Public Relations and Advertising Commons^™

Communication Theory Analysis Of Coda Movie, Lindsay Casey

Honors Theses

This undergraduate honors thesis addresses how the hearing community views and treats the d/Deaf community. The contents of this thesis include a literature review, communication theory, and qualitative analysis of the film, CODA (2021). Findings leave the hearing community with three main suggestions to implement when interacting with the d/Deaf community. These suggestions include acknowledging the daily communication struggle amongst members of the d/Deaf community, maintenance in a conversation may lead to exploitation and finally, due to different speech codes we should enact cultural respect towards others.

The literature review consists of an overview of the d/Deaf community’s history including …

Collegiate Dance Club Marketing Plan, Aubrie Malhoit

Honors Theses

The objective of this thesis is to develop a marketing plan to support the creation and implementation of a new dance club at Western Michigan University (WMU). A situational analysis was conducted that established that there are currently no dance-related opportunities on campus that offers a low time commitment and multiple styles of dance for all skill levels of dancers. Based on primary research, this marketing plan outlines a strategy for the inauguration of a dance club that encompasses what current dance-related activities at WMU are lacking and incorporates the features students are looking for in a new dance club. …

Becoming Your Brand, Blake Kuzma

Honors Theses

As many young professionals now, starting a career is a very important and scary time. We are taught more and more how important it is that you present yourself in a way that is marketable to employers not only in person, but online as well. As a survey done by Jobvite in 2015, “75% of HR departments are required to search job applicants online” and also that “75% of HR professionals have rejected candidates based on information they have found online.” (Jobvite, 2015).

But beyond the advice we receive from our parents and mentors, there is very little that is …

Ministry With Community: Analysis Of Public Relations Issues And Proposed Solutions, Sarah Piper

Honors Theses

Although Millennials are not yet in their primacy as nonprofit donors, forward-thinking nonprofits are changing how they conduct business to better engage millennials in anticipation of their future rise to primacy. Accommodating the desires and expectations unique to the members of this generation is challenging for many organizations because effectively engaging with millennials requires a shift in organizational communication and engagement practices. This project seeks to build a body of relevant knowledge that can be used by Ministry with Community, a local nonprofit organization, to evolve its current engagement and communication practices to better appeal to local millennials. To build …

Social Media In Big Business: An Autoethnography, Anna Rudisill

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to understand the perceptions and experiences of those who professionally work with social media. While there is a plethora of research done on the impact and importance of social media in big businesses, there is a lack of information regarding those who create the content. This thesis is framed as an autoethnography, as I describe my personal experiences working with social media in a large corporation. To further my research, I also interviewed two colleagues about their experience. Through my research I found that social media employees go through a specific process when being …

News In Virtual Reality, Samantha Macy

Honors Theses

Virtual reality (VR) is the next frontier of news media, but we know little about the impact is has on viewers. The goal of this experiment is to gain a better understanding of the social presence and information retained by watching news in VR. Participants will either consumer news in a VR setting, a highly interactive online format, or print. Then, using a survey, social presence and information retention were assessed. Research participants were undergraduate students at a large Midwestern university. It is expected that VR news will result in higher social presence and information retention than news in highly …

Campus, Community, Connection: A Public Relations Campaign, Elizabeth Blasko

Honors Theses

Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes (KLF) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to “Feed hungry people and engage our community in the fight to end hunger.” KLF started in 1982 and has since grown to include 23 pantry sites across Kalamazoo County. KLF offers many assistance programs including Grocery Pantry Program, Mobile Food Initiative, Weekend Food Pack Program, Commodity Supplemental Food, and Meal Support Program (Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes).

Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes faces public relations challenges in regards to connecting with college students in the Kalamazoo community. There is limited mission awareness among students at Western Michigan University. …

Managing The Credibility Of A Nonprofit Organization In The Face Of Unexpected Publicity, Regan Crowell

Honors Theses

Ethical conduct of a nonprofit organization was suspected to impact the credibility of the organization as perceived by its stakeholders. This study uses secondary research for three nonprofit organizations in order to gain a closer look at the ethical issues of compensation, conflicts of interest, and the combined issues of accountability and strategic management. The nonprofit organizations discussed are United Way, Susan G. Komen, and The ALS Association. Each faced unexpected publicity, either positive or negative, and managed the organization’s credibility through dealing with one of the named ethical issues. Based on the case studies conducted for the three nonprofit …

Behavioral Training Relations: Transferring Behavioral Contingencies From Shelter To Home Settings Through Online Enrichment., Alaina Birchmeier

Honors Theses

Behavioral analysis can be used in our everyday lives to better our environment. Unfortunately, most do not know the behavioral principles, and therefore cannot apply it effectively. Just one area in which behavioral analysis can better our lives is in training our pets. These training techniques are not only useful, they are often sought after. The Kalamazoo area has a few resources which can help train dogs, however all are associated with fees and are still not very informative. In order to fill this void, I have made a website for the general public use, along with psychology students. The …

Service Learning And Groundswell, Katherine Baran

Honors Theses

Service learning has become an important part of getting students engaged and excited about learning. Groundswell is a G-rand Valley State University nonprofit organization funded through the Great Lakes Fishery Trust. Groundswell works with teachers and students across Kent County in Southwest Michigan to provide funding and educational support for successful service learning projects that deal mostly with the Great Lakes, the Grand River and watershed. There are 22 partners of Groundswell throughout Michigan. With those partners, Groundswell serves 17 different schools in Kent County. Service learning has a wide variety of definitions. However, at the basic level service learning …

College Admissions Use Of Social Media In Recruitment Marketing: A Literature Review & Strategic Plan For Western Michigan University's Office Of Admissions, Natalie Faculak

Honors Theses

Social media technology is a rapidly growing communication phenomenon that digital natives, the generation of current 18-29 years old have embraced and revolutionized daily interactions. Social media technology is defined as “web-based and mobile applications that allow individuals and organizations to create, engage, and share new user-generated or existing content, in digital environment through multi-way communication” (Davis, Deil-Amen, Rios-Aguilar, & Gonzalez Canche, 2011). Emerging social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter allow users to create and maintain relationships with family, friends, coworkers, and organizations. The “always connected” generation of digital natives expects constant communication and instantaneous access to information …

Get On The Solar Track To Accelerate Your Wmu Experience, Amanda Jandahl, Andrea Sell

Honors Theses

The Western Michigan University Sunseeker solar car team is faced with the challenge to raise awareness and educate the WMU community about the excellent opportunities that the team provides to WMU students. The team, as a whole, seeks to increase public education about renewable energy, especially solar energy, through the races in which the solar car competes. In order to recruit new participants, raise funds for construction and competition, and keep the solar car as a point of pride at Western Michigan University, the team needs to increase promotional activity. The promotional campaign titled Get on the Solar Track to …