary or material. This practice has exploded in today’s marketing and advertising industry due to its high return on investment for businesses and income potential for influencers. With this new and evolving process comes a struggle to establish and maintain regulations between brands, consumers, and influencers. Because influencer marketing is purely based on authenticity and trust between the influencer and the consumer, disclosure or lack thereof can seriously impact the validity of the endorsement. I conducted a study in which consumers were shown a staged influencer post and asked to answer a series of questions regarding compensation, appeal, authenticity, and influence, under three different conditions. Condition A showed an influencer’s post with only general information, Condition B revealed that the post was in collaboration with Tory Burch, and Condition C stated that Tory Burch told the influencer when and where to make the post. I found that as the influencer disclosed more about how she was compensated and controlled by the brand, respondents found the content less appealing, less authentic, and reported that they thought a brand had more influence and compensated her more to create the post. These findings support the idea that influencer marketing requires a level of honesty and trust between the consumer and influencer, and a lack of this causes negative sentiments and less effective results. Moving forward, brands and influencers alike must work to foster more transparent and authentic connections in order be in compliance with FTC regulations as well as maintain meaningful connections with consumers.
ContributorsLoy, Brooke Ellise (Author) / Giles, Charles (Thesis director) / Montoya, Detra (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
In today’s society we see a strong encouragement of those who put effort into various aspects of their life. Additionally, we also see a strong push towards making oneself more attractive to reap social benefits. However, a paradox exists between effort and attractiveness. In a society that values both effort and attractiveness, why do we see negative reactions to those who put effort into their appearance, and can we make these effects go away? How can cosmetic companies alter those reactions to suit their advertising needs? Through a pretest and a main study we show how consumers react to differing amounts of perceived effort in a cosmetic product, and how we can alter the effect that effort has by priming consumers with the idea of their ‘natural self’ vs. their ‘ideal’ self.
ContributorsDaniels, Michelle Elizabeth (Author) / Samper, Adriana (Thesis director) / Montoya, Detra (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
The sport of football has become one of the most widely loved and watched sports in the United States. Fans of football are extremely dedicated to the sport and form very personal, emotional attachments to teams within the National Football League. Through studying these fans, three main analysis topics will be addressed in this thesis: the established fan knowledge that creates rules within the fandom on how a fan participates and the exceptions to those rules, the need that fan's who do not fit into the normative patterns of the fandom feel to explain their motivations, and the degree of fanship that can be measured through a fan's explanation for their deviant behavior. For this fandom analysis, two sets of data will be referenced throughout the discussion. The first is anecdotal data pulled from various reddit threads on the personal experiences of each fan as well as some opinion sharing about the National Football League fandom. The second set of data is primary data that I have compiled via a survey. The established fan knowledge within this fandom is two fold: First, fans choose their team for a specific reason (usually based off of the team their parent's are a fan of or the state they grew up in), which typically takes place by age twelve. Secondly, once a fan chooses a team, they should stick with that team through their entire fanship. This second piece of fan knowledge is the most important rule within the fandom. This idea of loyalty is what guides fan participation. Identifying this rule led me to my main question about this fandom \u2014 if fans are so dedicated to their chosen team, what does it mean when someone switches to a new team. I feel that this breaking of a bond that seems so personal to fans is important and should be researched. This brought me to researching these fans that have switched teams, learning why, as well as what this group of fans can say about the National Football League fandom as a whole.
ContributorsGutierrez, Brooke Kathleen (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Lee, Christopher (Committee member) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Traditions come about in a variety of ways varying from school to school and sport to sport. Fans in the NCAA have the most connection to their team’s traditions when they follow one or multiple dimensions of the P.A.T.H. framework. Traditions that are Passionate, Authentic, Tribal, and Historical help fans have a sacred, emotional bond between themselves and their favorite team. Most of the time, this bond makes people behave in a way that they do not normally. The best traditions create an atmosphere that allows someone to come back decades later and feel like they never left. When fans feel strongly toward the tradition, it creates a passion unlike any other. The fans will go through great lengths to keep the tradition happening. When a tradition comes about organically and is not forced on the fanbase, it follows the authentic dimension. Fanbases will not be willing to keep a tradition going if they feel like it was manufactured; it needs to be something that they want to do. The tribal dimension is created by the desire people have to be a part of a group because of a shared belief. People have a need to fit in and belong, so if a tradition is able to create this feeling, it will be more likely to stick. The historical dimension explains itself; a tradition that has been around for many years has a much better chance of being around for years to come because of the history associated with it. Traditions that encompass one or all of the dimensions of P.A.T.H. have a better chance of sticking and becoming a tradition that is recognized nationally. Traditions should eventually become something that completes the game day experience. At the end of the day, people will not remember exact plays that happened, but they will remember the experiences they shared with everyone else in the stands.
ContributorsWeller, Allison Jo (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Lee, Christopher (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Advertising has been a part of the marketing landscape for decades, evolving over time. Among the many tactics of advertising is the use of spokespeople, or brand personalities, that represent a brand and its offerings. Spokespeople have been around as early as the 1950s, with brands hiring well-known actors and actresses to represent everyday products. Since then, they have evolved to be more than just a brand representative. Fast forward to the 21st century, spokespeople have developed symbiotic relationships with brands, helping them create authentic connections with its consumers.
There are many successful cases of spokespeople enhancing a brand’s popularity and growing their sales, but what would happen to the brand if their spokesperson engaged in controversial behavior? The basis of this thesis, and my research, revolves around this research objective: to better understand if, and how, spokespeople affect a brand and its consumers. I conducted primary research in the form of a survey to test consumer’s attitudes and behaviors towards brands and spokespeople; additionally, I conducted secondary research to understand how spokespeople can impact a brand’s stock and sales performance. I expect spokespeople with high levels of association with the brands they represent to have a strong affect on a brand’s performance and perception.
The results of my research defy my expectations. Spokespeople that have a weaker association level with their brands had a strong affect on a brand and its consumers, and vice-versa with strong association levels. In the primary research, spokespeople with weak association levels with Nike and Papa John’s had a significant impact on how participants viewed and engaged with the brands. In addition, secondary research indicates there are significant affects on a brand’s performance as a result of the spokespeople, despite the weak association levels.
After conducting research, I concluded that to have effective spokespeople that can positively impact a brand and its consumers, they must possess two characteristics: trustworthiness and authenticity. The successful cases of spokespeople from my primary and secondary research possessed these characteristics. Consumers need to be able to trust the messages that come from spokespeople, and they need to be able to understand that the relationship between the them and the brand is authentic and makes sense. Therefore, if the spokespeople brands hire are trustworthy and authentic to the brand, then they will positively impact the performance and perception of the brand.
There are many successful cases of spokespeople enhancing a brand’s popularity and growing their sales, but what would happen to the brand if their spokesperson engaged in controversial behavior? The basis of this thesis, and my research, revolves around this research objective: to better understand if, and how, spokespeople affect a brand and its consumers. I conducted primary research in the form of a survey to test consumer’s attitudes and behaviors towards brands and spokespeople; additionally, I conducted secondary research to understand how spokespeople can impact a brand’s stock and sales performance. I expect spokespeople with high levels of association with the brands they represent to have a strong affect on a brand’s performance and perception.
The results of my research defy my expectations. Spokespeople that have a weaker association level with their brands had a strong affect on a brand and its consumers, and vice-versa with strong association levels. In the primary research, spokespeople with weak association levels with Nike and Papa John’s had a significant impact on how participants viewed and engaged with the brands. In addition, secondary research indicates there are significant affects on a brand’s performance as a result of the spokespeople, despite the weak association levels.
After conducting research, I concluded that to have effective spokespeople that can positively impact a brand and its consumers, they must possess two characteristics: trustworthiness and authenticity. The successful cases of spokespeople from my primary and secondary research possessed these characteristics. Consumers need to be able to trust the messages that come from spokespeople, and they need to be able to understand that the relationship between the them and the brand is authentic and makes sense. Therefore, if the spokespeople brands hire are trustworthy and authentic to the brand, then they will positively impact the performance and perception of the brand.
ContributorsHo, Yi-Chun (Author) / Giles, Charles (Thesis director) / Montoya, Detra (Committee member) / Dean, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The America's Cup is the preeminent international sailing competition. Since the cup was first awarded to the United States in 1851 for winning a race around the Isle of Wight in England, it has been up for perpetual international competition. The purpose of this project is to assess the marketing strategies implemented for the 35th America's Cup which took place in Bermuda in June of 2017. Through qualitative and quantitative research I discovered the strengths and weaknesses of the current marketing strategies in addition to identifying opportunities for future Cups. While attending the 35th America's Cup in Bermuda I was able to conduct long interviews with several c-level executives of the America's Cup Event Authority as well as conduct a survey with attendees of the Cup. Analysis of this data allowed me to determine effective consumer awareness practices, ideal consumer involvement techniques, experience design, optimal marketing tactics, and strategic branding. I was also able to identify critical goals that the current Event Authority Management have set that embody their vision for future America's Cups. The ultimate objective of this research is to propose marketing strategies that will expand the influence of the America's Cup and transform it into an iconic and widely known sporting event in the United States. In previous years there has been very limited marketing invested in building awareness for the America's Cup so I plan to identify components that have brought them success in the past and then recommend new strategies and tactics that will successfully build awareness and increase viewership. These elements will then be able to be integrated into a marketing strategy and experience model for future America's Cups.
ContributorsHeisler, Alexandra Morgan (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Lee, Christopher (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
This honors thesis study aimed to gain a better understanding of millennials and how to effectively use interactive marketing to advertise to this generation. The thesis was broken up into three segments. The first segment includes a literature review on: identifying and comparing within the millennial generation, millennials impacts on marketing, and an introduction to interactive marketing. The second segment covered the methodology study including the application of the research findings to analyze the effectiveness of interactive marketing and the shift brands have made to reach millennials. Lastly, the final section covered an overall conclusion and recommendations. This paper first identified who the millennial generation is and discussed the differences between the older and younger millennials among the generation as a whole. Then the paper moved into defining what interactive marketing is and how it is being used and targeted towards the millennial generation. The next section identified the key differences within the millennial generation and the main areas in which this generation impacted brands and the company's interactive marketing efforts. The research suggests what the most influential take-a-ways from the millennial generation are and how brands shifted in order to better target the new types of consumers. Additionally, the information obtained from understanding the millennials' perspective on interactive marketing provide companies a better idea of how to market to them. Lastly, the recommendation checklist for companies to follow on how to create a successful interactive marketing advertising campaign helped to position brands in the most efficient way possible when entering this new form of marketing and specifically targeting millennials.
ContributorsRamsey, Victoria Rebecca (Author) / Eaton, Kathryn (Thesis director) / Montoya, Detra (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / School of Community Resources and Development (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Abstract
My thesis aims to uncover the ultimate strategy behind short form visual stories, otherwise known as the digital advertisment. In this thesis, I analyze traditional storytelling, visual storytelling, and short-form visual storytelling in order to uncover the best practices advertisers should use when crafting a digital advertisement.
Storytelling “reveals elements and images of a story while also catalyzing the imagination of the listener” (National Storytelling Network, 2017). This tradition has two purposes for society: a neurological structure, and a social mechanism (for historic preservation, human interaction, and a vehicle for connecting with others) (Gottshcall, 2012; Scott, 2012; Paul, 2012; Woodside, 2008).
Visual Storytelling is “using photography, illustration, video, (usually with a musical enhancement) to guide” the human brain along a plotline, and has an unlimited timeframe (Ron, 2017). There are seven key elements to effective visual storytelling: A listener/audience, an element of realism coupled with escapism, a focus on the dread of life, an element of the unknown, emotion, simplicity, and a three-part plot structure (Andrews, 2010; ProQuest, 2012; Zak, 2014; Stanton, 2014; Reagan, 2016; Jarvis, 2014; Petrick, 2014)
In the words of Sholmi Ron, from a marketing perspective, “Visual [short hand] Storytelling is a marketing strategy that communicates powerful ideas through a compelling story arc, with your customer at the heart of the story, and delivered through interactive and immersive visual media – in order to create profitable customer engagements" (Ron, 2017). This advertising strategy has four best practices: non-obvious logo placement, a comedic emotion, multiple emotional arcs, and a relevant message (Golan, 2017; Teixeira, 2015; Graves, 2017, Teixeira, 2017). These are important to understand because, in 2017, online consumers can be described as skeptical, conscious of content, individualistic, and drawn to authenticity (Teixeira, 2014).
To supplement my findings, I conducted primary research by analyzing the 2017 Super Bowl videos against a criteria created using the best practices previously identified (in Part 1 and Part 2). Through the data collection of the 66 videos, I uncovered the most popular plotline is "fall than rise," the most popular emotions are humor, inspiration, and empathy and people tend to have a preference towards videos that are more realistic and simplistic in nature.
In the end, I recommend that advertisers identify an authentic yet relevant message, while employing a comedic, inspirational, or empathic tone, and that they place their ads exclusively for their target market. Additionally, producers should use a fall then rise plotline (with multiple mini plot peaks and valleys), a "logo-pulsing" strategy, and a minimal amount of characters and settings to keep the audience's focus on the ad’s message.
My thesis aims to uncover the ultimate strategy behind short form visual stories, otherwise known as the digital advertisment. In this thesis, I analyze traditional storytelling, visual storytelling, and short-form visual storytelling in order to uncover the best practices advertisers should use when crafting a digital advertisement.
Storytelling “reveals elements and images of a story while also catalyzing the imagination of the listener” (National Storytelling Network, 2017). This tradition has two purposes for society: a neurological structure, and a social mechanism (for historic preservation, human interaction, and a vehicle for connecting with others) (Gottshcall, 2012; Scott, 2012; Paul, 2012; Woodside, 2008).
Visual Storytelling is “using photography, illustration, video, (usually with a musical enhancement) to guide” the human brain along a plotline, and has an unlimited timeframe (Ron, 2017). There are seven key elements to effective visual storytelling: A listener/audience, an element of realism coupled with escapism, a focus on the dread of life, an element of the unknown, emotion, simplicity, and a three-part plot structure (Andrews, 2010; ProQuest, 2012; Zak, 2014; Stanton, 2014; Reagan, 2016; Jarvis, 2014; Petrick, 2014)
In the words of Sholmi Ron, from a marketing perspective, “Visual [short hand] Storytelling is a marketing strategy that communicates powerful ideas through a compelling story arc, with your customer at the heart of the story, and delivered through interactive and immersive visual media – in order to create profitable customer engagements" (Ron, 2017). This advertising strategy has four best practices: non-obvious logo placement, a comedic emotion, multiple emotional arcs, and a relevant message (Golan, 2017; Teixeira, 2015; Graves, 2017, Teixeira, 2017). These are important to understand because, in 2017, online consumers can be described as skeptical, conscious of content, individualistic, and drawn to authenticity (Teixeira, 2014).
To supplement my findings, I conducted primary research by analyzing the 2017 Super Bowl videos against a criteria created using the best practices previously identified (in Part 1 and Part 2). Through the data collection of the 66 videos, I uncovered the most popular plotline is "fall than rise," the most popular emotions are humor, inspiration, and empathy and people tend to have a preference towards videos that are more realistic and simplistic in nature.
In the end, I recommend that advertisers identify an authentic yet relevant message, while employing a comedic, inspirational, or empathic tone, and that they place their ads exclusively for their target market. Additionally, producers should use a fall then rise plotline (with multiple mini plot peaks and valleys), a "logo-pulsing" strategy, and a minimal amount of characters and settings to keep the audience's focus on the ad’s message.
ContributorsBosmeny, Mackenzie Lauren (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Montoya, Detra (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05