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Social Media: A Case Study in Socially Connected Entrepreneurs

Description

The purpose of this study is to examine how social connectivity in a collaborative business environment translates to online social communication, namely to social media. Not a lot of academic research focuses in-depth on how startups and entrepreneurs within the technology industry perceive social media, or how their work environment…

The purpose of this study is to examine how social connectivity in a collaborative business environment translates to online social communication, namely to social media. Not a lot of academic research focuses in-depth on how startups and entrepreneurs within the technology industry perceive social media, or how their work environment can influence the ways they see the role of these platforms. Gangplank was chosen as the subject of this case study based on the emphasis they as a coworking space put on connecting to others in order to accomplish mutual goals. Initial research showed that entrepreneurs using social media did so with a collaborative focus in mind. However, it was unclear if, by developing their businesses in a space devoted to fostering social relationships, entrepreneurs would be more likely to engage and interact with other users on social media platforms. Furthermore, it was unclear if their attitudes toward online and offline communication would be affected by spending time in a dedicated social workspace. In order to find how some entrepreneurs that started or worked closely in the beginning stages of a collaborative, connection-driven workspace used social media and see whether or not they used the platform to establish and build relationships and connect with others, three entrepreneurs from such a workspace were personally interviewed. In these interviews, each entrepreneur gave their personal feelings and opinions on the space itself, their view on the role of social media, and whether or not they connected their space to their social media use. The study also examined each entrepreneur's social media profile on one prominent social network to see how each was practically using the platform, and to analyze how each entrepreneur's use of the platform compared to his perceptions of social media as a whole. The study found that entrepreneurs who became established in a collaboration-oriented space definitely interacted frequently on social media. Each entrepreneur interviewed expressed the importance of working closely with others and forming valuable connections through both online and offline means. These entrepreneurs were established to have followed all the best practices of social media use outlined through research, and to have had a large number of personally engaging interactions and conversations on observed social media platforms.

ContributorsThompson, Lauren Elizabeth (Author) / Wu, Xu (Thesis director) / Dodge, Nancie (Committee member) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2015-12

Music and Social Bonding: How Tessa Violet Formed Community During a Pandemic

Description

Music can be an incredibly powerful tool, and in an age where technology allows us to connect with those that don’t live near us, finding ways to use music to encourage that bonding can be incredibly beneficial. Particularly, in a global pandemic such as COVID-19, finding ways to connect with…

Music can be an incredibly powerful tool, and in an age where technology allows us to connect with those that don’t live near us, finding ways to use music to encourage that bonding can be incredibly beneficial. Particularly, in a global pandemic such as COVID-19, finding ways to connect with others remotely is more important than ever. In this study, I will be looking at how one artist in particular, Tessa Violet, manages to continue to not only grow her community, but also encourage her community to bond with each other. She achieves this by finding various ways, unique to her and her branding, that allows her community to connect with each other. By using her platform to give scavenger hunts to her fanbase, promoting and fostering community growth through various platforms, and livestreaming in ways unique to her style, she is able to connect her audience with each other. By engaging and observing these various actions on her part, I am able to see and experience this community bonding myself. I also look at ways this might be able to expanded to other artists and their communities as well. The hope is that the internet and social media can be just another form of music encouraging people to connect with one another.

ContributorsPartin, Eli (Author) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Thesis director) / Ring, Dan (Committee member) / Arts, Media and Engineering Sch T (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2021-05

Intimacy at the Fan/Celebrity Interface

Description

Sites of in-person fan/celebrity meetings can serve as a place for fans to share intimate details about themselves to celebrities. Through built-up confidence and knowledge of the subject matter, fans may be compelled to share personal anecdotes with the celebrity during these meetings. Fan studies scholars use the term “parasociality”…

Sites of in-person fan/celebrity meetings can serve as a place for fans to share intimate details about themselves to celebrities. Through built-up confidence and knowledge of the subject matter, fans may be compelled to share personal anecdotes with the celebrity during these meetings. Fan studies scholars use the term “parasociality” to describe one-sided relationships between fans and celebrities. My research aims to show how in-person events cultivate intimacy between fans and celebrities, even while simultaneously reinforcing parasocial relationships. It is often used when referring to the relationships as being one-sided, even though the fan also gains something from the interaction.

ContributorsGalek, Veronica Lucya (Author) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Thesis director) / Hsu, Emily (Committee member) / Schultz, Miranda (Committee member) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Comm (Contributor, Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2019-12

How To Micro- Influence: An Exploration of Marketing Strategy

Description

The rise in social media usage has sparked a new marketing strategy for brands and entrepreneurs known as influencing. Influencers use marketing tactics to persuade their social media followers to purchase a certain brand. For this thesis, we will be focusing on micro influencers who are defined as people that…

The rise in social media usage has sparked a new marketing strategy for brands and entrepreneurs known as influencing. Influencers use marketing tactics to persuade their social media followers to purchase a certain brand. For this thesis, we will be focusing on micro influencers who are defined as people that began as a regular, everyday person and became known for their knowledge about some specialist niche with a range of 10,000-500,000 followers.
To conduct research, we developed a survey that was distributed and taken by students at Arizona State University. The goal of surveying college students was to understand how young people who regularly use social media are persuaded by micro-influencers. To gain more insight, we interviewed three local micro-influencers that we discovered through Instagram and research. The goal of these interviews was to discover tactics that micro-influencers use when posting to market sponsored products. Additionally, we hoped to uncover a pattern that micro-influencers use when building their social media following. Ultimately, we developed a six-step guide from our research that aspiring micro-influencers can follow to strategize their rise as a social media micro-influencer. We also discuss the social media app TikTok, which we believe will be heavily used by influencers and micro-influencers in the future.

ContributorsPangburn, Morgan Lane (Co-author) / Harazim, Genevieve (Co-author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2020-05

The Generational Impact of the Internet and Technology

Description

This project looks at the impact that the internet has had on society, and how it has shaped the way that digitally native generations live their lives. More specifically, this thesis showcases what it means for younger generations to be digitally native and how engaging with technology while growing u…

This project looks at the impact that the internet has had on society, and how it has shaped the way that digitally native generations live their lives. More specifically, this thesis showcases what it means for younger generations to be digitally native and how engaging with technology while growing up affects the way that these individuals experience contemporary adolescence. Generation X is said to be the last group of people to experience life before the spread of the personal computer and internet access. Newer generations, such as Generation Z, have grown up having constant and easy access to the internet, all of the information it encompasses, and its additional functions. This access has shaped much of the generation as individuals as well as society as a whole. It can be argued that the human experience has been fundamentally different for those born after the creation of the internet and the rapid increase in accessible technology that followed. Through an interview with a participant from Generation X, I will showcase the transformative role that the internet and technology has played in major life events for a digitally native individual compared to that of individuals from older generations. As a member of Generation Z, I will compare my personal narrative regarding ten different life events occurring between the ages of five to 25 that I feel are common and impactful to the narrative a of non-digitally native individual. I expect to see that the internet and the creation of cyber culture that we see through social media has enhanced many of the defining events for younger generations growing up in some positive ways as well as some negative ways. Thus, growing up only knowing the internet and its purposes has altered the way that our experiences play out as we age, for good and for bad.

ContributorsTomchak, Marissa Janine (Author) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Thesis director) / Brian, Jennifer (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2020-05

In the Eyes of Content Creators: Influencer Marketing Model for Work Behind the Screens

Description

The purpose of this research is to create a model that will benefit this industry and the many changes to come. As of now, there are limited FTC guidelines which limit the protection of content creators, agencies, and brands. That is when I came up with the idea to develo…

The purpose of this research is to create a model that will benefit this industry and the many changes to come. As of now, there are limited FTC guidelines which limit the protection of content creators, agencies, and brands. That is when I came up with the idea to develop a model to further improve efficiency of the influencer marketing industry, and to help the entrepreneurs who are leading it. This model provides the framework for a strong start in the influencer marketing industry. Through informational interviews, literary research, field studies, and surveys, the model was developed through the data analysis of each of these tools, based on common themes found within each. This research was conducted from a variety of perspectives, including consumers, brands, agencies, and content creators.

ContributorsFurnas, Madison (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Committee member) / Svirskis, Anthony (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)

Created2022-05

Furnas Final Project (Spring 2022)

Description

The purpose of this research is to create a model that will benefit this industry and the many changes to come. As of now, there are limited FTC guidelines which limit the protection of content creators, agencies, and brands. That is when I came up with the idea to develo…

The purpose of this research is to create a model that will benefit this industry and the many changes to come. As of now, there are limited FTC guidelines which limit the protection of content creators, agencies, and brands. That is when I came up with the idea to develop a model to further improve efficiency of the influencer marketing industry, and to help the entrepreneurs who are leading it. This model provides the framework for a strong start in the influencer marketing industry. Through informational interviews, literary research, field studies, and surveys, the model was developed through the data analysis of each of these tools, based on common themes found within each. This research was conducted from a variety of perspectives, including consumers, brands, agencies, and content creators.

ContributorsFurnas, Madison (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Committee member) / Svirskis, Anthony (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor)

Created2022-05

Furnas Thesis Defense (Spring 2022)

Description

The purpose of this research is to create a model that will benefit this industry and the many changes to come. As of now, there are limited FTC guidelines which limit the protection of content creators, agencies, and brands. That is when I came up with the idea to develo…

The purpose of this research is to create a model that will benefit this industry and the many changes to come. As of now, there are limited FTC guidelines which limit the protection of content creators, agencies, and brands. That is when I came up with the idea to develop a model to further improve efficiency of the influencer marketing industry, and to help the entrepreneurs who are leading it. This model provides the framework for a strong start in the influencer marketing industry. Through informational interviews, literary research, field studies, and surveys, the model was developed through the data analysis of each of these tools, based on common themes found within each. This research was conducted from a variety of perspectives, including consumers, brands, agencies, and content creators.

ContributorsFurnas, Madison (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Committee member) / Svirskis, Anthony (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor)

Created2022-05

My Universe: Exploring Parasocial Relationships Through the Lens of Idol and Fan Online Interaction

Description

A study and fanzine of fandom culture, as it pertains to Korean pop (also known as K-pop music), focusing primarily on fan interactions between idols (celebrities) and fans via online messaging platforms (such as Universe and Bubble) and how it shapes parasocial relationships, which lead to positives of connection and…

A study and fanzine of fandom culture, as it pertains to Korean pop (also known as K-pop music), focusing primarily on fan interactions between idols (celebrities) and fans via online messaging platforms (such as Universe and Bubble) and how it shapes parasocial relationships, which lead to positives of connection and communication intimacy and negatives of safety and monetary concerns.

ContributorsMunson, Olivia (Author) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Thesis director) / Dombrowski, Rosemarie (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Comm (Contributor)

Created2022-05

Munson Final Project (Spring 2022)

Description

A study and fanzine of fandom culture, as it pertains to Korean pop (also known as K-pop music), focusing primarily on fan interactions between idols (celebrities) and fans via online messaging platforms (such as Universe and Bubble) and how it shapes parasocial relationships, which lead to positives of connection and…

A study and fanzine of fandom culture, as it pertains to Korean pop (also known as K-pop music), focusing primarily on fan interactions between idols (celebrities) and fans via online messaging platforms (such as Universe and Bubble) and how it shapes parasocial relationships, which lead to positives of connection and communication intimacy and negatives of safety and monetary concerns.

ContributorsMunson, Olivia (Author) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Thesis director) / Dombrowski, Rosemarie (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor)

Created2022-05

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