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 17
Description
The Arizona Fall League is a baseball league affiliated with Major League Baseball to provide further development to seven of each MLB team’s top minor league prospects. The games are played at the same stadiums as spring training in Arizona but historically draw a very low attendance in comparison. The marketing strategies currently used to promote and advertise the Arizona Fall League are not sufficient to meet the goal of increased attendance and increased profits as a result. The league currently markets its core product to the customer, meaning the actual baseball game itself along with the highly talented players, rather than the actual product provided to fans, meaning the social utility they gain from their experiences at an Arizona Fall League game along with the game. The league needs to focus mainly on two target markets: men and women ages 18-25 and families with children under 18. In order to shift the focus to the actual product, the league’s marketing staff should run promotions (alongside their current promotions) in association with local sports bars or restaurants and places that provide entertainment, such as Top Golf. They also should revamp their social media accounts to integrate a more fan-focused base for their posts, making fans feel like they are a greater part of the experience. These improvements would drive up attendance and generate more profits for the Arizona Fall League.
ContributorsMcCann, Matthew Donald (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / McIntosh, Daniel (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This section acts as a guide for newly established nonprofits in creating a marketing plan. Through extensive research on what strategic marketing looks like in the nonprofit sector, we have developed a guide for nonprofits that are attempting to establish their brand and expand their marketing techniques.
First, we created two separate surveys, taking responses from over 1000 individuals at Arizona State University. These surveys focused on building trust in nonprofits, preferred marketing strategies as a consumer, and general awareness for various social issues that affect local and national nonprofits. Second, we conducted professional interviews with marketing leaders at nonprofits. These ranged from smaller, local nonprofits to nonprofits that operate on a national level. Their missions were all geared toward different causes, meaning they offered a diverse set of skills and advice on nonprofit marketing.
After obtaining this data, we created a guide for nonprofit marketing. Because there is a lack of information available on building marketing techniques in the nonprofit sector, we aimed to create a general guideline that could be applied to a variety of nonprofits and develop their marketing strategy. This includes details on how to create an executive summary, conduct a SWOT analysis, and the different strategies a nonprofit organization should implement.
Further, to test this marketing plan, we partnered with a local nonprofit in Arizona, Million Dollar Teacher Project. Million Dollar Teacher Project is a relatively new nonprofit, and focuses on educational inequality in Arizona. After looking over all our research and the nonprofit marketing guide, we were able to develop a plan for increasing engagement, awareness, and trust for Million Dollar Teacher Project. We pinpointed areas of improvement, such as social media, ambassador programs, email marketing, and follow up strategy.
The nonprofit marketing plan, our survey results, interview transcripts, as well as our marketing plan for Million Dollar Teacher Project can be found below.
First, we created two separate surveys, taking responses from over 1000 individuals at Arizona State University. These surveys focused on building trust in nonprofits, preferred marketing strategies as a consumer, and general awareness for various social issues that affect local and national nonprofits. Second, we conducted professional interviews with marketing leaders at nonprofits. These ranged from smaller, local nonprofits to nonprofits that operate on a national level. Their missions were all geared toward different causes, meaning they offered a diverse set of skills and advice on nonprofit marketing.
After obtaining this data, we created a guide for nonprofit marketing. Because there is a lack of information available on building marketing techniques in the nonprofit sector, we aimed to create a general guideline that could be applied to a variety of nonprofits and develop their marketing strategy. This includes details on how to create an executive summary, conduct a SWOT analysis, and the different strategies a nonprofit organization should implement.
Further, to test this marketing plan, we partnered with a local nonprofit in Arizona, Million Dollar Teacher Project. Million Dollar Teacher Project is a relatively new nonprofit, and focuses on educational inequality in Arizona. After looking over all our research and the nonprofit marketing guide, we were able to develop a plan for increasing engagement, awareness, and trust for Million Dollar Teacher Project. We pinpointed areas of improvement, such as social media, ambassador programs, email marketing, and follow up strategy.
The nonprofit marketing plan, our survey results, interview transcripts, as well as our marketing plan for Million Dollar Teacher Project can be found below.
ContributorsMertz, Allison Michele (Co-author) / Thresher, Kaitlin (Co-author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This section acts as a guide for newly established nonprofits in creating a marketing plan. Through extensive research on what strategic marketing looks like in the nonprofit sector, we have developed a guide for nonprofits that are attempting to establish their brand and expand their marketing techniques.
First, we created two separate surveys, taking responses from over 1000 individuals at Arizona State University. These surveys focused on building trust in nonprofits, preferred marketing strategies as a consumer, and general awareness for various social issues that affect local and national nonprofits. Second, we conducted professional interviews with marketing leaders at nonprofits. These ranged from smaller, local nonprofits to nonprofits that operate on a national level. Their missions were all geared toward different causes, meaning they offered a diverse set of skills and advice on nonprofit marketing.
After obtaining this data, we created a guide for nonprofit marketing. Because there is a lack of information available on building marketing techniques in the nonprofit sector, we aimed to create a general guideline that could be applied to a variety of nonprofits and develop their marketing strategy. This includes details on how to create an executive summary, conduct a SWOT analysis, and the different strategies a nonprofit organization should implement.
Further, to test this marketing plan, we partnered with a local nonprofit in Arizona, Million Dollar Teacher Project. Million Dollar Teacher Project is a relatively new nonprofit, and focuses on educational inequality in Arizona. After looking over all our research and the nonprofit marketing guide, we were able to develop a plan for increasing engagement, awareness, and trust for Million Dollar Teacher Project. We pinpointed areas of improvement, such as social media, ambassador programs, email marketing, and follow up strategy.
The nonprofit marketing plan, our survey results, interview transcripts, as well as our marketing plan for Million Dollar Teacher Project can be found below.
First, we created two separate surveys, taking responses from over 1000 individuals at Arizona State University. These surveys focused on building trust in nonprofits, preferred marketing strategies as a consumer, and general awareness for various social issues that affect local and national nonprofits. Second, we conducted professional interviews with marketing leaders at nonprofits. These ranged from smaller, local nonprofits to nonprofits that operate on a national level. Their missions were all geared toward different causes, meaning they offered a diverse set of skills and advice on nonprofit marketing.
After obtaining this data, we created a guide for nonprofit marketing. Because there is a lack of information available on building marketing techniques in the nonprofit sector, we aimed to create a general guideline that could be applied to a variety of nonprofits and develop their marketing strategy. This includes details on how to create an executive summary, conduct a SWOT analysis, and the different strategies a nonprofit organization should implement.
Further, to test this marketing plan, we partnered with a local nonprofit in Arizona, Million Dollar Teacher Project. Million Dollar Teacher Project is a relatively new nonprofit, and focuses on educational inequality in Arizona. After looking over all our research and the nonprofit marketing guide, we were able to develop a plan for increasing engagement, awareness, and trust for Million Dollar Teacher Project. We pinpointed areas of improvement, such as social media, ambassador programs, email marketing, and follow up strategy.
The nonprofit marketing plan, our survey results, interview transcripts, as well as our marketing plan for Million Dollar Teacher Project can be found below.
ContributorsThresher, Kaitlin Brynn (Co-author) / Mertz, Allison (Co-author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The first chapter of the Seattle SuperSonics’ story is one full of pride, including a championship run in the 1970s, being one of the most popular teams of the 1990s, along with having an incredibly loyal fan base. The next chapter of that story is one filled with painful memories for those same loyal fans. In 2008, the team was stripped away from Seattle, eventually landing in Oklahoma City, leaving countless people heartbroken and a gaping hole in the professional sports landscape. For some people, that removal was where the story ended; for many, however, that was just the end of another chapter. The movement to bring the SuperSonics back to the city and their beloved fans began the day after the team left town, and has been going strong ever since. While the voices of fans cry out for a return, many critics say that a new team would no longer be able to flourish in Seattle, and that the NBA should stand pat where they are. This project seeks to determine the truth to that statement by investigating one central question: Should the Seattle SuperSonics be brought back to life? The question is viewed through a pair of perspectives over the course of this paper. The first is based in business, where I completed a thorough analysis that covers five major factors that are crucial to determining success. The second is that of the fans, which was accessed through a survey created to figure out what truly was important to them when looking at a new team. After these perspectives have been examined, the project will turn to the debate that asks which form of reentry would be more efficient for a rebuild: league expansion or relocation of a current franchise. I feel as though this topic is one that should be more well known across the realm of sports, and wanted to shine a light on it through this process. No fan would ever want to experience the kind of loss that comes with their favorite team being taken away, and I believe that acknowledging past failures can help leagues make better decisions in the future.
ContributorsKoufidakis, Nicholas (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / McIntosh, Daniel (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
In recent years, marketing has taken a large shift into the digital world. With the growing popularity of social media, many companies have been doing most of their advertising through platforms such as Instagram, and have been heavily using influencers, in order to drive their business. With the popularity of social media, small online businesses have been emerging. According to sources like eMarketer, e-commerce is the only trillion-dollar industry growing at a double-digit percentage each year (Moore). Among these small businesses, is the growing idea of dropshipping. Dropshipping is a system in which products can be chosen from a manufacturer, and sold via a website, with no need for inventory from the selling party. The goal of this research is to harness the power of social media, in order to drive a successful e-commerce business. The research entails creating a Shopify dropship store, and using social media platforms, such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to effectively advertise and drive the online business. The first steps were to create social media pages for the business, in order to establish credibility. All the products will be sourced from AliExpress, and then sold via the website created on Shopify. Consumers will order from the website, and process their payment that way as well, but will be receiving the package from AliExpress, which removes the necessity to have inventory, and minimizes shipping costs. The products sold were chosen based on survey results, for what consumers would most likely purchase from an online store. The store's name is “Urban Angel”, and primarily sells accessories, such as phone cases, jewelry, hair accessories, and purses. These are all priced at a neutral pricing strategy, and can compete with other online retailers. This is necessary, because there are so many e-commerce businesses emerging every day, it is important to make sure that it can stand out in some way.
ContributorsMcMillan, Angela Sophia (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Olsen, Doug (Committee member) / Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Comm (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This paper examines the fundamental problem statement of: How can the hotel & resort industry resist and overcome the new competitive challenge that the sharing economy and Airbnb have imposed on it? This wasn’t a problem up until this past decade, as hotels had long been the world’s main solution for individuals looking for a place to stay in exchange for a fee. That has changed nowadays as the rise of the sharing economy has created a new, fast-growing demand for Airbnb in the hospitality industry. We have witnessed powerful companies die as a result of not taking disruptive technology seriously, as seen with Blockbuster and Kodak; however, we have also seen impressive reactions to disruptive technology in other cases such as Walmart and Alibaba that use it to enhance the customer experience. Hotels arose from humble beginnings and progressively became more than just a place to sleep. This is evidenced by the progression from 16th century humble inns to large luxury hotels in the 19-20th century to many hotels being significant tourist attractions themselves nowadays. While some factors such as security, hygiene, and consistency currently remain on the hotel industry’s side, the main factors fueling the growth of Airbnb are closely tied to consumer preferences and Airbnb’s ability to create unique, authentic experiences. A questionnaire with 756 responses from ASU students was conducted for this project’s primary research. The results concluded that this demographic travels often, slightly prefers hotels over Airbnb, and values location, convenience, and cost the most. Results were consistent with findings discussed in literature, since the bulk of respondents said they look at Airbnb for low-cost options and hotels for high-end options. Hotels reign supreme in the high-end market and benefit from their location and convenience factors, but Airbnb might have an opportunity to leverage their attractive capabilities while also incorporating some of hotels’ best aspects. This can cause the preference of hotels over Airbnb to diminish further going forward. Hotels can combat Airbnb in multiple ways. One is for hotel chains to customize more hotels to fit the local destination like Airbnb rather than keeping a more standardized vibe and design across all locations. Another is to continue focusing on creating unmatched service experiences in the high-end market that are hard for Airbnb to replicate. A third one is to implement more competitive pricing relative to Airbnb during peak seasons across different cities. Finally, given the increased awareness on hygiene and health that the COVID-19 crisis will likely bring after the pandemic, hotels should put greater emphasis on their hygiene factor when conducting publicity efforts, since this remains in favor of hotels rather than Airbnb and can attract customers who are still reeling with fear from the pandemic. All of this can help hotels to retain their crucial competencies while leveraging Airbnb’s competencies to create an incredible customer experience that is the best of both worlds. All of it prevent the hotel industry from going down a darker path than it has gone through before.
ContributorsValenzuela Gallardo, Juan (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Who would imagine that playing games is considered as a sport and became one of the most popular sports in the world? Who would imagine that over 100 million people watch someone else playing a game 10 years ago? Maybe even 5 years ago a lot of people did not believe that many people were watching one Esports championship series in the world in 2019. I believe that most people would not believe that fact. Nowadays the gaming industry has become 134 billion dollars industry (Warman), but most of the general public does not even know that Esports is a globally popular sport. The uniqueness of Esports is that fans are located everywhere in the world, unlike American football. This sport’s popularity is borderless and there are not that many sports leagues that have a huge global fan population in the sports industry. The reason Esports was able to capture popularity from everywhere in this world is because the gaming community is often beyond the border. For example, a person who lives in South Korea is teaming up with a man whom he has never met in person before and fighting against the players who are living on the other side of the world in a single match. This is how modern gaming society is. Those players are physically existing in different places, but there is no border that exists in this gaming virtual world and people are playing in the same match with the players who live in different places. This is one thing that we are not able to see in the traditional sports and the biggest strength of the Esports. The uniqueness of Esports is that all the players do not need to physically get together to play a game. If you want to play soccer, obviously all the 22 players need to be in the same field physically. People do not have a sense of local attachment from the beginning in the world of modern Esports because the gaming community is existing in the virtual world and the border does not exist in this virtual community. This unique environment is one of the biggest factors that makes Esports the fastest growing sport in the entire sports industry these days, and this rapid growth is supported by those younger gamers. Esports is still a new sport compared to other traditional sports, so they will follow a similar or different path that traditional sports took and will be part of those popular leagues in the future.
ContributorsSannomiya, Akie (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / McIntosh, Daniel (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The purpose of this thesis is to cover the multiple aspects of Major League Baseball Expansion from 30 to 32 teams. The thesis can be divided into two parts with the first being the preparation and consideration for expansion, and the second half is about the execution and implementation of adding two expansion teams to the league.
For years, Commissioner Rob Manfred has hinted and brought about the idea of adding two more teams to Major League Baseball (Mitchell). The growth of the game is of utmost importance, and they have made many changes to try to expand the growth of fans the past few years particularly catered to new and young fans. New rules like a pitch clock and mound visit limitations are examples of in game changes made to speed up the game, but they have also experimented with spring training and regular season games internationally or at new venues. In just the past decade, games have been played or planned (due to COVID-19 cancellations) in Monterrey, Mexico City, London, Tokyo, San Juan, Montreal, Las Vegas, Williamsport, and even Iowa. With the exception of the Williamsport Little League Classic and the Field of Dreams game in Iowa, all these locations had games to see what the atmosphere and logistics would be like with expansion in mind as a possibility in the future. With this in mind, this thesis will analyze and come to a conclusion on the following cities for the best fits for expansion: Monterrey, Mexico City, San Juan, Vancouver, Montreal, Las Vegas, Portland, Nashville, Raleigh, and San Antonio.
For years, Commissioner Rob Manfred has hinted and brought about the idea of adding two more teams to Major League Baseball (Mitchell). The growth of the game is of utmost importance, and they have made many changes to try to expand the growth of fans the past few years particularly catered to new and young fans. New rules like a pitch clock and mound visit limitations are examples of in game changes made to speed up the game, but they have also experimented with spring training and regular season games internationally or at new venues. In just the past decade, games have been played or planned (due to COVID-19 cancellations) in Monterrey, Mexico City, London, Tokyo, San Juan, Montreal, Las Vegas, Williamsport, and even Iowa. With the exception of the Williamsport Little League Classic and the Field of Dreams game in Iowa, all these locations had games to see what the atmosphere and logistics would be like with expansion in mind as a possibility in the future. With this in mind, this thesis will analyze and come to a conclusion on the following cities for the best fits for expansion: Monterrey, Mexico City, San Juan, Vancouver, Montreal, Las Vegas, Portland, Nashville, Raleigh, and San Antonio.
ContributorsLieberman, Jake Robert (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / McIntosh, Daniel (Committee member) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the various paths that college students have taken to get a job in their desired field after graduation. Many factors go into preparing a student for the post-graduation job market and this thesis investigates this topic through the lens of post-graduates and job recruiters. This thesis begins by giving a brief overview of how the application process has changed within the last ten years, and where it is headed in the future. Our motivation for this research came from the lack of transparency in the application process. We hypothesized that a student's undergraduate experience and connections were the key to getting a job within their desired career path. Through interviews and research from graduated students and recruiters, our hypothesis was proved accurate. There is currently a big disconnect between what students believe is important and what recruiters are looking for in potential employees. The main purpose of this thesis is to try and bridge that gap. Students often lack confidence and struggle to understand what is important when applying for jobs post-graduation. With this data, we hope to outline crucial steps that need to be taken and make students feel more prepared as they enter the professional world. We have included personal stories that highlight the variety of successful paths that can be taken to starting a career. Interviewees advised students not to get discouraged while applying, push for what you want and prove your potential to recruiters. The goal of this thesis is to give undergraduate college students hope as they go through the application process in finding the right career path for them.
ContributorsHurley, Sydney (Co-author) / Brown, Paige (Co-author) / Thompson, Elise (Co-author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Lee, Christopher (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The purpose of this study was to examine the history of pilgrimage tourism and its marketability to a modern consumer. It was also to examine the role of government in promoting tourism activities. Through a case study on el Camino de Santiago and the Xunta de Galicia, I discovered a market gap and created a communications strategy aimed towards closing the gap and smoothing demand fluctuation. Target market research indicated consumer interest and supported the marketing strategy. The study was conducted through historical, statistical, ethnographic, and psychographic research and analysis. The major findings of this study were that the American consumer is not as religiously motivated to travel as their European counterparts. However, they find many other aspects of the pilgrimage experience very appealing. Their lack of interest in the religious aspect of travel experiences segments them into a group that can potentially help flatten demand fluctuation amid Holy Years along el Camino de Santiago. The modernization of the pilgrimage contributes to its movement away from pious tourism towards secular tourism and offers an opportunity for an untapped market to support pilgrimage tourism economies.
ContributorsPowers, Molly Kathleen (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Eaton, Kate (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05