Advertising and Promotion Management Commons^™

The Effects Of Commercial Media Selling An Idealized Body Type, Emma Horner

Honors Projects

Today’s society is consumer driven. People wake up and check their social media, and they are bombarded with product promotion and brand campaigns. On their commute to work, they may see billboards advertising local businesses. In the grocery store, they rely on the packaging to guide their purchasing decisions. Advertising is weaved within our society. Advertising itself is not a problem. In fact, we rely on advertising to guide our purchase decisions. While an art form, advertisements at their core portray ideals. A travel company may portray an ideal destination, a furniture store may portray an ideal home, or a …

Faux Feminism In A Capitalistic Fever Dream: A Review Of Greta Gerwig's Barbie (2023), Amy La Porte, Lena Cavusoglu

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

Somewhere between meaningful discourse about female agency and the commercial interests of a problematic doll franchise lies Mattel's box office hit film Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig. In a script-flipping interpretation of the real-world patriarchy, it catapults itself into overdue discussions about gender norms, objectification, and the pursuit of Westernized beauty ideals. While it may have introduced liberationist theories to a new generation of women, ultimately it is a film bound by cognitive dissonance. This paper will delve into the profit-making protagonist at the center of its story and argue the film's underlying incompatibility with diversity, feminism, and social …

Curating A Consumption Ideology: Platformization And Gun Influencers On Instagram, Jenna M. Drenten Ph.D., Lauren Gurrieri, Aimee Dinnín Huff, Michelle Barnhart

School of Business: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This study explores how a platform enables social media influencers to promulgate a consumption ideology. We show how gun influencers, or “gunfluencers,” use Instagram to link products, activities, and meanings to Second Amendment ideology – a gun-centric belief system in the United States colloquially known as “2A ideology.” Through a qualitative study of 25 Instagram gunfluencers, we identify a process of curating a consumption ideology wherein social media influencers employ four curatorial tactics: glamourizing, demystifying, victimizing, and tribalizing. Findings suggest gunfluencers extend audiences and leverage algorithms to prescribe and model how supporters of 2A ideology should look, act, speak, feel, …

Arclothmasks: A Pandemic Startup Journey, Adam Jackson

Information Systems Undergraduate Honors Theses

Covid-19 changed the way the world operated when it became a pandemic in 2020. The need for personal protection equipment was unexpected and suppliers were not prepared for the demand. The government mandate of masks furthered the need of PPE across the nation. To help fill this shortage, many companies began to retool their manufacturing processes from clothing to masks. This thesis will dive into one PPE company and its journey from the start of the pandemic. The business plan for the company will follow it along with graphs and charts that help tell the tale of the startup.

Implementing A Micro-Business Internship Program In Dangriga, Belize, Shaadee Shojai

Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Over the Summer, I was able to work with Peacework in Belize through the University of Arkansas. While I was unable to physically go to Belize due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, I feel that I was still able to learn about the culture, in both the casual and business workplace, as well as help the people of Dangriga. The goal of my project was to help consult with the Tourism Department of Dangriga to help develop their small business into businesses that were more appealing to tourists. Unfortunately, most people who own small businesses in Dangriga can’t support themselves with …

Dimensions And Strategies Of Sustainable Rural Entrepreneurship Ecosystem: An Explorative-Mixed Research Study, Mehdi Zivdar, Hadi Sanaeepour

The Qualitative Report

With regards to the concept of sustainability, the dimensions and strategies of the rural entrepreneurship ecosystem have not been identified in most of valid literature of entrepreneurship discipline yet. The aim of this study is to conceptualize dimensions and strategies of Sustainable Rural Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (SREE) phenomenon for clarifying its dimensions and proposing regarding strategies for development of SREE. This study was conducted in two stages using an explorative mixed research design. In the first step, using a qualitative design, SREE was conceptualized, and its dimensions and strategies were developed. Therefore 6 dimensions and 36 strategies were conceptualized based on …

Making Connections: Marketing Ideas For Interpreters, Steve Mcdermott

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

There is a need for skilled interpreters to meet the needs of the increasingly diverse communities. Many get into the field of interpretation and translation in order to assist those with language barriers, as well as earn a living for themselves. The interpreters get into the field not realizing that to succeed they also need an entrepreneurial spirit. These entrepreneurial linguists are classified as independent contractors, as such they are responsible for the business aspects of their livelihood. This includes marketing themselves in order to grow their client base. Marketing can be a daunting task in itself. In speaking with …

Experimenting With Zmet: Issues And Adaptions, Tauheed Ahmad Ramjaun Dr

The Qualitative Report

This paper is aimed at academic researchers considering the adoption of the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) as a qualitative data collection method. It is meant to warn about the practical difficulties and challenges that the inexperienced ZMET researcher might face on the field. It argues that while the use of ZMET can allow for a deeper exploration of issues with participants, there could be potential challenges and issues that a novice ZMET researcher could face. Several recommendations are provided on potential adaptions to the technique based on the author’s own experience.

Place Branding As A Mode Of Urban Governance And Verticalisation: The Case Of Tokyo And New York, Z. Ruya Yuksel

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis explores how place branding activities are amalgamated into the urban governance policies and how skyscrapers are weaved into this process by studying two of the top ten most vertical cities in the world: Tokyo and New York.

Fascination with building up towards the sky is nothing new. Yet what is new is that skyscrapers are becoming as part of place branding strategies which are seeping into urban governance practices. Concepts of place branding, urban development, spatial planning and governance are now being discussed and understood as significant elements of the same process where branding informs configurations and development …

Fostering Music Performers In The 21st Century: A Contemporary Professional Perspective Toward A New Curricular Agenda For Graduate Study In Music, Andre Januario

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

What if the core curriculum for graduate students in music performance were designed to prepare students to succeed in the world of the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

This dissertation offers a hypothetical answer: a structured and systematic academic curricular framework for music graduate students of performance of concert music (especially those in terminal degrees, such as doctoral students), along with music instructors, professional music performers, school administrators, and college professors, seeking to prepare such students for achieving and maintaining a music career more in keeping with the current work environment, especially those skills demanded by the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the …

Diversity In Advertisements And Brand Perception, Aarica Z. Flowers, Charlotte Buckman, Madeleine C. Diprete, Caroline G. Regan

Student Publications

This research project examines the relationship between representation of diversity in marketing and brand perception. The debate about whether diversity in advertisements impacts how consumers perceive and purchase from brands is ongoing. Thus, this study examines whether companies are rewarded for representing diversity in their advertisements and punished for representation that is inappropriate or insensitive. We conducted an online survey among Gettysburg College students and elicited their beliefs about the importance of diversity in marketing campaigns. We found that consumers are more likely to buy from companies that represent more racial diversity in their advertisements. The same was found for …

The Influence Of Social Media On Perceptions Of Political Authenticity, Kirsten Passyn

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Do Families That Tailgate Together Stay Together?, Meredith David, Luke C. Lorick

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Viewing The Covid-19 Resilient Skincare Market Through A Sociohistorical Lens: The Patterning Of Conspicuous Consumption Mediated By Marketing, Siren Chen

Senior Projects Fall 2020

The Chinese skincare market distinguishes itself with an inelastic consumer demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. This project employs the endogenous preferences economic framework and a sociohistorical lens to analyze the social forces that sustain the resilient beauty market. Through setting up a socially embedded framework for economic analysis, this project highlights the active role of marketers, which are omitted in mainstream economics, in fostering a bond between consumers and skincare products. With a comparative analysis of both the colonial and the COVID-19 pandemic contexts, this project demonstrates how marketers connect consumers to skincare products through reference to the system of …

Factors Behind Dissuasion To Green Products Among Young Consumers: A Qualitative Study, Anitha Acharya Dr.

The Qualitative Report

The current estimated market share for green consumption is less than five percent worldwide, therefore it is very important to understand the factors that stimulate non green consumption among young consumers since this can promote environmental thinking at an early age and also to increase the demand for green products. In these circumstances, emerging countries like India have contributed very less to the consumption of green products and environmental effects. India is among the fastest growing economies in the world. With the increase in population as well as in disposable income, India is expected to see a growth in green …

The Personalization-Privacy Paradox Explored Through A Privacy Calculus Model And Hofstede’S Model Of Cultural Dimensions, Kellen M. Schwartz

Honors Projects

The Personalization-Privacy Paradox is a relevant issue for companies today, as it deals with the paradox of customers who on the one hand want to keep their personal data private, but on the other hand desire the personalization benefits that can be gained by giving up that privacy. Many studies in the past have observed the Personalization-Privacy Paradox, but not thoroughly through the lens of a privacy calculus model. This paper uses a privacy calculus model to examine the Personalization-Privacy Paradox using Hofstede’s Six Dimensions of Culture and examines the United States, Germany, and China as case studies of three …

#Fomo: How The Fear Of Missing Out Drives Consumer Purchase Decisions, Michelle Van Solt

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research focuses on consumers’ experiential purchase decisions motivated by the fear of missing out (FOMO). I propose that consumers are more likely to attend an event when individuals with whom they have strong (weak) interpersonal ties will be present, because consumers will experience higher (lower) levels of FOMO. The results of one qualitative and four quantitative studies, including a behavioral study, demonstrate that purchase intent is higher when participants imagine that their close friends (i.e., strong ties) will attend, an effect mediated by FOMO and anticipated regret. Furthermore, the type of experience (i.e., ordinary, extraordinary) moderates the relationship of …

Cause Campaign For Dating Abuse In College, Isabel Elaine Kerr

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Through a cause campaign and partnership with the James Madison University (JMU) Health Center (UHC), this project confronts the widespread social issue of intimate partner violence (IPV), or dating abuse, in college-aged relationships. Encompassing all forms and subsets of dating abuse, the campaign intends to initiate conversation, facilitate awareness, and express support within the university community. The campaign is scheduled for implementation in October 2019, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, in conjunction with the UHC’s other awareness efforts.

Something’S In The Water: A Look At How Creativity And Innovation Can Prevent Future Water Crises, Tristan Holiday-Nowden

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

The purpose of this project is to raise awareness and create a level of consciousness about water, unlike anything we have seen in the past. This project presents a synthesis of current writings and ideologies from the fields of Environmental Science and Water Research. As well as think pieces and informative news articles from various publications.

To illustrate the damaging effects of water contamination, water pollution, and water scarcity; Flint, Michigan will serve as a case study. After diagnosing and defining the problem using the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) framework. This project will explore the challenge and look at the …

Unfair Standards: Media Influence On The Fairness Paradigm In India, Sahana Heiderscheidt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper aims to study the fairness paradigm in India and how the media influences women’s perceptions of beauty. It aims to answer a main question: How does the media influence the cultural obsession with fairness and ultimately perpetuate a market for dysmorphic beauty ideals among women in India? The paper is structured to discuss three topics: How has fairness as a beauty ideal evolved? How does advertising and the film industry portray women? How do they influence young girls’ perceptions of beauty and self? While most studies have focused on college-educated, middle class women, this study focuses on women …

Intercollegiate Wine Business Invitational, Nathan Saragoza, Ally Bushman, Cassidy Robinson, Hanna Bingham, Sam Weymouth, Luca Mallon

Student Engagement Posters

Nathan Saragoza, Ally Bushman, Cassidy Robinson, Hanna Bingham, Sam Weymouth, and Luca Mallon discuss student engagement at Linfield College with regard to their participation in the Intercollegiate Wine Business Invitational.

The Impact Of Casino Revenue-Sharing On Tourism Efforts In Niagara Falls Usa: 2006-2016, Anthony L. Astran

Public Administration Master’s Projects

This qualitative case study examines the intersection of a Native-owned casino, revenue-sharing with its host community, and the impact of tourism marketing efforts vis-à-vis funds provided to the community’s tourism agency. Specifically, this report studies downtown Niagara Falls USA from the time period between 2006 and 2016, and seeks to determine whether and how funds from Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino boosted tourism marketing efforts by Niagara Tourism & Convention Corporation (NTCC). Background research and a series of elite interviews with city officials and tourism agency leaders uncovered overall positivity in terms of growth in Niagara Falls USA’s tourism efforts …

Male Breadwinner Ideology And The Inclination To Establish Market Relationships: Model Development Using Data From Germany And A Mixed-Methods Research Strategy, Michaela Haase, Ingrid Becker, Alexander Nill, Clifford J. Shultz Ii, James W. Gentry

Clifford J Shultz

A pattern found in many marketing systems, “male breadwinning,” is contingent upon overlapping and shared ideologies, which influence the economic organization and thus the type and number of relationships in those systems. Implementing a mixed-methods research methodology, this article continues and extends previous work in macromarketing on the interplay of markets, ideology, socio-economic organization, and family. A qualitative study illuminated the main ideologies behind male breadwinning and a model was developed to advance the theoretical analysis of the phenomenon of male breadwinning. An experiment in the form of a vignette study was subsequently designed and administered. The qualitative study and …

Z-Cube: Mobile Living For Feminist Nomads, Zi Ye

Masters Theses

Homes proclaim our social standing and reflect the trend of the times. This project seeks to explore and redefine the relationship between modern homes and modern women who strive for mobile life styles.

Modernism and globalization have brought us a new way of living that could have never been imagined before— our workspace and homes are no longer limited to a specific unit but have extended to the entire globe. The physical changes compelled by modernity have also complemented the changing role of women. Since the beginning of the 20th century, modern women have expanded their lives outside of their …

Hollywed: Product Placements In American Wedding Films, Charlotte A. Galamb

Student Scholar Showcase

My study examines wedding fashion product placement in feature films from 1989 to 2017. My research will provide a brief history of product placement as well as address expert’s understanding of the effectiveness of product placement. A study on fashions surrounding the year the film’s gown reached box offices will ask if films have a demonstrable impact on the wedding fashion industry.

Corporate Sponsorship And The Consumer Socialization Of African American Women Athletes: A Qualitative Study, Tahla Monique Wade

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

African-American consumption is a unique feature of the American consumer market. A characteristic of African American consumers is their participation in conspicuous consumption. A look into the sociological concept of consumer socialization can drive insight to what initiates purchases of this group. However, this is not studied as an evolving process. Over time, individuals may encounter several new influences that affect their consumer socialization and purchase behavior, including the possibility of corporate sponsorship. To explore this evolution, I examine if corporate sponsorships affect the consumer socialization of African-American women collegiate athletes. Fifteen NCAA Division I African-American women athletes from a …

Evaluating Data Quality In Reports Of Sales In A Retail Establishment Survey, Kristen Olson, Xiaoyu Lin, Timothy Banks

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This paper examines failure to use records in sales reporting across about 12,000 store owners participating in a retail measurement panel in a Southeast Asian country. Reported sales based on the storekeeper’s memory (oral reports) were lower than those from records, as expected. More surprisingly, oral reports acted as a supplement to record-based reports at the same store, such that stores that had oral reports had higher total sales than those with invoices. Although stores were expected to either have or not have a reliable record system, many stores used both. Findings varied over individual categories of products. Little research …

An Application Of Brand Personality To Green Consumers: A Thematic Analysis, Anitha Acharya, Manish Gupta

The Qualitative Report

Green products are increasingly becoming popular in India as a fashion statement. Yet, limited attention has been given to understand why users of green products associate themselves with green brands in India. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the applicability of brand personality to green products. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions of green product consumers revealed six dimensions of green brand personality (GBP). GBP is a set of human characteristics associated with a green brand. By focusing on the green brand personality dimensions discovered in this paper, marketing managers can better understand why …

Cell Phone Ethnography: Mixed Methods And The Brand Consumer Relationship, Robert Nathaniel Dove

Masters Theses

Overall, the goal of this study is to identify and differentiate the various motivations and cultural influences that can be used to explain consumer behavior. In doing so, this study hopes to facilitate the development of new and innovative marketing strategies, providing a new research design for the ethnographer’s toolkit. More importantly, this model can give shape to new constructs and new variables for further empirical testing in the field through quantitative and qualitative methods. By blending the two approaches, using qualitative interpretive anthropological analysis by field study with quantitative sentiment analysis adapted from market researcher Jeffery Breen’s (2012) methodology, …

The Corporate Social Responsibility In Lidl’S Communication Campaigns In Croatia And The Uk, Martina Topic, Ralph Tench

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of the paper was to investigate whether Lidl uses CSR communication in their Advertising and Communication Campaigns in two different business contexts, and if so, how. The paper built upon existing analyses of CSR Communication by analysing Lidl’s websites in both countries, and went step forward and analysed TV adverts of the company in both countries as well. The analysis discovered importance of the social context in using CSR to promote business, as well as a different communication management strategy where Lidl does not communicate with UK public as extensively as with the Croatian public due to different …