Business Commons^™

More Than Just A Game? The Impact Of Athletic Team Performances Of Advertisement Appeal, Matthew Cook

Honors Projects in Marketing

The goal of this study was to determine the effects that an athletic team's performance may have on the ways in which their fans view advertisements. Conducted using a 2 (game: basketball vs. baseball) x 2 (outcome: win vs. loss) x 2 (score: blowout vs. close game) experimental study created within Qualtrics, we set out to determine how the type of game, outcome, and score may all affect advertisement appeal. Using clips from a Celtics vs Lakers game as well as a Red Sox vs Yankees game, we created short video clips that were designed to replicate the experience of …

Why Industry Professionals Should Care About Fandom, Abigail Minzer

Student Publications

A fandom is a community of people who share a common interest and interact with each other on the basis of that common interest. When a fandom comes together on the basis of a creative work, it allows a mutually beneficial relationship to form in which the fandom will eagerly consume existing content, allowing new content to be produced for their consumption. Thus, professionals in industries such as publishing, theater, and television and film should be aware of the integral role fandoms play in the consumption of their content and how to nurture fandoms through the means discussed in this …

Harnessing The Power Of Video Ads, Linyi Li

Asian Management Insights

In digital advertising, video ads as a top-of-funnel function have a longer-lasting efect than display and search ads on a consumer's consciousness.

Strategic Communication In The Feminine Hygiene And Beauty: A Comprehensive Plan For Effective Engagement And Influence, Mikhailia A. Williams

Global Strategic Communications Student Work

The beauty and health industry is a multi-billion dollar market that includes companies that produce feminine hygiene products (Petruzzi, 22). These brands are looking for new ways to connect with their consumers and increase consumer loyalty. The Honey Pot Company, a plant-based and organic feminine hygiene brand, has an opportunity to increase its online brand sentiment by implementing a strategic communications plan for female consumers aged 15 to 50. The objective of this report is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the company's communication, marketing and brand strategies, as well as create a strategic communications plan to develop a positive …

Glendalough Distillery: The Internationalisation Challenge, Aileen Kennedy Dr, Tara Rooney Dr

Case Studies

This case study focuses on the emergence and growth of an Irish-owned start-up challenger brand Glendalough, entering the highly competitive global whiskey market. From their origins in 2011, this small enterprise has gained global attention for their innovative products, their strong focus on branding and their rapid success. The case centres on their acquisition by Mark Anthony Brands, a major North American drinks producer and distributor, who took a stake in the business early on.

The next phase for Glendalough will focus on how to maximise this relationship with Mark Anthony Brands. While this will give them increased access and …

Marketing Activity Influences On Brand Attractiveness & Loyalty, Keiondre' Mcallister

McNair Scholars Research

While selecting a specific brand could seem simple, many variables are considered. Consumers must trust that the chosen brand meets their needs by providing value. Value differs for everyone; however, four value pillars within the value creation pyramid could explain which value attracts the consumer most to a brand. These value elements will be explored to explain consumer preferences.

Rainbowashing: Does It Impact Purchase Intention?, Ramon Luis Fille

Honors Projects in Marketing

Cause related marketing efforts by multiple brands have grown over the past few years. With the growth of social media and even more awareness for multiple causes, consumers are pickier when it comes to brands that supports them. While many studies have been done when it comes to “greenwashing” (the tactics of brands to show their green initiatives), there are still more that needs to be done to understand the impact of “rainbowashing” marketing methods on consumer purchase intention. The importance of this study and how it can affect businesses are discussed. To get a feel for the potential effect …

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 …

Arbor Day Foundation Programs: Analysis And Recommendations, Justin Myers, Emily Alston, Cameron Claborn, Charles Erker, Braelyn Isernhagen, Jonathan Jameson

Honors Theses

We are proposing the enhancement of the current Tree City USA program to include a special recognition program for high-achieving communities. These “Golden Oak” tree cities will be recognized each year based on a variety of metrics detailed in a new and more comprehensive program application. Recommendations:

● Updated application to include more information about both quantitative and qualitative insights

● Special recognition program awarding “Golden Oak” status to communities in village, town, city, and metropolis categories based on either percentile or benchmarking system

● A cumulative “Golden Oak” award given to the State that achieves the highest percentage of …

The Importance Of A Checkmark: An Investigation Into The Perceptions Of Social Media Verification And Its Effects On Consumer Trust, Jazlyn Dumas

Honors College

Media giants, among them Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, support verified accounts. Verification, denoted by a blue checkmark badge visible in search and on one’s profile, is ostensibly a way of confirming one’s identity, yet only accounts with large followings are awarded verification status by the platform. This research investigates the perception of verification in the context of paid partnerships with social media influencers, a topic relatively absent from the literature despite the billions of dollars spent on influencer partnerships. Verified influencers cost more, therefore, this research could allow brands to capitalize their ad return if they are made aware of …

A Global Pandemic's Effect On The Retail Industry, Sabriyah Arain

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

It is commonly known that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted many industries, including healthcare, transportation, and leisure to name a few. One particular industry that seems to have been greatly affected is retail. With many individuals deciding to stay safe at home rather than go out shopping, this poses a question regarding how retail companies are changing their selling and promotional strategies. It is apparent that online shopping has become more popular. However, what may be less apparent is how retail stores are adapting. With fewer customers entering the stores, it is important to look into what …

Rivalry Appeals In Advertising: Distinctiveness Versus Inclusiveness, David Stahr

Honors Projects in Marketing

The main objective of the research is to study how convenience and shopping products impact how consumers react to rivalry appeals in advertisements. The authors examine the effectiveness of rivalry appeals in advertisements and how they are impacted by the product type considered by consumers. In two studies, a 2 (prime: distinctiveness vs. inclusiveness) x 2 (message: competition vs. collaboration) ANOVA methodology was conducted on survey data. In Study 1, participants primed with distinctiveness (inclusiveness) and considering convenience products experienced an assimilation effect where they preferred competitive (collaborative) rivalry appeals. In Study 2, participants primed with distinctiveness (inclusiveness) and considering …

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 …

Marketing Play Book: Shoreline Orthopaedics, Rio Weikum

Honors Projects

This campaign book is comprised of essential information for conducting a successful campaign for our client, Shoreline Orthopaedic located in Holland, Michigan. For the purpose of this campaign, both primary and secondary research were conducted in order to gain crucial information that would form Shoreline's marketing strategies, tactics, and objectives. Primary research was conducted in order to get a better understanding of the attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, and needs of the patients at Shoreline. Secondary research was conducted to gain marketing information on other orthopedic practices, the best marketing strategies to implement in the digital world, and information about our target …

Seeking To Understand Subaru’S Turbocharged Appeal: A Study Of Brand Communities, Product Utility, And Corporate Promotion, James Imrie

Honors Projects in Marketing

This study attempts to analyze Subaru’s significant and unique appeal in the greater automotive market. The primary research findings are presented in a video documentary, while frameworks for existing research on certain facets of brand management and consumer groups are presented in the following paper. Based on analysis of existing data and interviews conducted with people connected to the brand, we can conclude that the phenomenon is a result of an appealing product that offers differentiated utilities at an affordable price, the formation of consumer groups around the various offerings, and insightful promotion on Subaru’s part. The degree to which …

The Business Of Being Good: Crm Strategies And For-Profit Organizations, Danielle Crepeau

Honors Projects in Marketing

Many studies have measured the impact of cause related marketing (CRM) strategies on non-profit organizations, however few have been able to measure the impact that these strategies can have on the for-profit organizations employing them. This study hypothesizes that a co-branded CRM strategy will have greater benefits for a for-profit organization than will a jointly-branded strategy or no strategy at all. This hypothesis was tested using two studies, both with a 2x3 factorial design for firms with both a positive and negative brand reputation. It was found that, for an organization with a negative image, consumers viewed the organization more …

Advertisements’ Perpetuation Of Rape Culture: A Look At How Images Containing Objectification And Victimization Impact Consumers, Lauren Leedberg

Honors Projects in Marketing

The research I have conducted explores connections between images shown in advertisements and the perpetuation of rape culture and gendered stereotypes in society. It was guided by the Cultivation Theory which looks at how media, such as advertisements, can shape our reality. After an extensive literature review, data was gathered via an experimental design utilizing surveys. Within these surveys, respondents were randomly shown an advertisement I created containing the variables to be tested (i.e. images with objectification and victimization). After viewing the ad, they answered questions regarding their attitude toward the brand/product depicted, purchase intentions, a rape myth acceptance scale …

#Keepvolunteeringcool - A Marketing Analysis Of The Uri Service Corps, Caroline L. Hacunda

Senior Honors Projects

Since 2009, the University of Rhode Island has offered Alternative Spring Break trips to students who are passionate about service and want to become more involved within the community doing meaningful and engaging volunteer work. These trips are completely student planned and fundraised with the guidance of a group of student leaders for each trip. Over the years, this program has exponentially grown, leading to our biggest year yet with two trips staying in Rhode Island and three out of state trips offered in 2017. In the past, the spring break trips were hosted by URI S.A.V.E.S and URI Habitat …

Bilingual (Spanish-English) Marketing As A Catalyst For Cultural Awareness: The Effect On Parents In The Toy Market, Margo K. Bailey

Honors Scholar Theses

Due to globalization, multinational companies are increasingly cognizant of the language used in marketing materials. The growing Hispanic population in the U.S. and the increasing desire to learn and consume English in Spain makes marketers think twice about how they use language. This research is multi-method, using in-depth interviews and an experiment to learn more about how languages are used in advertisements to target monolingual and bilingual consumers within a country, and how consumers respond to monolingual and bilinguals advertisements.

I started by interviewing two marketing managers with experience in bilingual advertising in various media to better understand their decisions …

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 …

A Quantitative Content Analysis On Food-Based Advergames Aimed At Children, Emiko Barker

Honors Projects in Communication

No abstract provided.

Social Media Influence: Metrics Matter, Juliana Houldcroft

Honors Projects in Marketing

It is imperative for companies to engage in social media marketing as consumers are often dependent on online information and electronic word-of-mouth. Past literature claims that consumers evaluate the influence of communications differently on social media than they would in a traditional environment because of the nature of the internet. This study aims to analyze user’s perceptions of social media marketing influence and determines if user’s perception of influence changes based on the number of social media metrics (likes, comments, and shares) that accompany a Facebook post. The study also investigates if perceptions of influence vary depending on a user’s …

Java Plus Coffee: A Case Study In Economic Sustainability In A Non-Profit Organization, George Dierberger, Marc Mcintosh, Nancy Johnson

Faculty Authored Articles

Java Plus is a non-profit case study focusing on the coffee industry. The case deals with business strategy, multiple distribution channels, financial analysis, break-even analysis, operational, sourcing challenges and inventory rationalization. The profits of the company are used to help inner city youth gain experience in business and find a vocation that would support their dreams and aspirations.

How Female Online Businesses And Brands Are Using Instagram Stories, Hannah N. Vanderslice

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

Instagram is one of the newest forms of social media that impacts its audience on a visual level, since the content is centered on photos and videos. Their newest feature, Instagram stories, is temporary videos and/or photos strung together to form a gallery, which has been compared to Snapchat’s version of live stories. Instagram stories offer a unique opportunity for businesses to take advantage of the temporary, 24-hour platform that shows specific frame-by-frame analytics that help create efficient and compelling content to repost permanently that helps organic search engine optimization. As a cost-effective means of advertising, early adopter large and …

Ueber-Brands: How To Make Your Brand Priceless?, J. P. Kuehlwein, Wolf Schaefer

Asian Management Insights

Ueber-Brands—brands that are valued beyond their price and esteemed beyond their size. These brands are unique in that they have captured not just the wallet but also the hearts of a huge, loyal and growing customer base.

Snapple: Integrated Advertising Campaign, Hayley Renneker

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The National Student Advertising Competition is a competition college chapters of the American Advertising Federation can participate in. This competition has a corporate sponsor, this year being Snapple, which gives students the opportunity to write an integrated marketing campaign that addresses real advertising challenges Snapple is currently facing. I managed a group of 19 peers and worked for several months to come up with a solution to their current problem. We created a 27-page campaign book outlining the research we conducted, the target consumers, a “big idea,” creative execution, media plan, media budget, and campaign measurement. Our “big idea” carried …

Micro & Small Enterprises In Ireland: A Brand Management Perspective, Bobby Kennedy, Angela Wright

Dept. of Organisation & Professional Development Publications

Branding aids companies in the acquisition of new customers, allows them to build a favourable reputation, leads to increased customer loyalty and, ultimately, is a driver of profitability. Although there is an impressive quantity of academic literature related to both large corporate and product line branding, there has been less focus regarding the research on branding of small businesses, despite their economic importance.

In the specific case of SMEs in Ireland, branding studies are scant. There is little understanding of the branding practices of SME founder-owners in Ireland, and, moreover, a lack of clarity as to their knowledge levels apropos …

Green Advertising And Millennials, Stephanie Davidson

Honors Projects in Marketing

This study investigates the responsiveness of Millennials to green versus non-green framed automobile print ads. A 2x2 factorial design was used in which specific advertising frames were manipulated to measure ad attitudes, purchase intentions, and skepticism for a high involvement product (i.e., an automobile). Results showed that highly-environmentally-concerned participants have more positive ad attitudes and greater purchase intentions after viewing a green ad than after viewing a non-green ad. These differences were not evident however for participants who exhibited low-environmental-concern. The results also showed that participants who are more environmentally concerned are less skeptical about green ads than those who …

Consumer Understanding Of Nutritional Supplements: An Irish Context, Julie Anne Walsh, Angela Wright

Dept. of Organisation & Professional Development Publications

Nutritional Supplements have been available in Ireland for over thirty years. Originally available in health food stores only, supplements now have several distribution channels including pharmacy, practitioner, and online. Recommendations for consumption can come from many sources including general physicians, alternative practitioners, dieticians and nutritionists. The demand for Nutritional Supplements has increased over the years, and the industry has expanded exponentially. Nutritional Supplements provide an important opportunity to optimize illness prevention. As scientists and health professionals start to understand the value of Nutritional Supplements in terms of the prevention and treatment of disease, consumers follow suit. Market growth of Nutritional …

Pomegranate Juice Can Do That? Navigating The Jurisdictional Landscape Of Food Health Claim Regulation In A Post-Pom Wonderful World, Hilary G. Buttrick, Courtney Droms Hatch

Scholarship and Professional Work - Business

Thirty years ago, the most the consumer expected out of his or her morning glass of juice was a little extra vitamin C. By 2010, the consumer expected a lot more. POM Wonderful’s pomegranate juice, for instance, promised to improve cardiovascular health, treat erectile dysfunction, and combat prostate cancer.¹ Those claims made orange juice look a little pathetic. Of course, those wild promises also landed POM Wonderful in hot water with the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) for misleading the public with scientifically unsubstantiated health claims.²