Public Relations and Advertising Commons^™

The Marketing Of Major League Soccer, Bruce G. Hummer Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

For the past six years, Major League Soccer has tried to penetrate American homes with its brand of soccer. Television advertisements and in-house surveys have been made to encourage people to view soccer as a spectator sport. The league, though, has been on decline since its first year and the question still remains why soccer has a hard time being a spectator sport in America. This study examined how Youth Soccer parents perceive the league.

The author went to various Youth Soccer games and registrations and used an intercept survey of the soccer parents. The parents were asked if they …

Minor League Basketball Organizations: Making Them Work, Derek Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Minor league basketball organizations have wilted under the competition's spotlight. These leagues tried to present fans with an entertaining alternative to professional sports.

Minor league basketball's efforts to entertain fans have been unsuccessful. This study examines why these organizations have not succeeded. Through interviews, research and survey results potential solutions have been discovered.

Eighty surveys were distributed to teams and executives from basketball organizations. The surveys obtained information on ticket prices, attendance and reasons why minor league basketball has struggled.

The study revealed that minor league basketball suffers from a lack of leadership, fan interest and financial stability. Suggestions were …

Marketing Plans For Convention And Visitors Bureaus: A Content Analysis, Kelli Kennedy

Theses and Dissertations

The major purpose of this study was to identify convention sales marketing and public relations trends by conducting a content analysis of the tactics in CVB convention marketing plans. By identifying both the common and unique public relations elements in marketing plans, CVBs can draw a relationship between public relations tactics and the success of reaching their mission statements in their own marketing plans.

Five cities' convention and visitors bureaus in the Eastern region of the U.S. were selected. These cities are Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. The researcher obtained three complete marketing plans, one telephone interview and …

A Comparative Study Of Marketing Planning In Higher Education: Is It A Trend?, Janice L. Powers

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the status of marketing planning at colleges and universities, and if it helps with recruitment, retention and enrollment.

This study also examined whether marketing planning helps institutions create, guide and coordinate marketing efforts.

The first phase of the research for this study consisted of related findings reviews, in-depth interviews with non-profit, education specific marketing firms, as well as marketing professionals at institutions of higher learning. Next, primary research involved a fourteen item self-administered questionnaire electronically mailed to selected four-year colleges and universities in Northeast/Southeast/Central Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The questionnaire asked respondents …

How The Internet Has Impacted College Recruitment And Admissions, Maureen Constantino

Theses and Dissertations

This study provides advice to college admissions and public relations professionals so they can make their college web sites more user friendly.

The author surveyed 275 juniors and seniors from six randomly selected Catholic and public New Jersey high schools. There were 261 viable responses.

The author found that the family is the most influential factor in the student's college search. Participants indicated that the Internet plays a role in most of their searches. The students rely on direct mail and guidance counselors in their search as well.

Participants were interested in visiting college web sites that were easily navigated. …

The Roles And Prevalence Of Communication Research In Selected Southern New Jersey School Bond Referenda, Paul Dice

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the roles and prevalence of communication research in two successful Southern New Jersey school bond referenda. Both school districts utilized communication research to help them win the support of their communities. The study sought to offer insight into the importance, or lack thereof, of communications research as a tool to be used in assisting school officials to pass their referenda.

This study does not present a "how-to" manual for passing a bond referendum. Rather, it offers insights into how school officials can make use of research to enhance their chances of passing …

Surveying The Future: An Innovative Tool For Expressing Stakeholder Vision As Demonstrated In Lawrence Township Public Schools, Jessica Reynolds Haviland

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to create a survey instrument that will allow all stakeholders in a school district to share their thoughts, opinions, and attitudes regarding their vision for the future. The results of this survey will be used to create a vision statement to clarify goals, prioritize activities, and unify stakeholders in the pursuit of a desired future. This survey can serve as a benchmark, against which a school district can measure progress toward its goals. The survey instrument will also be a template, which can be used by other organizations to assess their publics' vision for …

The General Public's Knowledge And Perceptions Of The Certified Athletic Trainer's Professional Role And Educational Background, Casey Christy

Theses and Dissertations

This study's purpose was to determine the general public's knowledge, attitudes and behaviors relative to the certified athletic trainer's professional role and educational background.

Two-hundred and seventy-nine people completed an 11-question intercept survey. Results indicate the athletic training professional faces many perception barriers with the general public.

Only 12 percent identified an "athletic trainer" as one of the on-field healthcare providers for injured professional football players. More than half failed to correctly describe what an athletic trainer does. Many responses indicate the public confuses certified athletic trainers with "personal trainers" and other strength and conditioning professionals. Eighty-four percent of the …

Nukes Or No Nukes: How Does The Community View The Salem & Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Stations, David S. Burgin

Theses and Dissertations

This study addresses resident and political opinion surrounding the Salem and Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Stations (SHCNGS) owned by Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) by analyzing survey responses of residents and politicians living within 0-10 miles, 11-30 miles and from 31-50 miles from the stations in New Jersey and Delaware.

The study also investigates resident and political opinion since September 11, 2001, and how residents and politicians receive information about SHCNGS. In addition, resident and political opinion on four key issues facing the future existence of SHCNGS is also captured. Those four key issues are license renewal, environmental impact, safety/security, …

A Study Of The Changing Face Of Newspaper Journalism And Its Effect On Public Relations, Eva Marnie

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine three newspaper markets within the Philadelphia region to determine how journalism is changing and how this change affects the practice of public relations.

The study compared and contrasted the results of a nationwide survey given to editors of all major newspaper markets.

In-depth interviews were conducted, followed by a survey, to determine the attitudes and opinions of the Philadelphia region's major newspaper editors.

The research of the newspaper industry led to the trend of civic journalism. Much research was conducted about civic journalism and its role in the newspaper industry.

From the …

An Exploratory Study Of How Public Relations Practitioners And Journalists Need, Perceive And Deceive One Another, Jamie Leigh Mufalli

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studies the relationship between public relations practitioners and journalists; how they perceive one another, what defines the relationship and what they would do differently if they were in the opposite field.

The author surveyed journalists and public relations practitioners to determine what kinds of attitudes help shape and define the relationship between these two very important professions.

Both public relations practitioners and journalists believe they are equal partners in the dissemination of information. Only 34.6 percent of public relations practitioners believe journalists have high morals and ethics, and are honest with public relations practitioners. Over 50 percent of …

The Philadelphia Phillies: Why Do They Play To An Empty Stadium?, Christine A. Bosco

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was threefold: 1) to determine fans' attitudes about the Philadelphia Phillies, 2) to determine why there is low attendance at Phillies home games, and 3) to determine how fans can be lured back to the stadium. A sample (n = 100) from the Philadelphia and southern New Jersey areas was chosen to complete a 12-question survey. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered. Data was processed through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences for frequencies and cross-tabulations. Major findings from the study include: 36% of respondents indicated that ticket price was their first consideration …

Communication Tactics For Empowering Employees: A Guidebook For Organizations And Managers, Todd Michael Pasley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to establish communication tactics that apply to various communication situations in an empowerment context. The creation of such a reference source will offer a valuable resource for organizations and managers that wish to implement or change empowerment initiatives.

The completion of the study has yielded a guidebook consisting of case studies that offer solutions to communication problems based on literary research. The case studies will act as a guide for effective communication tactics when implementing or altering an empowerment initiative.

A non-scientific content analysis of relevant literature was completed to ascertain communication tactics and …

An Analysis Of Rowan University Fund Raising And Communication Practices, Karen D. Dunnington

Theses and Dissertations

Public colleges and universities need more income than government can provide. States now typically provide less than half the funding for public universities, like Rowan University. Alumni fund raising and other gifts bridge this gap. This study describes variables that affect donor motivation in other schools, and measures those variables among Rowan University subjects. The author applied a 16-question protocol to a purposive sample of 31. The sample was comprised of key fund raising personnel and target study subjects from students to college presidents in seven groups. Extensive individual commentary supplements the sample's small size. The major findings clearly support …

Study Of Small Businesses’ Need For, And Interest In, A Course On How To Produce Effective Publications, Lori Wagoner

Theses and Dissertations

With the advent of PageMaker and other user-friendly publications programs almost anyone can create publications, with or without an understanding of typography or layout and design. These publications represent the organization and affect its image, as well as its bottom line.

These software programs allow an organization to produce its own publications and handle its own publicity. This is a great advantage for small entrepreneurial businesses that may not be able to hire a professional to produce brochures, flyers or newsletters. The problem, however, is that unless the person has an understanding of typography and layout and design, the publication …

Recruiting And Retaining Healthcare Association Members, Ronette Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify popular techniques used to recruit and retain members for healthcare and medical associations. The author compared and contrasted three medical associations and their membership benefits to show which benefits members value most.

Related research indicated recruiting and retaining members has become increasingly competitive among healthcare and medical associations. A new-member survey was conducted for three healthcare associations. Research indicated people primarily join organizations for specialized information, but they also hope to fulfill status-seeking needs.

A successful recruiting and retaining plan involves more than attractive benefits. Members' motivational needs must be included. Based …

Amusement Park Crisis Management, Joe Costal

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis attempts to establish a benchmark for amusement park crisis management through the careful examination of two contrasting crisis response case studies.

The first study, a deadly fire at Six Flags Great Adventure, in Jackson Township, New Jersey, exemplifies the causes, components and effects of improper crisis planning. Analysis of the study closely examines all events leading to and resulting from the fire, with most content coming from the memories of professionals directly involved in the tragedy. Designations of the Six Flags case provided the basis of every amusement crisis plan written since.

The second study, a deadly boat …

The Implications Of The Financial Services Modernization Act On Life Insurance Industry Communications, Michael A. Weinberg

Theses and Dissertations

This study's purpose was to assess the effects of legislation known as The Financial Services Modernization Act on life insurance industry communicators. The November, 1999 legislation effectively broke down the barriers separating the major financial services industries in the U.S. - life insurance, banking, and securities.

An email survey of a random sample of the Life Communicators Association (LCA) U.S. membership was conducted. The LCA is a professional organization of marketing communications, advertising, and public relations professionals working for life insurance and other financial services firms. 242 surveys were emailed.

The results indicated that most of the LCA members were …

Rutgers Camden Center For The Arts Audience Study, Meridith Auerbach

Theses and Dissertations

The Rutgers Camden Center for the Arts strives to serve the regional community with diverse types of programming and to promote a love for the performing arts. The center wants to program events people are interested in attending. Audience likes and dislikes need to be studied and considered when choosing events for a season. The audience's opinion is important because they bring in revenue and therefore play a key role in the success of a theater.

There are factors that may persuade people to attend programs at the Rutgers Camden Center for the Arts. Likewise, audiences may have negative perceptions …

Development Of A Course Of Study For An Undergraduate Course In Global Communication, Kim Lynn Mullikin

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studies the components of successful undergraduate global communication courses. The thesis examines curriculum of American and European colleges and universities' global communication courses and programs. The author analyzed syllabi and course textbooks and surveyed Rowan University College of Communication staff members to develop a course of study for an undergraduate course in global communication.

The study determined that the top 10 topics to be included in a global communication course are: culture, globalization, politics, adaptation, race, television and film, business, conflict and culture shock.

Culture and globalization were covered in more than 50% of the syllabi studied. Adaptation, …

Branding For Nonprofit Organizations, Shannon Cogan

Theses and Dissertations

In the world, 546,000 nonprofit organizations all compete for the same thing: time and money. With the ease of Internet philanthropic giving, traditional nonprofit organizations must change with the times or be left in the wake. In an age of constant message bombardment, nonprofits must continually reinvent themselves to avoid getting lost in the crowd. Today, many nonprofits have found branding is the answer.

To determine the importance of nonprofit branding, the author reviewed all available literature and interviewed a senior-level manager at United Way of America. In addition, the author performed a literature review of all materials obtained from …

Public Relations Efforts To Promote New Graduate Programs, Joe Chambers

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to accumulate information relative to the various public relations practices, methods, and procedures utilized by Rowan University, a state institution of higher learning, and comparing and contrasting them with that of a private institution of higher learning. The differences and similarities between public and private institutions of higher learning were examined and a survey of Undergraduate Accounting students at Rowan was evaluated quantitatively.

Twenty-four questions were on the survey that covered the universe of undergraduate Accounting I and Accounting Il students at Rowan University during the fall semester 2000. Of these twenty-four questions, thirteen …

Reputation Management: The Effect Of Ceo Behavior During A Crisis, Ellen J. Shockley

Theses and Dissertations

This purpose of this thesis was to study how CEO behavior during a crisis impacts the organization's lasting reputation.

A thorough review of relevant publications, as well as intercept surveys, content analyses and email surveys, was conducted to test the hypotheses.

Fifty intercept surveys were conducted over two weekends to discover opinions about the issue. Respondents appearing to be age 25 or older were randomly selected. A content analysis was conducted using articles from Newsweek and The Wall Street Journal to determine the media's tone on the CEOs of Odwalla, Jack in the Box, Dow Coming and Exxon. A total …

Airline Reputation: Customer Service In Crisis, Mary Catherine Demarco

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to show that listening to customer concerns can improve the reputation of the airline industry. The results show through quantitative and qualitative research that the airlines are experiencing a decline in customer service and may be on the verge of a reputation crisis.

A content analysis of articles from The New York Times and USA Today was done to show the type of message the media is sending to the public. Results show that the media is reporting on the airline industry in a negative light. The media is warning that the decline in …

The Power Of One: The Effect Of One Athlete's Behavior On A Sport, Jennifer L. Field

Theses and Dissertations

This is a study of whether or not the effects of one athlete's behavior are broad enough to be felt throughout a sport. The researcher focused on three athletes whose behavior was thought to have left a permanent scar on the three sports involved. The athletes were: (1) Pete Rose, who was part of the Philadelphia Phillies 1980 World Series team and later became the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, who was accused of betting on baseball games, (2) Mike Tyson, former undisputed heavy weight champion of the world, who was convicted of rape and bit the ear of opponent …

A Case Study Of Three Cities: Revitalization Through Public Relations, Rebecca Acevedo

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine if public relations played a vital role in revitalizing major cities. It also tested which tactics were implemented in public relations campaigns to create awareness and draw tourism to the revitalized area. The study used Baltimore, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh as its case studies.

The study involved a review of related secondary research of articles and interviews with public relations professionals who worked for various cities. Primary research involved a content analysis of random articles from 1989 through 2000 from the major papers in each city, in-depth interviews with public relations directors, and intercept surveys …

The Efficacy And Application Of Cause-Related Marketing Techniques, Ralph S. De Simone

Theses and Dissertations

This study determined what was the attitude of the general public and public relations practitioners toward three distinctive cause-related marketing techniques (event sponsorship, product sale donations, and licensing). The study required 203 telephone surveys of the general public and 23 interviews via phone, electronic mail, and in-person with public relations and marketing practitioners involved with cause-related marketing. This researcher proved that both the general public and the causal marketing practitioners prefer or favor event sponsorship over licensing and product sale donations, and females favor the three techniques and causal marketing more than males.

The Efficacy Of Public Affairs In The Federal Courts, Jacqueline Todd

Theses and Dissertations

The federal courts are undeniably one of the most important institutions in our society, yet we know little of this nebulous entity since the federal court system does not directly communicate to the public. The judiciary relies solely on the media to disseminate court decisions and information to the public.

The purpose of this study was to underscore the need for a public affairs office in the federal court system. This researcher held that a court public affairs office would serve to educate the public about the judiciary, as well as correct media accounts of court decisions that exhibit negative …

What Can't Public Relations Graduates Write? A Study And Evaluation Of Professional Writing Skills Lacked By Public Relations Graduates, Ginger Buganski

Theses and Dissertations

Through a survey of roughly 50 public relations practitioners, this study identified specific writing skills public relations graduates lack and compiled recommendations for improving public relations education.

The author sent double post-cards to 100 public relations professionals nationwide. The post-cards asked for participation in a public relations writing questionnaire. At the same time, the author posted the questionnaire to two professional listservs (e-mail groups). A total of 46 professionals completed the questionnaire.

Nearly 90 percent of respondents ranked writing as one of the top three skills essential for public relations success. However, 70 percent of the professionals rated recent graduates' …

Recognized Nonverbal Behaviors Of Leaders: Appearance Graphocentrism, Kinesics, Object Language And Proxemics, Carrie D. Hall

Theses and Dissertations

This study shows nonverbal behaviors adult students recognize as those leaders in classrooms use to convey their position of leadership.

The field of Public Relations is involved with clear, truthful two-way communication between senders and receivers of messages. It is desirable that all communication exchanges be complete with positive understanding of messages, especially those where one represents others with messages s/he delivers.

Existing research was reviewed to determine nonverbal behaviors leaders use in the five areas studied. A questionnaire was designed and administered to a non-probability quota sample. Semantic differential scales determined attitudes and beliefs students had about nonverbal communication …