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Tracking The Donor Dollar: A Critical Examination Of Ngo Impact, Joshua Werth Apr 2023

Tracking The Donor Dollar: A Critical Examination Of Ngo Impact, Joshua Werth

Senior Honors Theses

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) comprise the backbone of civilization. Whether intended or not, governments fail to improve social situations, financial standings, and spirituality comprehensively. NGOs attempt to cover these areas. From Angola to Zambia, countless NGOs exist around the world; however, many fail due to a misplaced focus internally on the annual donations received rather than externally on the disenfranchised. Additionally, even if NGOs manage to stay afloat, they will need help procuring funds and then distributing those resources with the most effective impact for the impoverished. The honors thesis proposed will attempt to determine more effective impact measurements for NGOs, …


The Impact Of Digital Media In Real Estate, Carley Dehnisch Nov 2022

The Impact Of Digital Media In Real Estate, Carley Dehnisch

Senior Honors Theses

For decades, the real estate industry has relied heavily on traditional marketing methods such as print advertising and cold calling. Although these traditional methods are still used within the industry today, the expansion of the internet over the past few decades has resulted in agents shifting away from older school marketing techniques to digital methods of marketing. This thesis will examine several digital methods of advertising such as social media marketing, email marketing campaigns, web design, and video production. In addition, this thesis will explain why these are the most effective marketing tools and necessary for real estate agents to …


The Intersection Of Digital Communication & Non-Profit Organizations, Aliyah Burton Nov 2022

The Intersection Of Digital Communication & Non-Profit Organizations, Aliyah Burton

Senior Honors Theses

Non-profit organizations are actively addressing prevalent issues in society, seeking to benefit the public and those in need through various forms of intervention and programming. Non-profits have unique leadership and culture, requiring models of communication that fit these unique qualities. Communication is vital to the success of non-profits, particularly in a digital age. This thesis synthesizes the current research on non-profit culture and leadership with data on donor trends, online giving, social media practices, and more points of interest for non-profits when it comes to digital communication. Additionally, a connection is made between strong digital communication strategies and ongoing donor …


Application Of Crisis Communication Theories During The 2019 College Admissions Scandal: Operation Varsity Blues, Rebecca Grach May 2021

Application Of Crisis Communication Theories During The 2019 College Admissions Scandal: Operation Varsity Blues, Rebecca Grach

Senior Honors Theses

Operation Varsity Blues was a federal investigation in 2019 that discovered an enormous college admissions scandal, where wealthy parents were paying to have someone bribe school officials or coaches with the end goal of having their child accepted into an elite university. As the investigation was released, each of the eight universities involved sent out press releases that explained where the university stood regarding the scandal and what they were doing in response. Using the well-establish crisis communication theories of Benoit’s Image Repair Theory (1995) and Coomb’s Situational Crisis Communication Theory (2007), a qualitative content analysis on the communications from …


Gamification In Retail Brand Loyalty Mobile Applications, Amber Lambie Nov 2020

Gamification In Retail Brand Loyalty Mobile Applications, Amber Lambie

Senior Honors Theses

Games are a fun way for humans to spend hours effortlessly motivated to complete tasks and achieve goals. Gamification, the process of applying game features to non-game contexts, produces the enjoyable motivation of games outside of games. According to social exchange theory, gamification motivates by adding value to a user’s experience, which inspires action. Companies can use gamification to build relationships with clients and increase sales. Onboarding, fast feedback, points, levels, badges, and community are particularly effective game features for a brand loyalty program within a mobile application (app). Gamification, informed by social exchange theory, can effectively build brand loyalty …


A Critique Of Advertisements For Female Hygiene Products: A Silent Crisis In America, Laura Schulte Apr 2019

A Critique Of Advertisements For Female Hygiene Products: A Silent Crisis In America, Laura Schulte

Senior Honors Theses

Female hygiene advertisements can be ambiguous due to the intimate nature of menstruation. This can result in a lack of information and invoke the need to hide signals of menstruation. Further, understanding the target audience’s desires and needs is crucial. Just like any other advertisement campaign, the women buying female hygiene products desire to know the benefits of one type over another. Adding an emotive appeal or a creative method to the advertisement is not wrong. This thesis does not suggest for a dull advertisement; however, there is a balance—a campaign designed to care for and inform women while meeting …


A Quantitative Descriptive Case Study On The Alzheimer's Nonprofit Marketing Methods, Stephaine Buffaloe Sep 2018

A Quantitative Descriptive Case Study On The Alzheimer's Nonprofit Marketing Methods, Stephaine Buffaloe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem to be addressed was the deficiency of financial support, as a result of dwindling effectiveness of fundraising using traditional methods needed to meet the Alzheimer’s Association goal of finding a treatment by 2025. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive case study was to examine the current traditional marketing approaches of fundraising for the Alzheimer’s nonprofits. The significance of the study was finding that the survey participants preferred the traditional approach to the nontraditional approach. An entertainment event was the most favored approach. The implication on organizational change was that age, gender, and past donations to religious organizations were …


Donor Stewardship And Repeat Giving, Faith Hoelscher Sep 2018

Donor Stewardship And Repeat Giving, Faith Hoelscher

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative correlational study evaluated the strength and direction of relationships between the dependent variables: major giving since September 1, 2009 and average elapsed time between major gifts in relation to the independent variables: number of stewardship activities, stewardship activities occurring within one-month of a major gift, and duration of major giving relationship. Using a multiple regression, a relationship was found between the independent and dependent variables. These results were then affirmed by Pearson r evaluations in an effort to reinforce the importance and significance of the independent variables in spite of the multicollinearity shown for the subset of stewardship …


An Exploration Into The Efficacy Of Christian Servant Leadership In Facilitating Organizational Change In The Automotive Aftermarket, Christopher Shadrick Sep 2018

An Exploration Into The Efficacy Of Christian Servant Leadership In Facilitating Organizational Change In The Automotive Aftermarket, Christopher Shadrick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Changing market dynamics is threatening the viability of stores in the automotive aftermarket. To provide business leaders strategies with strategies to implement organizational change and address shrinking revenue, this phenomenological study explored the lived experiences and perspectives of 20 front line, retail store managers in the automotive aftermarket. The information gathered during the interview process was analyzed using Moustakas’ modified van Kaam method. In addition, the researcher used NVivo 12, a qualitative analytic software, to group, reduce, validate, and organize the data into themes. Six themes emerged that demonstrate the applicability of Christian servant leadership to the automotive aftermarket. These …


Elements Of Creativity: A Study Of The Dimensions That Make For An Effective Advertisement, Amanda Johnson May 2018

Elements Of Creativity: A Study Of The Dimensions That Make For An Effective Advertisement, Amanda Johnson

Senior Honors Theses

The advertising world is made up of many facets, such as creativity, networking, and thought leadership. At the center of these processes lies advertising creativity, a term used to describe an ad or element of an ad that is particularly novel and noteworthy. The contents of this thesis address the challenges academics and professionals have with establishing criteria to measure creativity, while considering the value of evaluating creative ability through a variety of processes. To do this, three case studies of award-winning advertisements were conducted in order to develop a profile of an effective ad. Results indicate that successfully creative …


The Greatest Basketball Player Of All Time: Lebron Vs. Jordan, Austin Jacobson May 2018

The Greatest Basketball Player Of All Time: Lebron Vs. Jordan, Austin Jacobson

Senior Honors Theses

LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes of this generation. I am seeking to determine what he needs to do to surpass Michael Jordan as the greatest of all time. Considering individual statistics, team success, and personal achievements as well as factors such as political and racial activism and involvement, media coverage (including social media), and generational difference, I am hoping to show what is left to accomplish for LeBron to reach and surpass Jordan.


Competing With Free: An Analysis Of The Effects Of Tennessee Promise On Freshman Enrollment In Four-Year Colleges And Universities, Vicki Clark Jun 2017

Competing With Free: An Analysis Of The Effects Of Tennessee Promise On Freshman Enrollment In Four-Year Colleges And Universities, Vicki Clark

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In 2014, Tennessee’s governor, Bill Haslam, introduced Tennessee Promise - legislation that enabled Tennessee high school and home school graduates to attend two years of tuition-free higher education at qualifying institutions. In the fall of 2015, Tennessee’s four-year colleges and universities experienced a significant decline in freshman enrollment. This quantitative descriptive study uses the theories of human capital, social capital, and marketing service theory to examine the impact of free tuition on the college choice. Four hundred twelve Tennessee Promise students answered survey questions, demonstrating the impact of Tennessee Promise funds on their decision to attend college and on the …


The Importance Of Branding In Small Businesses, Amber J. Rabie Apr 2017

The Importance Of Branding In Small Businesses, Amber J. Rabie

Senior Honors Theses

The Land of Milk & Honey Farm exists to provide quality food produced in facilities that practice good stewardship to the Earth. It is a small business devoted to loving, careful stewardship and the production of quality goods. The mission of The Land of Milk & Honey is to combine traditional farming practices with a sustainable and environment-friendly approach to agriculture. It aims to provide customer satisfaction by being respectful and responsible over animals and the earth, and by producing quality products. To reach this objective, the farm intends to educate consumers and provide an alternative source for truly farm-fresh …


Cultivate: Inspiring Women In Their Pursuit Of Creativity And Entrepreneurship, Ana P. Campbell Nov 2015

Cultivate: Inspiring Women In Their Pursuit Of Creativity And Entrepreneurship, Ana P. Campbell

Senior Honors Theses

Cultivate Magazine’s purpose is to inspire and educate creative women in their business ventures. Furthermore, Cultivate serves as a catalyst for our readers’ business by featuring insightful interviews from other creative women and practical advice on how to run a successful creative business. In short, Cultivate’s target market is female creative business owners with occupations such as photographers, designers, writers, entrepreneurs, artists, and bloggers.


The Role Of Music In The Enhancement Of Marketing, Kaitlyn V. Neese Apr 2015

The Role Of Music In The Enhancement Of Marketing, Kaitlyn V. Neese

Senior Honors Theses

Marketers use thousands of techniques in order to create the ideal brand image for products and services. There is no detail left unconsidered at the end of a marketing proposal. Everything from the font on a package to the actor used in commercials is extremely thought-out because marketers are not trying to sell a product; they are trying to sell a brand. Because of this, music is becoming increasingly important in marketing decisions. The types of music playing in a store, on a commercial, on a website, or at a worksite can all effect the image of a product, and …


Get Schooled: A Visual Social Semiotic Analysis Of Target's Branding Using Instagram, Chelsea Bevins May 2014

Get Schooled: A Visual Social Semiotic Analysis Of Target's Branding Using Instagram, Chelsea Bevins

Masters Theses

With new technology arising, brands must be able to adapt to them. This thesis will break down brand management, using David Aaker's framework, of the Target Corporation to see if they are using modern resource, Instagram effectively. This thesis will also look at how the theory of visual social semiotics, applied to communications, is used to decipher intended meaning. Brand management embodies a company and people are driven by what a brand portrays. People are driven by values, emotions and quality within a brand. People associate products with memories, celebrities, attributes and symbols. Brands are more than just a name. …


Making The Magic: How Public Relations Is Handled At The Disney Parks, Elizabeth Demeo Apr 2014

Making The Magic: How Public Relations Is Handled At The Disney Parks, Elizabeth Demeo

Senior Honors Theses

The Walt Disney Company has always been an organization that has prided itself on its corporate image. One of their biggest successes has been their 11 theme parks across the globe. Ever since its creation in 1955, Disneyland has been known as "the happiest place on earth." However, many wonder how this reputation came to be and how it is being maintained today. To find this answer, one must look to the creative minds behind Disney's public relations. By examining the Disney parks and their public relations history, tactics, crisis management and current and future campaigns, companies can find out …


Reflections Magazine - A Promotional Magazine For Reflections Adoption Ministry, Kamryn Reynolds Apr 2014

Reflections Magazine - A Promotional Magazine For Reflections Adoption Ministry, Kamryn Reynolds

Senior Honors Theses

For my senior honors thesis I have received permission to present a project along with its scholarly apparatus. I will be displaying ways to apply communications to ministry. The project will be a promotional magazine and informational materials. For the thesis I will include the magazine and a press release. I will be approaching some marketing techniques for a non-profit organization and assessing potential ways to reach the public. Many organizations are doing incredible work to fight social injustice and oftentimes few people understand the issues. I want to show how communication can revitalize ministry and get the word out …


Successfully Social: A Non-Profit’S Guide To Modern Social Media Marketing, Deana D. Dennis Apr 2014

Successfully Social: A Non-Profit’S Guide To Modern Social Media Marketing, Deana D. Dennis

Senior Honors Theses

Social media has revolutionized modern business and marketing practices by providing a mass audience of potential stakeholders for all business entities. Nonprofit organizations that learn to utilize social media affectively could benefit in virtually every organizational initiative, including marketing, fundraising, and advocacy, by easily connecting to target audiences through the power of virtual social networking. The specific focus of this work is on Christian ministries and charitable organizations. Case studies of two differing Christian organizations are discussed: the relief organization, Samaritan’s Purse and the young adult ministry, Love and Respect (NOW). The case studies explore the organizations’ background and mission, …


Selling Life To Abortion-Seekers: A Content Analysis Of Passive And Active Persuasion In Crisis Pregnancy Center Marketing, Alexander Kocman Apr 2014

Selling Life To Abortion-Seekers: A Content Analysis Of Passive And Active Persuasion In Crisis Pregnancy Center Marketing, Alexander Kocman

Masters Theses

For supporters of the pro-life cause, crisis pregnancy centers (or CPC's) have become the "darlings of the movement," according to the New York Times (Belluck, 2013), offering women with unplanned pregnancies free advice, information, classes, childcare, and needed supplies. For abortion advocates, such establishments are intended to seduce vulnerable abortion-seekers into a situation where they will be counseled out of an abortion and possibly even proselytized. Yet for as much controversy as exists in the news media, medical community, and legal realm about CPC's, there is an unsettling lack of understanding of how--and why--CPC's market themselves the way they do. …


Canadian Patriotism And The Timbit: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Tim Horton's Inc.'S Canadian Connection Through The Application Of Semiotics, Shelanne Jennings Apr 2014

Canadian Patriotism And The Timbit: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Tim Horton's Inc.'S Canadian Connection Through The Application Of Semiotics, Shelanne Jennings

Masters Theses

This study examines the content of Tim Horton's television advertisements from 1980 to 2014 from a communication perspective. Using Peirce's semiotic theory, this study examines the significations of Canadian culture as they appear within each advertisement for the purpose of establishing the time and extent to which Canadian culture was used over the course of Tim Horton's advertising history. This study finds that Tim Horton's advertisements did not purposefully use Canadian significations during the 1980s to create a connection between their brand and Canadian patriotism. However, after discovering Canadians' natural affinity to the Tim Horton's brand through focus group research …


Like, Retweet, Repeat: Social Media's Impact On Real Estate Marketing, Emily Kendall Apr 2014

Like, Retweet, Repeat: Social Media's Impact On Real Estate Marketing, Emily Kendall

Masters Theses

With the advent of Facebook and Twitter, people from all walks of life in all parts of the world have the ability to connect electronically, impersonally, and constantly. Small businesses are just beginning to unlock the power of social media marketing, specifically real estate professionals. Shelly Chaiken created the Heuristic Systematic Model of persuasion, the descendant of the Elaboration Likelihood Model. This study applies the tenets of Chaiken's HSM to the methods of persuasion employed by real estate agents via Facebook and Twitter. Fifty participants were surveyed by the researcher in order to gauge their activity, interest level, and motivation …


Corporate Communication In The Twenty-First Century, Susan Laws Jan 2014

Corporate Communication In The Twenty-First Century, Susan Laws

Other Graduate Scholarship

Corporate communication represents an evolving area of study within the increasing puzzle of global growth in the twenty-first century. The theoretical history of public relations originated in North America and the United Kingdom before the ubiquitous presence of technology and the internet. Since the 1950s, numerous approaches and models of corporate communication have emerged. The focus of this study is to contribute to the development of a new theory of corporate constructs of identity, image and reputation, formulating competitive advantage with strategy formulation, within the framework of the new political economy – these economies do not and cannot operate in …


Quench The Thirst: A Content Analysis Of The Persuasive Techniques Of Unicef's Tap Project, Rachel Chadalavada Jan 2014

Quench The Thirst: A Content Analysis Of The Persuasive Techniques Of Unicef's Tap Project, Rachel Chadalavada

Masters Theses

This study analyzes the persuasive techniques utilized by UNICEF's Tap Project. This water related campaign began in 2007 and since then has created four themes. These themes are: Dine out, Celebrity Tap, Facebook Push and Cellphone Challenge. The study finds that the videos employed by the Tap Project portray all six Facets of Effects. However, their usage was based on the message that was being delivered. That said, not all videos utilized all of the facets. This implies that an advertisement need not necessarily use all six Facets of Effects to be successful. The facet of association however, stood out …


The Tweet's The Thing: Exploring The Intersection Of Social Media And Broadway, Hilary Sutton Apr 2013

The Tweet's The Thing: Exploring The Intersection Of Social Media And Broadway, Hilary Sutton

Masters Theses

In 2009 the little known Broadway musical Next to Normal rose to fame through the aid of an unprecedented Twitter campaign conducted by Situation Interactive, a digital marketing agency. The Next to Normal Twitter account gathered over one million followers throughout a six-week campaign in which the Situation Interactive team joined forces with the book writer and lyricist of Next to Normal to recreate the plot in one hundred and forty-character snippets. By analyzing the data collected the researcher cultivates a collection of best practices for running a successful Twitter marketing campaign for a live experience.


Unleashing The Power Of Social Media Marketing Within Non-Profits, Through The Lens Of Social Cognitive Theory, Kerah Kemmerer Apr 2013

Unleashing The Power Of Social Media Marketing Within Non-Profits, Through The Lens Of Social Cognitive Theory, Kerah Kemmerer

Masters Theses

While many organizations still struggle to effectively incorporate the present-day promotional framework of social media marketing, research reveals that non-profit organizations are lagging even further behind when it comes to the implementation of effective social media and interactive marketing strategies. The interactive marketing strategy model incorporates technology and media-based tactics designed to enhance marketing strategies within any industry. In this project, the primary researcher explored why non-profits are struggling to incorporate these specific strategies, and considered it through the lens of social cognitive theory. The purpose of this project was to focus on a specific non-profit organization and apply the …


Fifteen Percent Or More: A Content Analysis Of Geico's Commercial Advertising, Paul Davis Apr 2013

Fifteen Percent Or More: A Content Analysis Of Geico's Commercial Advertising, Paul Davis

Masters Theses

In this media saturated world which is lived in today, the general public is bombarded by a multitude of advertisements. This thesis was conducted to examine Geico's commercial advertising looking specifically at their use of humor. The Elaboration Likelihood Model and the Humorous Message Taxonomy were used to conduct this content analysis. The research examined the route of persuasion and elaboration that were used in 60 Geico commercials from five of their most recent campaigns. The Humorous Message Taxonomy helped to establish which types of humor were being used along with the processes and relationship between elements. Three research questions …


Refresh. Create. Inspire. The Mission, Vision And Values Behind The Coca-Cola Company And The Digital Marketing Strategies Of The "Open Happiness" Campaign, Sara Svendsen Apr 2013

Refresh. Create. Inspire. The Mission, Vision And Values Behind The Coca-Cola Company And The Digital Marketing Strategies Of The "Open Happiness" Campaign, Sara Svendsen

Masters Theses

Due to the influence of Coca-Cola on advertising, digital marketing, and marketing strategies, the present rhetorical analysis seeks to show the many aspects of digital media in the Company's present "Open Happiness" campaign. The study of the campaign seeks to show that the Company mission statement, Company values and the vision of The Coca-Cola Company are implemented into all of the different facets of the Open Happiness campaign, and in the context of Mood Management Theory, exude the overall theme of the campaign, happiness. The parts of the campaign that were analyzed were focused on the YouTube channels of The …


Seattle's Seafaring Siren: A Cultural Approach To The Branding Of Starbucks, Briana Kauffman Apr 2013

Seattle's Seafaring Siren: A Cultural Approach To The Branding Of Starbucks, Briana Kauffman

Masters Theses

Many corporate brands tend to be built on a strong foundation of culture, but very minimal research seems to indicate a thorough analysis of the role of an organizational's culture in its entirety pertaining to large corporations. This study analyzed various facets of Starbucks Coffee Company through use of the cultural approach to organizations theory in order to determine if the founding principles of Starbucks are evident in their organizational culture. Howard Schultz' book "Onward" was analyzed and documented as the key textual artifact in which these principles originated. Along with these principles, Starbucks' Website, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube page …


The Phenomenon Behind The Bite: Altercasting As It Applies To Apple Technology, Elizabeth Baldwin Apr 2013

The Phenomenon Behind The Bite: Altercasting As It Applies To Apple Technology, Elizabeth Baldwin

Masters Theses

This paper investigates how the brand Apple markets their product so that consumers feel obligated to buy their product. By looking at five main categories of brand loyalty, environmentally friendly practices, being up-to-date with technology, pricing with value and customer service, this paper will rhetorically analyze how successful of a job it does. To get an inside look at what the public thought on the the way that Apple fulfilled their altercasting this paper analyzed what people said about Apple verses competing technology brands. By drawing overall conclusions, recording trends and making observations about the way that people had been …