Matching Items (49)
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- All Subjects: Marketing
- Creators: W. P. Carey School of Business
- Creators: Montoya, Detra
- Member of: Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
- Status: Published
DescriptionDuring the Third Wave of Democratization, the United States has influenced many different cultures through politics and social interests. The way in which this has occurred is through their marketing and advertising. Many companies are the reason that the United States is a super power today.
ContributorsNebeker, Garrett Albert (Author) / Wilson, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Reiser, Mark (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Luxury is a sector of all global industry that has been proven sustainable, having flourished during global economic successes and withstood hardships across numerous decades. Consumers are drawn to luxury, both the physical and perceived value that luxury products offer. Luxury champagne tastes better, luxury vehicles are higher performing and luxury fashion reflects the highest quality designs. The belief in superior product is what keeps luxury relevant. However, it is the brand identity created on behalf of the firm behind a luxury brand that remains the vital component to develop and maintain its top-tier status. Luxury fashion firms are synonymous with their brand, the persona and user experience created driving all facets of creative and business execution. While product name and perceived value are contributors to global success, the evolution and maintenance of such status relies upon the consistency of brand identity. To begin, I will identify a criterion that differentiates luxury fashion (mega-brands) from mass-market and commercial fashion, as well as outline the components that comprise a luxury brand identity. After a clear understanding of the meaning of luxury is established, I will layout the process of how a brand identity is consistently communicated through the business cycle, from the initial creation and design process to the end point of the final sale stage. To further enrich the learning established, I will apply the developed concepts in a dissection of the top five luxury fashion firms, Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Gucci. Analyzing each mega-brand, I will evaluate how the company's brand identity has evolved over the course of the firm's heritage and analyze the current brand creative direction (brand identity, ethics and aesthetics). Understanding the brand's persona and image, I will highlight the physical representation through brand codes and symbols to support the firm's positioning as a thriving luxury empire. Lastly, I will interpret the company's latest advertising campaign, deconstructing the application of brand identity as well as the contribution the campaign provides to supporting firm success. Ultimately, after gaining sufficient understanding of what a successful luxury firm is comprised of, I will identify the shortcomings identified within the last firm evaluated, Gucci. I will examine the branding failures of the current state of Gucci, analyzing what contributed to its fall from top luxury brand status. Additionally, I will provide details regarding what measures are currently being taken to regain its superior status as well as provide my own recommendation to the firm. In summation, through the process of understanding successful luxury branding practices, I hope to have enriched not only my understanding of brand identity but have gained the ability to develop my own point of view, to suggest a branding path and measures to be taken to steer Gucci back on a track.
ContributorsGil, Alexandria Southwick (Author) / Peck, Sidnee (Thesis director) / Ostrom, Amy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Management (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
GEICO Insurance offers a wide range of insurance options to consumers nationwide. The company has experienced exponential growth over the past 15 years largely due to their low rates, ease of purchase, online business model, and their industry-revolutionizing approach to advertising these competitive advantages. Operating primarily within the enormous Property and Casualty sector of the insurance industry, GEICO faces extremely high levels of competition from many well-resourced companies. The most dangerous of which have begun to respond to GEICO's humorous, charming, and often detached advertising strategy through the employment of one of two general strategies; either imitating and attempting to improve upon GEICO's brand image and advertising practices, or else attacking it, insinuating that a company with this appeal does not truly care about its customers or its services. As GEICO has already solidified their low price point and ease of purchase in the minds of consumers, a tactical shift in response to competitive actions is now optimal. To avoid being labeled as a "cut-rate" insurance provider who cares little about the safety or well-being of their clients, and provides them with low quality insurance products and services; the following integrated marketing campaign is proposed. Spearheaded by the slogan "As long as you have GEICO, Things are looking up.", this campaign will focus on raising awareness of the plethora of customer service programs and initiatives already offered by GEICO that are unknown to the general public. The humorous, lighthearted appeal will remain, but the focus on highlighting customer service benefits and the high quality associated with GEICO's product will serve to shift the public perception of GEICO. As a result of this campaign, GEICO will appeal to a broader segment of the market, retain customers for longer period of time, raise awareness of their helpful customer service products and services, and differentiate themselves from the competition.
ContributorsGood, David Gregory (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Samper, Adriana (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Management (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
As millennials are growing and becoming the "the next big consumer market," understanding them is crucial (Paul, 2001; Kumar & Lim, 2008). This study will attempt to understand their processing of ads by observing the relationship between construal level theory and product type (i.e. hedonic vs. utilitarian). Construal Level theory suggests that individuals construe information at different abstract levels. High levels are characterized by abstract and general representation (e.g. thinking of moving as starting a new chapter of life) while low levels are characterized as including more concrete and contextual details (e.g. thinking of moving as packing boxes). Neither interaction nor main effect of product type was observed either as main effect or as interaction with construal level. However, a significant main effect of construal level was found showing that concrete and contextual (low construal level) information on advertisements makes them more effective and useful to millennials; influences purchase intentions more than ads construed in high construal levels; and, makes brands seem more credible, stable and truthful.
ContributorsSandoval, Daisy (Author) / Olsen, Douglas (Thesis director) / Hall, Deborah (Committee member) / Mirshak, Paul (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
As a self-discrepancy arises between who an individual currently is and who they aspire to become, feelings of tension arise. Reactions to this stress are based on various personal beliefs. Our feelings of our potential to reach our desired state can be affected by our orientation of locus of control, or where we believe control is derived from within our life. In the present research, we examine how a person's locus of control--whether they are internal by attributing outcomes to their own actions or external believers that fate and chance drive their life outcomes--affects their reaction to a self-discrepancy in a domain that is important to them, and how this affects valuation of the products used in that domain. We found that while internals and externals behave similarly under feelings of high competence (baseline condition) when a self-discrepancy is not evident, reactions differed under the opposing condition of feeling less competent during their goal pursuit. Externals did not significantly change their belief in the product regardless of the condition (high vs. low competence) while internals took the defeat heavily by significantly decreasing their belief that the goal-related product would help them achieve their goals and decreased their willingness to pay for it.
ContributorsSweet, Megan Ruth (Author) / Samper, Adriana (Thesis director) / Ostrom, Amy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Management (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
ASU's international student population has been growing exponentially in the last few years. Specifically, the fastest growing group has been international students from China. However, many of these students are arriving with inaccurate expectations of life at an American university. Furthermore, prospective students in China that have a desire to attend school in the U.S. are struggling to find a university that is affordable and respected. There is a huge opportunity for ASU to reach this market of students and increase their enrollment of international Chinese students. Our project aimed to create advertisements of ASU that target international Chinese students and their parents. The purpose of our project is to provide inspiration that ASU can utilize to create a professional marketing campaign to target this population of potential students.
ContributorsKagiyama, Kristen (Co-author) / Le, Alethea (Co-author) / Chien, Hsui Fen (Thesis director) / Chau, Angie (Committee member) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Tech2Learn, a privately owned tutoring company, serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade at its Phoenix location. The company's founding mission "is for every child to build individual competence and confidence in essential skills." It accomplishes this mission by providing a safe, fun, and engaging environment where children feel comfortable learning. In addition to tutoring in traditional subjects such as math and reading, Tech2Learn also offers a dyslexia reading lab, and a High School Placement Test prep course. The goal of this plan is to find a low cost and easy to manage way for Tech2Learn to market its services and encourage referrals. To achieve this goal, I conducted both an external and internal analysis. In order for Tech2Learn to remain competitive in the industry, it must be aware of trends such as the rapidly evolution of teaching technology, new government mandates on curriculum, and parents' desire to be involved in their children's education. While these trends create opportunities for growth, there are also threats that arise. One threat to Tech2Learn is a large number of competitors in the market. The company relies on its strengths of human capital and unique teaching approach to minimize these threats. The tactics and strategies recommended in this plan are intended to reduce the company's weaknesses. Specifically, tactical recommendations target Tech2Learn's digital presence through the creation of a Facebook page, consolidation of company owned web domains, and updating business information on both owned and earned online sites. Additionally, strategic suggestions aim to prepare Tech2Learn for future growth through the implementation of a formal training procedure, consideration of an additional office location, and differentiation through the early adoption of new technologies, such as virtual reality.
ContributorsCunningham, Sinead Bridget (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Giles, Bret (Committee member) / Cummings, Deborah (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-12
Description
Branding is one of the most important tools a business can use. Whether consumers know it or not, every purchasing decision that they make – be it for a product or service – is rooted in the brand. Thus, it is somewhat of a surprise that branding for individuals did not become popularized until 1997, with Tom Peters’ article “The Brand Called You.” In his article, Peters remarks on how changes in the marketplace and technology make developing a personal brand more accessible, as well as more important. The increasingly competitive marketplace combined with the rise of social media means that personal branding is even more important and more attainable today. Thus, it is vital for students entering the workforce to develop a brand that will allow them to distinguish themselves. This research examines whether or not students understand what personal branding is and if they have taken the steps to develop their personal brand. The research questions are as follows:
• Do students understand what personal branding is?
• Are students able to define their skills?
• Do students have a career plan?
• Do students have a plan to promote their brand?
A pilot study was first distributed to students of Arizona State University which found that students lack an understanding of what personal branding is and have a need for the knowledge and tools to develop a personal brand. A workshop was then developed to address these issues. This workshop was held three times: first, for a Landscape Architecture class, second, for a marketing class, and third, for a student sales organization. The workshop discussed branding, personal branding, and then the participants were able to begin working on developing their own personal brand. The students in the first workshop had two sessions and were able to complete their own personal brand process with the workshop leader, while participants from the second and third workshops completed it on their own, after only a single workshop session. After completing the in-person workshop, participants shared their brand with their fellow students in a Google Plus page. Finally, participants completed an exit survey. This exit survey was used to measure the research questions.
The first workshop proved to be most effective, even though the participants in the first workshop were all landscape design students and the majority of the participants in the second and third workshops were business students. It was found that unless the students’ own brand development process was finished during the workshop or affected the students’ grade, it would not be completed. It was also evident in all of the workshops that slides with imagery were more effective at starting discussions than the text-heavy slides. As such, future workshops should be designed with a greater time allowance, the intent of the students’ own brand development process to be completed during the workshop, and the presentation should be redesigned to better initiate discussion among participants.
• Do students understand what personal branding is?
• Are students able to define their skills?
• Do students have a career plan?
• Do students have a plan to promote their brand?
A pilot study was first distributed to students of Arizona State University which found that students lack an understanding of what personal branding is and have a need for the knowledge and tools to develop a personal brand. A workshop was then developed to address these issues. This workshop was held three times: first, for a Landscape Architecture class, second, for a marketing class, and third, for a student sales organization. The workshop discussed branding, personal branding, and then the participants were able to begin working on developing their own personal brand. The students in the first workshop had two sessions and were able to complete their own personal brand process with the workshop leader, while participants from the second and third workshops completed it on their own, after only a single workshop session. After completing the in-person workshop, participants shared their brand with their fellow students in a Google Plus page. Finally, participants completed an exit survey. This exit survey was used to measure the research questions.
The first workshop proved to be most effective, even though the participants in the first workshop were all landscape design students and the majority of the participants in the second and third workshops were business students. It was found that unless the students’ own brand development process was finished during the workshop or affected the students’ grade, it would not be completed. It was also evident in all of the workshops that slides with imagery were more effective at starting discussions than the text-heavy slides. As such, future workshops should be designed with a greater time allowance, the intent of the students’ own brand development process to be completed during the workshop, and the presentation should be redesigned to better initiate discussion among participants.
ContributorsBinsfeld, Jacqueline Rose (Author) / Montoya, Detra (Thesis director) / Gray, Nancy (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-12
Description
This study examines the differences in presence and perception of the Samsung and Apple brands in Spain compared to the United States. Primary research was collected on-site in Spain and comparatively analyzed to experiences in the United States from the perspective of an American citizen. Qualitative data in the form of observations and interviews was collected as well as extensive secondary research. The study will conclude international implications of these two brands in Spain.
ContributorsNeerhof, Samantha Noel (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Giard, Jacques (Committee member) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
This study aimed to extend beyond existing research on the male-grooming industry to examine the reality of marketing an everyday cosmetic product to men. This thesis contains a two-part original research study involving a qualitative, exploratory study (Study 1) clarifying college-aged men's attitudes toward male grooming products and makeup for men; and a quantitative, experimental study (Study 2) created to test theories developed from Study 1. Study 1 discovered a pattern among male participants of citing functional/medicinal qualities of male-grooming products as their justification for purchase. Study 2 tested whether this could be applied to makeup by comparing the effects of two advertisements for male cosmetic products on the likelihood of purchase of the product advertised. The main implications of this research suggest that one way to integrate makeup for men into the mainstream market is to release products in free trials before releasing them for sale, since men in the study were somewhat likely to use a free sample of the product in the test advertisements, but unwilling to purchase it. Additionally, the presence of acne in the participants moderated the effects of the ads such that men without acne were more likely to try a cosmetic product when presented with the medicinal benefits of the product in addition to the appearance-enhancing benefits, rather than appearance-enhancing benefits alone. Overall, men with acne were more willing than men without acne to use the product, regardless of the advertising appeal.
ContributorsGibson, Jessica Lajoie (Author) / Eaton, Kathryn (Thesis director) / Lisjak, Monika (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05