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.
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- Creators: Department of Marketing
Description
Personal branding within the music industry has long fallen under the supervision of profit-centric major record labels, whose control extended throughout artist’s music, copyrights, merchandising, and fair-use compensation. This paper explores how artists’ branding has evolved within the recording industry alongside the development of emerging technologies and the discovery of certain patterns in consumer behavior. Starting with an overarching exploration of the origins of commercialized music, this paper iterates how certain record labels ascended the corporate hierarchy to influence consumers’ accessible listening options. This understanding leads to an analysis of the inception of illegal file-sharing websites as an outlet for music distribution, as well as its long-lasting effects on industry distribution tactics and music streaming platforms. This paper then narrows to the origins of the rap industry, delving into the traditionally-rooted experiential celebrations that birthed such an impactful genre. Following an understanding of the history of the recording and rap industries, this paper identifies the modern music listener’s behaviors and choices, supplemented by an examination of how consumer social technologies have motivated these changes. To best understand the role of these evolving perceptions, this paper evaluates four successful rap artists - Chance the Rapper, Tekashi 6ix9ine, Lil Nas X, and Travis Scott - and determines the strategies employed by these individuals and their branding teams. Finally, in determining these strategies, this paper outlines the essential takeaways from this research that would aid in the advancement of an artist’s personal branding today.
ContributorsBoyle, Jared Devin (Co-author) / Schneider, Garrett (Co-author) / Giles, Charles (Thesis director) / Lisjak, Monika (Committee member) / School of Music (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
This thesis project consists of 2 key components, a marketing brand book for the ASU Division I ice hockey team and an in-depth narrative of both the team’s history and why each decision was made for the brand book itself. The brand book consists of four main sections: team history, visual guidelines, social media, and public relations. The team history tells the story of how the program formed and grew into the NCAA Division I team they are today. The history then goes into detail discussing the coach, Greg Powers, and his ASU hockey journey as well as how he developed the club program and has coached/recruited the team to success. This section also highlights ASU’s first national breakout player, Joey Daccord, who became the first player from ASU to play a game in the NHL. Other than the team history, each section contains multiple goals for the marketing team to achieve as well as rules and guidelines to assist them with achieving these goals. All of ASU’s current brand rules and guidelines are included within the visual guidelines section of the brand book, allowing for all Sun Devil hockey marketing efforts to properly resemble and embody Arizona State University as a whole. The Public Relations section covers how to positively get the team in the news through service and community events and embody ASU’s commitment to service. The Public Relations section also covers how ASU hockey is to respond in a PR crisis and the importance of gathering all the information and then publicly addressing the situation. The social media section of the brand book lists all goals, target audience, and methods of achieving the goals for each current platform ASU hockey has (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) and the frequency of posting required.
ContributorsScola, Sean Christopher (Author) / Lynch, John (Thesis director) / Pierce, John (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
This paper will discuss how USA Gymnastics (USAG), Michigan State University (MSU), and the United States Olympic Committee (MSU) failed to properly investigate and take corrective action of former physician and now convicted serial pedophile, Larry Nassar. This includes a description of the powerful individuals who worked with or oversaw Nassar, how they received complaints of his sexual assault, and an explanation of the institutional environment that fostered a culture of silence and obedience. To provide a comparative analysis, this paper will analyze other athletic organizations (such as USA Swimming and USA Diving) which are also overseen by the USOC in order to compare their previous cases and reactions to sexual assault. This will be followed by recommended corrective policies for athletic organizations if claims of sexual assault arise. These policies and procedures will aim to prevent sexual assault in the future, reduce any culture of silence and vulnerability within similar organizations, and hopefully be implemented throughout athletic organizations everywhere.
ContributorsUdowitch, Heather Lynne (Co-author) / Udowitch, Heather (Co-author) / Lynk, Myles (Thesis director) / Hooper, Dana (Committee member) / Garner-Smith, Deana (Committee member) / Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
Breakin Media is a social media consulting agency that targets small business owners (comedians) specifically in the Baby Boomer, Generation X, and Older Millennial category. Comedians, specifically, who are auditioning for shows or going to comedy clubs, may not be seeing the same level of success as another comedian who has a large social media following. This is true for most industries. Small businesses who do not have social media have lower rates of customer satisfaction and revenue. This business is about educating, analyzing, and building business owners so they too can feel part of the social media revolution.
This business uses research and data from different social media comedians in order to create a guide for comedians who own comedy clubs or are trying to break into show business. This thesis includes the logistics of starting a business. It will outline the financing and pricing of a service like this for individuals and businesses. This also outlines the generational stigma of social media, and the difficulties an older generation is currently facing when wanting to expand their business into social media.
The Breakin Media business model assesses each client on a set of five pillars, which have been found by research to affect follower count. The five pillars are relatability, targeted marketing, consistency, high-quality content, and algorithm alignment. Each pillar is dissected and used to increase the exposure of every comedian. There is a 3 tier system for pricing that outlines the costs of each service, and an infographic to guide each client. This thesis is about bridging a gap in generations, and increasing success for small businesses, specifically in theatre and comedy.
This business uses research and data from different social media comedians in order to create a guide for comedians who own comedy clubs or are trying to break into show business. This thesis includes the logistics of starting a business. It will outline the financing and pricing of a service like this for individuals and businesses. This also outlines the generational stigma of social media, and the difficulties an older generation is currently facing when wanting to expand their business into social media.
The Breakin Media business model assesses each client on a set of five pillars, which have been found by research to affect follower count. The five pillars are relatability, targeted marketing, consistency, high-quality content, and algorithm alignment. Each pillar is dissected and used to increase the exposure of every comedian. There is a 3 tier system for pricing that outlines the costs of each service, and an infographic to guide each client. This thesis is about bridging a gap in generations, and increasing success for small businesses, specifically in theatre and comedy.
ContributorsVazquez, Margot (Author) / Bruhn, Karen (Thesis director) / Heinzmann, Sandra (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
In this paper, I have designed a business model for a new type of fashion retail
store. This store will perfect the personal styling experience by utilizing customer and
apparel data to make individualized apparel recommendations. The format of this store
will heavily reduce the amount of search time for customers by only showing clothing
pieces that each person is likely to purchase, based on predictive analytics. In order to
plan this business model and determine whether a company of this style could be
successful, this paper includes research on the current environment of the fashion
industry, the company’s potential target market segmentation, and tactics for developing
the best customer offering.
store. This store will perfect the personal styling experience by utilizing customer and
apparel data to make individualized apparel recommendations. The format of this store
will heavily reduce the amount of search time for customers by only showing clothing
pieces that each person is likely to purchase, based on predictive analytics. In order to
plan this business model and determine whether a company of this style could be
successful, this paper includes research on the current environment of the fashion
industry, the company’s potential target market segmentation, and tactics for developing
the best customer offering.
ContributorsTrevino, Alexandra (Author) / Riker, Elise (Thesis director) / Schlacter, John (Committee member) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The following case study covers Avnet, Inc., a global technology distributor and supply chain service company with a headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona and customers in over 125 countries within North America, Asia and Europe. The case includes a strategic overview of Avnet’s unique 100-year history and transformed business model, while also highlighting the company’s current business strategies. The hallmark of Avnet’s growth and success has been through over one hundred mergers and acquisitions which make up Avnet’s 2020 company ecosystem. The strategies presented in this case focus specifically on the automotive initiative, a strong growth area within the semiconductor industry, which consists of a two-part global transportation strategy for Avnet. The strategy accommodates both Strategic Supply Chain customers as well as Strategic Design Change customers, two main transportation customer types. The case then further explores the transformation of Avnet’s automotive strategy team from a regional to global focus. This research is accomplished through a literature review of market research from various sources on semiconductor market trends and best industry practices. The research also investigates the impacts on demand creation for Avnet through customer relationships. In addition to research and analysis, other information included in the case is derived from direct collaboration with Avnet employees on the cross-functional global team and employee interviews. The research and recommendations in this paper are presented with the goal of providing proof of concept on the global automotive initiative for Avnet and will be shared with the strategy team following completion of the case study.
ContributorsStabile, Kristina Marie (Author) / Rabinovich, Dr. Elliot (Thesis director) / Holmes, Nancy (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Influencer marketing is the latest phenomenon in the consumer marketing industry. Successful influencer sponsorships close the gap between companies and their customers by capitalizing on the connection influencers share with their audience. Producing advertisements more organically and directly, coming from a trustworthy and relatable source leads to greater returns. Therefore, influencer accounts are becoming increasingly popular throughout social media, especially Instagram. For this reason, the main focal point of this paper is to describe how to effectively create an influencer brand by finding a niche and growing an engaged audience on Instagram. Our findings consist of three studies: personal interviews, creating an Instagram account, and analyzing twelve well-known influencers. We first analyzed the environmental trends impacting the social media industry and what this means for a growing influencer. Using our discoveries, we launched an Instagram account, featuring the Nordstrom Twins, learning from the first-hand experience of successful and unsuccessful content strategies. Then, through data collection and analysis of twelve unique twin influencer (twinfluencer) accounts, as well as personal interviews with industry professionals, we established an influencer business strategy. Our research conveys how to increase user interactions and grow an engagement rate on the constantly evolving Instagram platform.
ContributorsNordstrom, Hailey Rose (Co-author) / Nordstrom, Brooke (Co-author) / Smith, Anna (Co-author) / Dong, Xiaodan (Thesis director) / Eaton, Kathryn (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
Since the 1950s, the Amish have faced historical events regarding their educational school system that challenges their religious freedom within the United States. In order to uncover these historical events and challenges, my honors thesis includes a research paper examining the history of the Amish culture, analyzing scholarly journals, researching other depictions of the Amish culture, and providing an overview of my first-hand experience within an Amish community. In addition to the research paper, I wrote a creative film script, “From Heart and Land”, that looks at the pressure the Amish faced within their educational school system. “From Heart and Land” combines a combination of fiction and non-fiction by incorporating fictional characters with an emphasis on the historical 1965 Iowa bus incident and the 1972 Wisconsin v. Yoder case. The plot focuses on the Yutzy family, as the Father, Adin Yutzy, faces criminal charges after not sending his daughter Rebecca to public school and his daughter Elizabeth to high school. Adin teams up with Jonas Yoder and Wallace Miller, who are parents involved in the Wisconsin v. Yoder case, to determine their strategy with their attorney, William Bentley Ball, in fighting for their religious freedom based on the first amendment. With the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling, based on the Free Exercise Clause, Amish parents are not required to send their children to high school beyond the eighth grade. As a result, both my research paper and script questions the idea of religious freedom. Is there ultimately a limit to religious freedom? At what point does it or does it not affect the overall well-being of society?
ContributorsElkins, Michila Javae (Author) / Miller, April (Thesis director) / Fortunato, Joseph (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
“Digital Entrepreneurship: Creating and Doing Business in the Digital Age” is a resource for any current entrepreneur or aspiring entrepreneur who wants to learn about all things related to entrepreneurship in the Digital age, including how to start, what type of business to create, and everything ranging from advertising to web design. These pages serve as a resource for anyone looking into starting a business online and create their own path for wealth. After reading this paper you will learn how a college individual was able to create his own business as a side hustle while still a full time-student, how to legally start your own business for any niche or industry and a deep dive on all aspects of digital marketing in order to make your business successful. This paper also defines over twenty digital marketing terms and what steps you can take to implement each tactic into your business immediately. Research from a hundred different small business owners and marketing professionals around the world shows the latest trends and what they are currently doing in their own business as well. Using the author's own business (Paradise Marketing), we take a deep dive into how anyone can create their own business with just a few simple yet tactical steps. It doesn’t matter if you work in the largest industry in the world or the small niche that only a small market would use. Whether it's a small project or a large business idea you might have, use this thesis as not only a guide but a testimonial to the power of digital marketing and entrepreneurship in the current digital age.
ContributorsCooper, Ryan Wayne (Author) / Sebold, Brent (Thesis director) / Williams, Tamika (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
Since commercial airlines are undergoing shortages and diversity in organizations is beneficial, it is critical to examine representation within industries, specifically aviation, and their quality of work-life balance. This study aims to understand how male and female commercial airline pilots describe and negotiate work stressors through an applied method. Before evaluating the participants of this study, a masculine culture in airline was developed from the image airline organization originally promoted to passengers and the pipeline derived from the military. To collect rigorous data in a traditionally masculine setting, qualitative data in the form of semi-structured interviews and demographic surveys were gathered through a convenient snowball sampling method. Findings indicate that male and female pilots experience and perceive gendered work stressors differently based on these emphasized structures such as competency, flexibility versus rigidity, task stressors, and health stressors. Male pilots perceived they experienced unfair treatment in terms of affirmative action policy, depended on their spouses to manage their home life, exercised self-preservation in stressful situations, and were emotional detached when discussing health concerns. Female pilots appreciated affirmative action but recognized they help fill organizational quotas, resisted and behaved over-competently to prove their capabilities, experienced work-life integration, considered others in the form perspective-taking, and utilized proactive maintenance behaviors to better their health. Even though male and female pilots mainly differed in their descriptions and negotiations, they experienced similarities in memory recall amidst stress and youth perspective-taking from their children. A discussion elaborates how these descriptions and negotiations lend themselves to less stress or more stress in each structure. The discussion will emphasize how the findings build upon previous literature on work-life balance and the unique population of airline pilots.
ContributorsFischer, Marley Rose (Author) / Zanin, Alaina (Thesis director) / Tracy, Sarah (Committee member) / Hugh Downs School of Human Communication (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12