Digital Commons Network^™

The Use Of Experiential Marketing In The Wine Industry Of Paso Robles Wine Country To Build Brand And Educate Wine Buyers, Caitlin Moore

Journalism

The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance hosted a buyer’s retreat November 2-4, 2014. The buyer’s retreat consisted of business/restaurant owners coming to Paso Robles for three days of seminars, tastings, tours, etc. about the wine industry in Paso Robles. The hope from this retreat was that the guests would end up buying Paso Robles wine, ultimately helping to brand the wine industry of Paso Robles.

"I Wasn't Born A Boy – I Was Born A Baby": Best Practices Versus Accepted Practices In News Coverage Of The Transgender Community, Anna Hornell

Journalism

As transgender people and issues have gained prominence in American media over the past few years, more and more journalists find themselves covering a small and marginalized community that they may not have any previous experience with. Using standards set by LGBT media watchdog GLAAD, this study aimed to examine how the prevalence of problematic journalistic practices in covering the transgender community has (or has not) changed in recent years. A content analysis of 1,019 U.S. newspaper articles from 2009 and 2014 revealed some significant changes: almost all GLAAD-identified problematic practices that were studied appeared less commonly in 2014, although …

Fundraising Techniques Of San Luis Obispo Nonprofit Organizations, Samantha Suyemoto

Graphic Communication

The purpose of this study was to identify the strengths and weaknesses of using direct mail and electronic media in the fundraising techniques of local San Luis Obispo nonprofit organizations. The intended audience includes the nonprofits interviewed in each case study as well as the other organizations that fundraise within the San Luis Obispo area. Three case studies of nonprofit organizations within the area were conducted in conjunction with research on various types of funding. Results of this study are intended to benefit the nonprofits by providing more information on successful fundraising habits.

"The Falling Man" As Viewed In The Lens Of The "Public Sphere", Laura Reinacher

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

The Miscommunication Of Standardized Education, Eliott James Walker

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Ocbf Fundraising Handbook, Clare Devlin

Communication Studies

This project was created to help the Orange County Bar Foundation, a non-profit organization, enhance its communication with its stakeholders. Task messages in a handbook give instructions stipulating how the Foundation staff could be more persuasive at the Foundation's annual golf tournament, and get more golfers to enter their sweepstake. The handbook is informed by persuasion theories such as the door-in-the-face theory, reciprocity theory, and supply and demand theory.

Lady Gaga: Performer, Persona, And Political Advocate, Cassidy Burns

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Social Media Marketing For The Medical Industry: Best Practices To Avoid Legal And Ethical Issues, Jessica Padilla

Journalism

This study analyzes the best social media practices for medical industry professionals and the proper and ideal uses for social media. It analyzes the public relations functions of social media—relationship building, reputation management, and crisis communication. With the constant rise of social media as a widely-used medium for marketing comes increased potential for damage to a medical business’ reputation, loss of medical licensing, or lawsuits if practitioners do not act within the lines of legal and ethical standards. Medical offices must have an online presence to remain relevant and build and keep relationships with new and current patients. This study …

How To Attract Children And Adults To The Same Beverage Through Package Design, Jessica C. Chaidez

Graphic Communication

The purpose of this study was to determine if children and adults could be attracted to the same beverage through package design. This study surveyed particpants in the San Luis Obispo Area on prefernece of different juice labels. The survey asked the preference of different juice labels based on typeface, size and layout of the logo, contrast, type of substrate, and color. The survey participants were in different age groups ranging from 4 years old to those over 40 years old.

Results from one hundred sixty-one responses indicated although not all age groups were attracted to the same elements of …

Loose Connections, Strong Networks: Self-Enrollment And The Rhetoric Of 350.Org, Daisy Celine Lucile Brightman

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Humble Me: Increasing Awareness Of Ethnocentrism And Of The Need For Ethnorelativism Through A Spoken Word Performance Event, Corinne H. Sherman

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Virtual Brand Communities And Brand Loyalty: A Case Study Of Mindbody Inc.'S Virtual Brand Community, Dillon Katz

Communication Studies

This case study explores how the fast-growing software company MINDBODY, Inc. utilizes their virtual brand community on Facebook in order to build brand loyalty. My research primarily explores how Communication Studies researchers have come to understand the effects of virtual communities on brand loyalty from the perspective of Social Capital, Attribution, and Social Identity theories. It discusses what virtual brand communities are, how they are formed, and how marketers and consumers utilize them. Furthermore, I discuss how virtual brand communities facilitate the growth of social capital among users and why this is a key step in their sustainability. I divulge …

Drenched Fitness: Marketing Toward Men, Erin Sydni Abzug

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Where Does It Hurt? A Cultivation Theory’S Perspective On Domestic Violence, Kendra Grace White

Communication Studies

This study investigated Cultivation Theory and its role in the issue of domestic violence. I hypothesized that people who are exposed to larger quantities of pop culture mediums will have less negative attitudes towards the issue of domestic violence. My study also posed research questions about the relationship between the attitudes towards domestic violence with both basic domestic violence knowledge and personal experience with the issue. I gathered my data through a thirty-question survey and distributed it online, using convenience and snowball samples. My results did not support my hypothesis; however, I did find statistical significance for a negative correlation …

A Comparative Analysis Of The First Inaugural Addresses Of Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt And Barack Obama, Siobhan Miller

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Respect, Cho Chang, And Asian Representation: A Critical Analysis Of The White Gaze In Harry Potter, Kaitlin Pham

Communication Studies

Within the Harry Potter series, females who are in charge of their sexuality seem egotistical and provoking; thus, seen as manipulative to their male counterparts, and the readers. That being said, the values that Hermione Granger possess that push her above Cho Chang’s become ultra-defined, preaching to the audiences how Rowling believes the ultimate female should behave and think, and how Chang has no possibility of attaining these qualities. In this paper, I will analyze and discuss J.K. Rowling’s role in perpetuating the White Gaze with her depiction of Cho Chang in her series, and how Chang’s interpretation in the …

Brave: A Feminist Perspective On The Disney Princess Movie, Danielle Morrison

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Gender Representation In Sports Communication, Michelle R. Stiller

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Cal Poly Open House: An Application Of Communication Principles, Jillian Syftestad

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

From Print Culture To Digital Culture: Effects On Communication, Culture, And Technology, Brent Weber

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Poly Royal 2014: Applying Communication Concepts In Order For A Successful Annual Rodeo Event, Shyan Souza

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

The Power Of Plur: Edmc As A Reflection Of A New Generation, Nichole Lorenz

Communication Studies

With such a broad amount of musical expression and cultural appeal, EDM has quickly become a captivating phenomenon in the United States in recent years. There is a significant trend going on with EDM culture and what it represents for youth today. For this reason, I want to dig further into the growing phenomenon of EDMC (Electronic Dance Music Culture) in the United States. I want to better understand what is going on beneath the surface façade of costumes and drug use. Why does this culture appeal to so many young people? In addition, I seek to find out whether …

Learn By Traveling Through Aiesec: The Importance Of Studying And Experiencing Intercultural Communication, Haley Gross

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of The Communications Studies Major: Is There A Female Stereotype?, Kyle Petersen, Karina Almaguer

Communication Studies

This paper investigates whether there is or is not a correlation between feminine perceptions of Communications and the relevance of the major. One Hundred Cal Poly San Luis Obispo students were asked to complete a survey that included basic student demographics as well as if they have taken courses within the major or know anyone within it, their perceived relevance of the major, and whether they believed it to be for males or females. The test between the two variables was shown as approaching statistical significance. After analyzing these results, using feminine perceptions as the independent variable and the relevance …

How Not To Get Lost In The Shuffle: Producing The Most Effective And Eye-Catching Press Release, Erica Derrico

Journalism

The following study investigates how to produce the most effective and eye-catching press release on a national level for Summit Outdoor Supply (S.O.S). Winter quarter of 2014, my partner and I worked on a local campaign for S.O.S., using traditional text-based press releases to get media coverage. Although we did see some success with the traditional press release, there were often times our releases would get lost in the shuffle of the many releases that media outlets received each day. My goal with this project is to learn how to produce a press release that will get noticed out of …

Blogging In The Fashion Industry: A Descriptive Study Of The Use Of The Two-Step Flow Communications Theory By Professional And Citizen Bloggers To Become Opinion Leaders, Mia Alexandra Mendola

Journalism

This study analyzes the differences between professional and citizen bloggers in the fashion industry, and their use of the two-step flow communications theory and certain tactics to become opinion leaders in the industry. With the rise of blogging as a popular medium for consumption of fashion news, thousands of bloggers have begun blogs hoping to become part of the fashion industry. With this rise comes bloggers with different levels of expertise and experience. With this comes a blurring of lines between a professional blogger with credible knowledge of the fashion industry, and a citizen blogger with no formal training or …

Manufacturing News: Exploring How Public Relations Content Is Presented As News From An Agenda-Setting Perspective, Katharine R. Gore

Journalism

This study, conducted in San Luis Obispo, California, analyzes and investigates the relationship between public relations professionals and journalists, the role of public relations in news and how often content developed by the public relations industry is later portrayed as news.

Public relations-developed content has a growing presence in news. This is due, in part to the fact that more people work in the public relations industry than do in journalism fields. There is also a symbiotic relationship between the two industries, which is confirmed by existing studies and scholarly texts.

An effort was made by the author to track …

How Can An Outdoor Company’S Public Relations Campaign Be Taken From The Local To National Level?, Devon Swanson

Journalism

The following study researches the most effective way for the outdoor startup company, Summit Outdoor Supply (S.O.S.), to take an already established local public relations campaign to the national level. This study will investigate what factors have helped other campaigns succeed for outdoor companies and what changes should be made to see S.O.S. reach that success. My goal for this project is to educate outdoor companies on how to use the most effective communication channels to reach their target audiences. The data, to support these recommendations, will come from my own experience working with a startup company paired with the …

User Interface Design For Online Social Media, Jackie R. Hayes

Graphic Communication

The purpose of this study was to identify implementation techniques of a successful user interface for an online social media application. Interviews were conducted with three employees from three separate social media applications to compare how designers approach user interface design differently. The working professionals were asked a series of user interface design questions about the social media application for which they work and help design. The interview responses were compared to the results of the Voice of the Customer (VOC) survey where 100 online social media (OSM) users were surveyed at random about their user interface design preferences within …

Aesthetically Designed Maps: Development And Perception, Catherine Wang

Graphic Communication

This research explored the creative element of subway map creation in light of its effectiveness. Printed subway maps, used often for metropolitan cities and areas, are limited in physical dimension and scale, carrying minimal information. The New York, San Francisco Bay Area, Tokyo, Paris, London and Moscow subway maps highlight similar design and abstraction that fulfill the basic necessary elements for subway patrons. Over the years since the first metro map for each city was created, maps have become more simplified by removing physical land features and reference points to make way for expanding and new subway lines, stations, and …