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 - 3 of 3
Description
While I was brainstorming topics for my thesis project I came across the idea to look at weddings and specifically the wedding planning industry. It is an industry where very little research exists. It is important for the future of the industry to have some academic studies done on the wedding planning industry. When I started this project I was looking to find out about the characteristics of wedding satisfaction from a client perspective versus the planner's perspective and what deems a successful wedding planner. This could provide valuable insight while possibly shedding light on why some couples use a wedding planner and others do not. The research questions I will try to answer through the survey are: what are the characteristics of wedding satisfaction from a client perspective versus the planner's perspective and what deems a successful wedding planner from the client perspective versus the planner's perspective. I researched the industry and created a survey that was sent to a group of 15 planners. I hoped to get permission to send my survey to four to six previous clients from each planner. The list of wedding planners came from a board member of the International Special Events Society. If all surveys had been completed it would have given me a client pool of 60 to 80 couples. The problem was that none of the planners were willing to share the client survey with their clients. Therefore, I could not obtain a sufficient number of couples that had previously used wedding planners. I attempted to contact organizations that would have access to brides. I also attempted to reach out on Facebook and through email lists to married people who used wedding planners. None of these methods proved successful in amassing a sufficient number of individuals who used planners for their wedding. The project evolved into an analysis of the assistance options couples have to make big purchases like a wedding and a house. The amount spent on these big purchases varies as well as the time couples have to pay for them. There is also great variation in the kinds of resource's couples have to advise them before making these larger purchases. For example, when a couple is planning their wedding they can hire a wedding planner to assist them or do research on blogs and rely on parents and friends for help and assistance. When a couple prepares to buy a house (or another type of real estate) they will often hire a realtor. There are some resources online for the few couples that choose not to use a realtor, however, at some point they may need to seek a professional to assist with the legal documents. The inspiration behind this thesis was to begin academic research on a young industry where there was none. The profession of "wedding planning" is very new. There is no traditional academic research on the wedding planner as a profession. When the initial surveys and planners did not receive the kind of participation and cooperation needed it was disappointing that this project could not shed light on this young industry. The evolution of this project into a comparison between realtors and wedding planners suggested the potential of where the wedding planning as a profession could be was brought to light. If wedding planners and wedding planning as a profession could evolve to a place of necessity similar to purchasing a house the profession could gain validation and grow. At some point in that evolution, hopefully the profession would be in a better place for academic research and the individuals in the profession may be in a place to be more open to assist in that research. Ultimately getting to the place where a wedding planner is seen as necessary should be the goal for this profession. The amount of money spent, the emotional importance of the commitment and the legal promises involved in having a wedding creates that need but many people do not know this. Couples know very little about the individual costs that make up a wedding. A key problem with this is that it creates disconnect between couples expectations and budgets. If wedding planners could, through their marketing and other efforts, communicate with potential clients that a wedding planner is not a luxury, but a necessity, it would help insure emotional satisfaction and protect the financial investment of the couple and their family.
ContributorsMayberry, Sophia Elizabeth (Author) / Hultsman, Wendy (Thesis director) / Dempsey, Matt (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / School of Community Resources and Development (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Dance studios often have a high tuition rates, which makes learning technique from a dance school difficult to attain. For AZ Hype Hip Hop Squad no circumstance can keep them from dancing. This 14-year-old team has made their mark in dance competitions nationwide. The only problem is: this nationally ranked team lingers unrecognized. AZ Hype is a non-profit dance team that practices wherever they can find a space. They practice anywhere from school cafeterias to driveways, parks to backyards and parking lots. What gives this team their competitive edge is that nothing keeps them from dancing and they draw inspiration from outside of the walls of a studio. The team consists of 18 to 30 dancers each year and is divided into two age groups; a junior and senior team. The dancers range from six to 25 years of age. The team has one coach, one stereo and a room full of trophies and championship banners. The coach, Tara Delgado, is a 5th grade history teacher who has been coaching AZ Hype for 14 consecutive years. She continues to teach and inspire kids in the Valley. Though years go by her personal dance skills and creativity to choreograph and mix music strengthens and improves. She is more than just a dance coach to the kids who make her house their home. A public relations campaign for AZ Hype Hip Hop Squad was created to benefit the team in many ways. For the duration of the team's existence, they did not have a website, social media management, community support, sponsors, practice space, or any news media connections. The goal of the campaign is to gain exposure but also gather sponsors to lift the burdening costs of competitions, uniforms and practice spaces. The plan would serve as an outline to utilize social media, reach out to local media and contact various dance and youth supporters. In this campaign, testimonials have been gathered to uncover the true need and impact of the dance team. Without schools teaching dance or other performing arts, many youths lose out on the opportunity to ever learn. In addition to research, collateral material will be made and used for marketing and information as well as a strategic fundraising and branding plan. This plan will encourage and help implement the transition from a group of dancers to a 501c(3) nonprofit.
ContributorsAhmadpour, Shirin Jose (Author) / Hultsman, Wendy (Thesis director) / Delgado, Tara (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / School of Community Resources and Development (Contributor)
Created2014-12
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