Digital Commons Network^™

Psychological Scene Gist And The Perception Of Sustainable Business Models Via Digital Media Audit, Shelby Hansen

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The technology space is giving rise to new business models that impact how we interact with companies, the causes we are interested in, and even our perception of how we process information. Within those contexts, I will be using the psychological concept of scene gist to explore the sustainable business model of clean beauty and investigate the technological ways that these companies interact with Gen Z consumers via social media. Gen Z consumers want to interact with companies who are socially responsible and who contribute to causes they believe in. The clean beauty trend is spearheading efforts to eliminate harmful …

The Pandemic Intern Of Nestlé Usa, Brenna Rose Beck

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Over the summer of 2020, I had the privilege to intern with Nestlé USA (NUSA), a sector of the multinational food and beverage processing conglomerate corporation that is headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. As of 2014, Nestlé is known as the largest food and beverage company in the entire world. Over the course of ten weeks, I was able to learn from an immense number of opportunities that were available to me while working for this corporation. Nestlé was founded in 1866 by Henri Nestlé, originally as the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company that was aimed towards leveraging a safe, long shelf-life …

The Apparel Industry And The Lasting Impact Of Fast Fashion, Katelyn Collison

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Personal style is how everyone expresses their individuality and personality; there is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to buy clothes to do that. The issue arrives when big corporations take advantage of this and sell products to consumers that end up hurting rather than healing. It is often forgotten how much of an impact big business has on our everyday lives; they can affect our economy, our atmosphere, or even our daily interactions. Customers are beginning to realize that there are positive and negative consequences to their purchases. On one hand, shopping is a great way to boost the economy, …

Brave New World Reboot: Technology’S Role In Consumer Manipulation And Implications For Privacy And Transparency, Allie Mertensotto

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Most consumers are aware that our data is being obtained and collected through the use of our devices we keep in our homes or even on our person throughout the day. But, it is understated how much data is being collected. Conversations you have with your peers – in a close proximity of a device – are being used to tailor advertising. The advertisements you receive on your devices are uniquely catered to your individual person, due to the fact it consistently uses our data to produce efficient and personal ads. On the flip side, our government is also tapping …

The Bridge To Closing The Green Gap, Samantha Rife

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

In today’s society, we have seen the theme of green consciousness and sustainability become more prevalent as the years pass by. Even as this concept seems to increase in consumer engagement there is not a proportional increase in consumer behavior. This is what is referred to as the gap between green consciousness and green consumerism. Many believe the root of this issue can be solved by increasing regulations. However, I believe this gap can be narrowed by using brands to shift consumers behaviors through their message. The main question that I want to focus in on is, “Can a brand …

The Importance Of Assortment Discipline In The Retail Environment, Reed Fraser

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The primary objective of this paper is to emphasize and explain the importance of assortment optimization while analyzing a plan to create a disciplined assortment in United States retail stores. Assortment optimization has a direct effect on consumer decisions as this paper looks at some examples of success and failure while demonstrating the use of data processing systems created to help assist with assortment optimization for companies. Finally, an independent study through the execution of an internship was conducted that completed an assortment optimization project within Walmart. All recommendations given to the company were accepted which led to increased customer …

Generational Differences & The Millennial Impact On Business, Micah Wittschen

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Business is the backbone of the United States of America. Often called The American Dream, citizens grow up with the idea that the possibilities are endless living in the land of opportunity. This dream also comes with the desire for a family, thus a good job is needed for financial support. It is often believed and proven that those that work hard can yield financial returns and benefit socially.

Generational differences trickle down to every aspect of life including the different trends and impacts each cohort has on business. Each generation has a different view of work and behaves differently …

Media’S Portrayal Of Women And Its Impact On Body Image And Self-Esteem, Hannah Bareis

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This project addresses the portrayal of women in media and its damaging effects on body image and self-esteem. It raises two critical questions: What negative impact is media creating on women? What can be done to combat these destructive effects?

According to a study done by Common Sense Media, "American teens use an average of 9 hours of media daily, not including for school and homework" (Common Sense Media, 2015). This data, along with many others, shows the severity of media exposure to teens. This has brought a valuable discussion to the table. How has this impacted female body image, …

The Impact Of Socioeconomic Status On Single Women, Catherine Martens

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Since its formation in the 1700’s, America has been home to varying degrees of discrepancies between social classes, which include assumptions inherently held within these differences. Considering the fact that America was largely built by the hands of human slaves ruled by those with political influence often landowners, social hierarchy has been intricately woven into the fabric of America’s story from the beginning. Despite the progress that has been made to create and advance equal economic opportunity, there is still a considerable lack of social mobility available for those in lower socioeconomic statuses. More specifically, the impact of poverty is …

The Effects Of Corporate Social Responsibility On Consumer Behavior And Buyer Attitudes, Bailey Dial

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

With the size and scope of Corporate Social Responsibility’s (CSR’s) presence in corporate America and beyond, this thesis dives into the history, composition, and application of a CSR framework within an organization. This thesis also reports the results of a survey of students to apprehend the framework’s external impacts on consumers, including brand perceptions and purchase decisions. Most individuals have experienced some degree of exposure to CSR in their professional lives. Levels of awareness and liking towards both the CSR framework and its application demonstrate a direct impact on consumers’ buying processes and company judgements.