Business Commons^™

Amplifying Southern Charm: A Case Study On Visit Music City’S Digital Media Practices, Susanna Cleary Honggui Hoffman

Experience Industry Management

Digital marketing has become a vital player for companies, especially destination marketing organizations (DMOs), by helping them grow and expand their brand image. Digital marketing includes email, social media, and search-engine marketing. The purpose of this study was to examine Visit Music City’s (Nashville’s DMO) digital media marketing tactics. Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC) is the company that is behind the brand Visit Music City. The research was conducted utilizing information from NCVC’s website and social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, TripAdvisor, and YouTube). Visit Music City sends a weekly newsletter called Amplify, they have a strong social …

Ramble: Travel Journal Application Concept, Christine Elizabeth Curulla

Graphic Communication

The purpose of this project is to provide an easier and more engaging way for study abroad students to document their experiences. I wanted to collect data on the effectiveness of student journaling while abroad, and identify ways to improve the process through a mobile application.

Ramble is a social app I designed that provides a new question or prompt each day to encourage more frequent, fun journaling while traveling, and connection with others at home and abroad. Ramble solves problems that accompany traditional journaling by making the journaling process more accessible and requiring less time from the user.

More Than Just A Workplace: A Case Study Of Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Marriott International Inc. Hotels, Julia Selin

Experience Industry Management

Diversity, equity, and inclusion practices are essential for a hotel to function. Having diversity is an important aspect of a company because it allows for multiple perspectives that bring new ideas together, and most importantly multiculturalism. The purpose of this study was to examine the diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in the workplaces of Marriott International Inc. Hotels. Research for this study was conducted using a case study. The results indicated that Marriott values diversity, which is seen though corporate programs and global initiatives. Marriott is an international company that helps create job opportunities around the world and forms mentor …

Choose Your Own Adventure: A Comparative Analysis Of Storytelling Elements In Selected Immersive Experience Attractions, John E. Balido

Experience Industry Management

Stories are powerful tools used to both connect and communicate through a multitude of mediums. Movies, marketing campaigns, and experience design in theme parks are modern examples of storytelling, using various practices to bring the narrative to life. The purpose of this study was to analyze the manipulation of storytelling elements to create and build an immersive adventure experience in selected theme park attractions. A comparative analysis was conducted on theIndiana Jones Adventure and the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance rides at Disneyland using an instrument that analyzed both experience design and storytelling practices. Findings concluded that the practices …

Sin City Platforms: A Comparative Analysis On The Social Media Practices Of Select Hotels On The Las Vegas Strip, Kaitlin Beuschlein

Experience Industry Management

Social media has become a popular form of communication in recent years due to the prevalence of mobile devices. This has prompted companies to implement platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter into their marketing strategies to better reach customers. The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast the social media marketing strategies of select hotels on the Las Vegas strip. The Cosmopolitan and The Venetian hotels were selected for this study. The study strategically analyzed the Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages for both hotels utilizing a comparative analysis guide developed by the researcher. It was concluded that …

Comparative Analysis And Best Practices Of Experiential Marketing, A Look Into Sensory Marketing, Cameron J. Bielat

Experience Industry Management

As the experiential marketing industry has begun to take precedent over prior marketing methods, organizations are learning to capitalize on customer immersion and relationship development, done so through sensory marketing. This review works to evaluate and measure multiple large experiential conferences within their respective industries. The purpose of this study is to examine the sensory-activating marketing practices, also known as sensory-marketing activations, present within the emerging experiential marketing industry, with a highlight on the best practices within major organizational conferences. Within this study there is a detailed instrument that is used as a guideline to evaluate key experiential marketing tactics. …

The Wine Stone Inn, Kendall N. Doud

Agricultural Education and Communication

The Wine Stone Inn is a new 12-room boutique hotel currently being built in Old Town Orcutt, California. The hotel is seeking a grand opening that will attract vintner business, agribusiness, and agricultural vendors for the hotel, and help promote local wineries and breweries in the Santa Maria Valley. Orcutt is a growing township, which is becoming very attractive to visitors because of the walking distance to restaurants, local pubs, wine venues, and other businesses that project growth in the future. Agribusiness makes up a small percentage of the corporate market and agritourism is a growing segment in this area. …

Tourism And The Developing World: A Comparative Analysis On Socio-Economic Development Between The Dominican Republic And Haiti, Megan Elise Reissig

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

The tourism industry has been growing exponentially throughout the world, both in developed and underdeveloped countries. The industry is normally considered means of economic growth for a destination, however there is much controversy as to whether the social effects are positive or negative. The purpose of this study was to compare strategies of socio-economic development through tourism in select developing countries. In the cases of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, tourism has contributed greatly to economic development, and both countries should continue focussing efforts on tourism for means of economic development. However, they should focus on educating their citizens so …

Malene Wines: The Beginning Of A Brand, Tyler Menane

Agricultural Education and Communication

Malene Wines is the most recently developing brand under the Crimson Wine Group. Currently, the brand is being produced and managed under Chamisal Vineyards. Malene Wines started off with one brand of rosé wine, that has only been available for purchase in the Chamisal tasting room or wholesale. This has caused confusion for the consumer in differentiating the two brands. To help begin the separation of the two brands, Malene Wines has recently received a modified Airstream trailer to serve as a mobile tasting room.

Whereas Chamisal Vineyards is a brand focused on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with small production …

Colorado’S Budding Economy: A Comparative Analysis Of Selected Marijuana Tourism Businesses In The Centennial State, Connor D. King

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

Since the 2014 legalization of recreational marijuana in the state of Colorado, pioneering entrepreneurs have been getting in on the ground level of a fledgling industry—marijuana tourism. Through interviews with six Colorado-based marijuana tourism business owners, this qualitative study identified current challenges and opportunities faced by those who are blazing the trail into this new form of alternative tourism. The results indicate that continued stigmatization of marijuana in society, along with restrictive and changing regulations, pose significant legal and financial challenges. The results also include a summary of opportunities and recommendations which include educating the public about the benefits of …

Marketing The Magic In A Nature-Based Experience: A Case Study On The Walt Disney Company, Kristen L. Byron

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

Customers focus on different values when looking for a travel experience. Experiential marketing is able to connect customers with companies and experiences that match their values, including ecotourism and nature-based experiences. The Walt Disney Company is an international brand of entertainment features and is able to provide guests with customized experiences. The purpose of this study was to examine experiential marketing techniques in relation to the Walt Disney Company’s ecotourism and nature focused experiences. The researcher used a best practices matrix on the Walt Disney Company, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Aulani Resort and Spa. This study found that the …

Battle River Wilderness Retreat Brochure, Sarah W. Conway

Agricultural Education and Communication

Fly-fishing, bear photography and complete wilderness solitude—welcome to Battle River Wilderness Retreat. This small, unknown lodge in Katmai National Park is one of Alaska’s famous fishing destinations. The current brochure, which markets the lodge to the outside customers, is from the 1990s. The author is conducting a study to modify the brochure by updating the advertising pamphlet with new multimedia, personal stories, wildlife information, and the history of the lodge. The author plans to travel to the lodge in Alaska and will photograph new images for the revision, interview guests, and study the environment and surrounding wildlife. The revised brochure …

Marketing Alaskan Seafood: Strategies With Brand Identification, Differentiation, And Promotions, Anna Jacobson

Journalism

Everyday the globe experiences changes with food. New methods in growing and harvesting are becoming approved, while others are frowned upon. People care more about where their food comes from than ever before. This research is to explore how Alaska seafood can successfully market their products in an ever-changing world. As challenges present themselves in the industry, opportunities are there as well.

This study sets out to explore marketing strategies for promoting a seafood brand. Through exploring current literature and interviewing experts to obtain data, conclusions will be drawn and analyzed. These findings will help to understand the best practices …

Heads In Beds: A Best Practices Examination Of Advertising Platforms For Multi-National Hotel Chains, Erika Segal

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

Multi-national hotel chains have thousands of hotels and resorts all over the world. Despite their many differences, one thing they all have in common is the need to advertise. The purpose of this study was to research the advertising techniques of each chain in order to determine the best practices for this business sector. The researcher found that many of the chains were inconsistent with their advertising platforms, rendering their efforts ineffective for acquiring and maintaining customers. Key recommendations were that a company only keeps advertising platforms if they are able to maintain and manage them well, to ensure that …

Bicycle Tourism Plan For Economic Development: A Template For Rural Agricultural Towns And A Case Study For The City Of Winters, California, Marisa Rene Lee

Master's Theses

Bicycling is a method of tourism transportation that is healthy, non-invasive, environmentally responsible, and economically sustainable. It allows freedom, mobility, and sightseeing potential that is not made possible by other modes of transit. Thousands of bicycle tourists travel from all over the globe annually to explore California on touring bikes via established cycling routes and robust determination. Thousands of additional domestic and international visitors take weekend trips, plan family vacations, travel for business, or tour California from abroad, many of whom are excellent candidates for local and regional bicycle touring at a more gentle intensity level.

The increasing popularity and …

Searching For Lodging: An Analysis Of Selected Pismo Beach Hotels' Search Engine Marketing Practices, Christopher J. Kumata

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

Search engines connect users to websites and became a distribution channel for many products. In the case of hotels, it is essential that the hotel’s website appears among the top results when potential customers search for lodging in a certain area. The purpose of this study was to examine search engine marketing best practices and performance among non-national hotels in Pismo Beach, California. The researcher performed popular keyword searches to evaluate performance and examine strategies of the top performing hotels. The analysis discovered that the top hotels shared website design characteristics, the majority of search engine optimization is performed by …

Competitive Marketing Strategy: A Best Practices Examination Of Convention Hotels In San Francisco, Jennifer Hardy

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

The expansion of convention hotels in metropolitan areas has been steadily increasing in recent years. This expansion causes competition between hotels in the same market. The purpose of this study was to examine the best practices for competitive marketing strategies used by convention hotels in San Francisco. The hotels studied were: Westin St. Francis, Fairmont Hotel, Ritz-Carlton, and Four Seasons. These organizations were analyzed based on several questions developed by the researcher. Data were collected from organizational websites and social media pages. The results demonstrate that the companies use many similar marketing practices. In order to market themselves more competitively, …

Loyalty Programs: An Examination Of The Best Practices In Selected Luxury Chain Hotels, Julie Poincenot

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

Loyalty programs enable companies to reward their return customers. In the hotel industry, a loyalty program is a useful and beneficial tool to improve their customer service and entice their guests to stay with them on return visits. The purpose of this study was to conduct a best practices study on loyalty programs in luxury hotel chains. The researcher used a best practices matrix to examine the loyalty programs of Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Omni Hotels and Resorts, and Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants. The study found that companies should benchmark their programs by aligning their benefits with companies similar to …

Recreation Displacement Of Bass Fishermen From Central Coast Lakes, Erin Gray

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

The purpose of this study was to assess the impacts of aquatic invasive species preventative measures on recreation displacement of bass fishermen from Central Coast lakes. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to participants at a local bass fishing tournament. Thirty-six respondents completed the questionnaire. The results indicated that boat inspection procedures do not necessarily cause bass fishermen to displace. This study found that fishermen are likely to avoid recreating at a Central Coast lake in fishing practice conditions rather than in tournament conditions, and are likely to avoid tournaments at their least favorite lake if boat inspection procedures take too …

Sustainability Trends For Museums, Zoos, And Aquariums: A Website Evaluation, Alison Sunahara

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

Sustainability is an emerging trend that is accessible through programs and practices for the public and organizations. Museums, zoos, and aquariums exhibit and maintain collection pieces for observation and study. The purpose of the study was to analyze the top museum, zoo, and aquarium websites to determine their sustainability practices. This study was conducted through a website checklist developed by the researcher. Data were collected using a representative sample of the top museum, zoos, and aquariums within the United States. The sample was based upon the Travel Channel’s “Top 10 Free U.S. Museums”, “America’s Wildest Zoos”, and “Best Aquariums in …

Perceptions And Motivations For Travel To California's Central Coast, Lisa Baird

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

California and its Central Coast is an extremely popular destination for international and non-Californian U.S. travelers. The purpose of this study was to determine the motivations and perceptions of international and non-Californian residents who may travel to the Central Coast of California. Data were collected through an online questionnaire. One hundred and seventeen subjects participated in this study. Non-Californian and international tourists are motivated to travel to the Central Coast to visit friends and family, and to discover and learn about an unknown destination. Perceived destination is a large reason why people choose to travel to California and the Central …

The Relationship Between Live Music And Enjoyment Of Wine, Janey Helene Cowan

Agribusiness

This study was performed in order to determine the relationship between enjoyment of music in a live setting and enjoyment of wine consumed while at the concert. Surveys were collected from 113 respondents throughout the summer of 2011 at San Luis Obispo’s “Concerts in the Plaza.” J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines was the wine sponsor throughout the summer concert series, which represented a wide variety of musical genres. Overall, 80% of the sample was women, 69% drank white wine, and 93% had tried J. Lohr wines before the event. With regard to wine opinion, 57% of the sample maintained the …