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Especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic and age of social unrest in the United States, there has been an increasing need for comfort, yet the idea of comfort is quite vague and rarely elaborated upon. To simplify the idea of comfort and communicate the ideas around it effectively, I am

Especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic and age of social unrest in the United States, there has been an increasing need for comfort, yet the idea of comfort is quite vague and rarely elaborated upon. To simplify the idea of comfort and communicate the ideas around it effectively, I am defining comfort as a subset of escapism in which a person escapes to reduce or alleviate feelings of grief or distress. As companies rush to comfort their customers in this current state of uncertainty, marketers are pressed to identify people’s insecurities and comfort them without coming off as insensitive or trite. Current comfort marketing focuses on inspiring nostalgia in its customers, having them recall previous positive experiences or feelings to comfort them. Nostalgic marketing techniques may ease mild grief in some cases, but using them to alleviate severe distress probably will not be as effective, and has contributed to several seemingly out-of-touch “COVID-19 era” commercials.<br/>When addressing comfort, marketers should understand the type and hierarchy of comfort that they are catering to. Not all comforts are equal, in that some comforts make us feel better than others and some do not comfort us at all. A better understanding of how and why comforts change among different individuals, and possibly being able to predict the comfort preference based on a product or service, will help marketers market their goods and services more effectively. By diversifying and specializing comfort marketing using this hierarchical method, marketers will be able to more significantly reach their customers during “uncertain times.”

ContributorsTarpley, Rachel Michelle (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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The study of lighting design has important implications for consumer behavior and is an important aspect of consideration for the retail industry. In today's global economy consumers can come from a number of cultural backgrounds. It is important to understand various cultures' perceptions of lighting design in order for retailers

The study of lighting design has important implications for consumer behavior and is an important aspect of consideration for the retail industry. In today's global economy consumers can come from a number of cultural backgrounds. It is important to understand various cultures' perceptions of lighting design in order for retailers to better understand how to use lighting as a benefit to provide consumers with a desirable shopping experience. This thesis provides insight into the effects of ambient lighting on product perception among Americans and Middle Easterners. Both cultural groups' possess significant purchasing power in the worldwide market place. This research will allow marketers, designers and consumers a better understanding of how culture may play a role in consumer perceptions and behavior Results of this study are based on data gathered from 164 surveys from individuals of American and Middle Eastern heritage. Follow up interviews were also conducted to examine the nuances of product perception and potential differences across cultures. This study, using qualitative and quantitative methods, was executed using a Sequential Explanatory Strategy. Survey data were analyzed to uncover significant correlations and relationships using measures of descriptive analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and regression analysis. Interviews were analyzed using theme-based coding and reported in narrative form. The results suggest that lighting does in fact have an impact on product perception, however despite minor differences, this perception does not vary much between individuals from American and Middle Eastern cultures. It was found that lighting could affect price and quality perception with reference to store-image and store atmospherics. Additionally, lighting has a higher impact on subjective impressions of product (such as Freshness, Pleasantness, and Attractiveness), more than Price and Quality perceptions. This study suggests that particular lighting characteristics could be responsible for differences in product perception between these two cultures. This is important to note for lighting designers and marketers to create retail atmospheres that are preferable to both cultures.
ContributorsAlsharhan, Dalal Anwar (Author) / Kroelinger, Michael D. (Thesis advisor) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
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The purpose of this thesis was to undertake the creation of a newsgame to create a new teaching tool for journalism schools to better prepare journalism and mass communication majors for covering minority communities. Give It To Me Straight is a drag-and-drop puzzle newsgame that tasks players with completing real

The purpose of this thesis was to undertake the creation of a newsgame to create a new teaching tool for journalism schools to better prepare journalism and mass communication majors for covering minority communities. Give It To Me Straight is a drag-and-drop puzzle newsgame that tasks players with completing real headlines from the past about the LGBT community. The written portion of this thesis analyzes the history of news coverage of gays and lesbians illustrating how the journalism industry readily discriminated against or ignored sexual minorities in the United States. The analysis also includes original research about how Cronkite School students view their role in covering minorities. The results revealed shortfalls in the Cronkite Schools curriculum and raised concerns if the school meets the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication's standards.
ContributorsSorrell, Alex Michael (Author) / Hill, Retha (Thesis director) / Corey, Frederick (Committee member) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
There's a growing trend of transparency in the media that has been reflected in the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics. SPJ advocates that journalists "explain ethical choices and processes to the audience" and "expose unethical conduct." Transparency currently means taking responsibility for your work and not allowing yourself

There's a growing trend of transparency in the media that has been reflected in the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics. SPJ advocates that journalists "explain ethical choices and processes to the audience" and "expose unethical conduct." Transparency currently means taking responsibility for your work and not allowing yourself to be compromised by conflicts of interest. It doesn't usually mean being open about your beliefs, positions and perspectives. We would argue that it could, and should. There are many examples of publications making mistakes because they lacked the knowledge and understanding of someone from a different perspective. Additionally, there are many examples of journalists lacking in information because they were trying to remain objective. There should be a place where journalists can be open about where they are coming from and give their perspective on a situation. Using many different perspectives we can build a bigger, and more accurate, picture around the context of a situation. This thesis project examines objectivity and proposes a new philosophical approach based on Situated Knowledges by Donna Haraway. We examine media case studies to expose issues with the coverage of news when objectivity is the main goal.
ContributorsVanHorn, Miranda (Co-author) / Shearer, Anne (Co-author) / Rodriguez, Rick (Thesis director) / Bluhm, Michael (Committee member) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
This thesis provides recommendations to implement journalism and publishing programs into Montessori secondary education systems. This applies to students of 11 years or older that can be found in more than 210 Montessori schools across the nation, according to the American Montessori Society. Much of the foundation for this thesis

This thesis provides recommendations to implement journalism and publishing programs into Montessori secondary education systems. This applies to students of 11 years or older that can be found in more than 210 Montessori schools across the nation, according to the American Montessori Society. Much of the foundation for this thesis is created by my own experience starting a journalism program at Desert Garden Montessori School in Phoenix, Arizona. The literature review looks at the history of Montessori education; the differences between Montessori education and traditional public schooling; the benefits of journalism programs for secondary education systems; and the observed fit between journalism and Montessori philosophies. The greater research explores my experience as a journalism adviser for Desert Garden Montessori School, and my own lessons learned through the spring 2015 semester. The final suggestions for a journalism program are split into three sections: those by the Desert Garden Montessori students, by certified members of American Montessori Society, and my own final recommendations. It then looks into areas for further research to solidify the expansion of journalism programs into other Montessori schools. The appendices contain newsroom documents and material published during my time as journalism adviser for Desert Garden Montessori School. This includes the magazines and stories created by the newsroom students.
Created2016-05
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Over the last several decades, young adult literature has been growing in popularity. In 1997 there were a total of 3,000 young adult books published. In 2009 that number jumped to 30,000 with sales exceeding $3 billion (Brown The Atlantic). Today, Generation Z is the target young adult genre audience.

Over the last several decades, young adult literature has been growing in popularity. In 1997 there were a total of 3,000 young adult books published. In 2009 that number jumped to 30,000 with sales exceeding $3 billion (Brown The Atlantic). Today, Generation Z is the target young adult genre audience. Members of Generation Z are ages 12 to 17, or people born between about 1995 and 2009. This generation is accustomed to and grew up with ready access to technology. In order to garner the attention of this generation, marketers have to be more creative and focus on storytelling in their digital marketing methods. In a field saturated with titles, what methods do publishers use to distinguish their titles from others? In this thesis project I examined what visual and rhetorical elements marketers are using to draw in the young adult crowd. Visually, I utilized the criteria outlined by Dr. Frank Serafini in his book Reading the Visual. Rhetorically, I utilized the concepts of logos, ethos, pathos, and kairos. I conducted a visual and rhetorical analysis of the marketing methods implemented by young adult publishers on their young adult web platform, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and on the physical book. I selected 5 novels based on webpage placement, i.e. which novels were placed furthest up the webpage, to the left, and the largest. The webpages I examined were the ones used by the Big Five publishing houses, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Macmillan, and HarperCollins, to push out their young adult titles. Based on placement my novels were Morrighan: A Remnant Chronicles Novella by Mary E. Pearson, Other Broken Things by C. Desir, A Gatlin Wedding by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit, and Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard. This study found that pathos, or emotionally charged language, is the most utilized rhetorical technique. A lot of the time these emotional appeals centered on nostalgia, as 4 out of my 5 novels were part of a series. In addition there was a lot of language evoking feelings of female empowerment. Visually, all of the covers featured objects instead of people. This way, larger portions of the target audience can associate with the main character and envision themselves in that role. Finally, 2 out of the 5 books were novellas, which are companions to a series and available exclusively electronically. This shows that marketers are in some cases choosing to push out cheaper, novellas. Future studies could look at which marketing technique, since each platform varied in its medium focus, yielded the most sales. This would help marketers tailor their future efforts to Generation Z. For example, what yields more sales focusing on Twitter or Facebook? In addition, studies should look at why there is such a push for female empowerment. Since male members of Generation Z are not the target market on the publisher's website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and physical book, where are they being targeted? It is important to figure out how teenage boys select their books, as well.
ContributorsRath, Morgan Wilhelmina (Author) / Wendy, Williams (Thesis director) / Frank, Serafini (Committee member) / Alice, Hays (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
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The research and work that allowed my thesis creative project to come to fruition were tokens of a truly enlightening experience. My thesis is entitled, ASU Olympians: Dissecting their Psyche, and delves into three main topics that blanket all eight of the subjects that I interviewed. The first topic encompasses

The research and work that allowed my thesis creative project to come to fruition were tokens of a truly enlightening experience. My thesis is entitled, ASU Olympians: Dissecting their Psyche, and delves into three main topics that blanket all eight of the subjects that I interviewed. The first topic encompasses the idea that Athletic Director Ray Anderson is constantly trying to expand the Olympic culture within ASU Athletics. The second topic is the fact that competing in the Olympics changes an athlete's trajectory whether they medal or not. The third topic focuses on the physical and mental toll the Games take on these athletes. I designed an interactive website to showcase these topics. In it, there are interactive features from up-and-coming applications such as a 360-degree photo from Bubbli, an infographic from Venngage and a timeline from Timeglider. I have written four long-form stories on marathoner Amy Hastings Cragg, swimmer Richard Bohus, high-jumper Bryan McBride and water polo defender Gao Ao. To enhance these ideas further, I created four videos: One about future ASU volunteer coach Michael Phelps, another on current ASU Swim & Dive Coach Bob Bowman, another on Ao to go along with her story and finally a one-on-one with Ray Anderson as the centerpiece to my project. Every piece of this website fits together to communicate one overarching message: The Olympics leave a massive impact on the ASU athletes that compete in them and an impact that each of these athlete's find an interesting story to tell in its wake.
ContributorsVicario, Kristina Louise (Author) / Lodato, Mark (Thesis director) / Hawken-Collins, Denise (Committee member) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
The U.S. Census Bureau's 2014 American Community Survey reports there are approximately 884,000 immigrants living in Arizona. Of these, 64 percent (around 570,000 people) come from Latin America. However, 73 percent (over 390,000) of these Latino immigrants are not U.S. citizens. They fall under four categories as designated by the

The U.S. Census Bureau's 2014 American Community Survey reports there are approximately 884,000 immigrants living in Arizona. Of these, 64 percent (around 570,000 people) come from Latin America. However, 73 percent (over 390,000) of these Latino immigrants are not U.S. citizens. They fall under four categories as designated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security: permanent residents, refugees and asylees, temporary visa holders and unauthorized residents. The link to the website where the thesis is located is: americandreamaz.wordpress.com This study looks into the struggles immigrant Latino students have faced growing up in the United States based on each of these categories, especially now that they are nearing high school graduation and applying for college.The first segment of this study explains the types of Latino immigrants living in Arizona, a synopsis of the struggles immigrant families face and an explanation of legislation that has given the undocumented students a chance for a better future. The second segment is the testimonies of six high school students from San Tan Valley, Arizona who have faced challenges growing up in the United States as immigrants. Each of these students come from different backgrounds and countries, but have many similarities in the obstacles they have had to overcome since moving to the United States. The final segment of this study is an explanation to the use of a Cannon DSLR camera for the filming of the interviews, instead of the larger Sony NX video camera that is typically used by journalists in the field.
ContributorsKuebler, Meghan Ashlee (Author) / Rodriguez, Rick (Thesis director) / Boeck, Greg (Committee member) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
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The magazine industry plays an important role in shaping how women speak, act, and perceive themselves and others. This industry presents pleasure, consumerism, and a cult of femininity to its largely female readers. The purpose of the literature review was to understand the culture of women's magazines and find a

The magazine industry plays an important role in shaping how women speak, act, and perceive themselves and others. This industry presents pleasure, consumerism, and a cult of femininity to its largely female readers. The purpose of the literature review was to understand the culture of women's magazines and find a method of examination that would fit best with the intent of this thesis project. Based on this research, the project involved reconstructing a series of Glamour magazine articles from a feminist perspective. This study looked at the degree to which Glamour's editorial content and graphics matched its editorial policy. By researching previous studies of women's magazines, the literature review guided the reframing of Glamour articles from a feminist perspective. Most of the studies reviewed were written in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, when the radical feminist movement was at its peak. Since then, few analyses have been made on the topic of feminism and women's magazines. This project offered an update on that research by looking at current women's magazines and evaluating if their content/graphics have improved over the last thirty years. Twelve Glamour magazine articles over a three-year period, 2012 to 2014, were selected at random to rewrite. By reconstructing the editorial content and graphics from the selected articles, this study hoped to create a more positive and beneficial magazine for women free of gender stereotypes. Rather than produce a magazine that criticizes women, the reconstructed version of Glamour included a voice that made women feel accepted. This required removing language that reinforced negative gender stereotypes and content that urged women to be perfect, please men, look a certain way, and more. This study found that Glamour is actually a lot closer to representing this gender-neutral magazine ideal than previously thought and creating a gender-neutral magazine is possible with thoughtful editing.
ContributorsAffelt, Stacia Emily (Author) / Barrett, Marianne (Thesis director) / Hawken-Collins, Denise (Committee member) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-12
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DescriptionA qualitative analysis that compares the social media usage, perceptions and measurement tools of public relations practitioners across a variety of industries.
ContributorsO'Hara, Leila Terese (Author) / Gilpin, Dawn (Thesis director) / Candello, Elizabeth (Committee member) / Eichler, David (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor)
Created2014-05