Browsing by Subject "Branding"
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Item Credibility in context : addressing audiences, objectivity, and branding in contemporary news credibility research(2012-05) Williams, Larissa Catherine; Gil de Zúñiga, Homero; Coleman, RenitaThis study employs an experimental design to test the effects of branding,presence of opinion, and gender on news credibility. A history of credibility theory in social science research is explored in order to contextualize investigation of truth and objectivity in the contemporary fragmented news landscapes. The goal is to contribute to the academic methodologies employed in the exploration of credibility in news as well as make practical suggestions to news makers. Results of the empirical methods in this thesis showed that belief in the news organization from a pretest was positively correlated with the credibility ratings of the individual story conditions but previously held beliefs about story topic were not. Neutral stories were rated higher in terms of credibility than those with opinion statements regardless of brand or belief in the news institution. A scale for personal acceptance of opinion in news is proposed to provide credibility theorists a way to unobtrusively measure predilection for opinion news. While no differences in gender were found using the newly-proposed scale, an individual’s propensity to trust was positively correlated with acceptance of opinion in news. Audience specialization in news should lead to specialized studies of credibility, particularly the roles of gender information processing in relation to objectivity, opinion, and credibility.Item The effects of cross-border strategic brand alliance on consumer product evaluation(2010-05) Lee, Jin Kyun, 1975-; Lee, Wei-Na, 1957-; Wilcox, Gary; Sung, Yongjun; Gillespie, Kate; Daugherty, TerryThis dissertation study examined the effect of country-of-origin (COO) fit on consumer brand attitude in cross-border strategic brand alliance (SBA). Also, this study investigated the effects of consumer product knowledge by dividing it into subjective and objective knowledge dimensions. It was found that cross-border SBA can be a viable market entry strategy for host and partner brands. Specifically, cross-border SBA creates positive synergistic effects when the COO fit is high. In addition, in a low COO fit situation, the partner brand suffering from less favorable country image would be able to benefit from the established brand equity of the host brand and thus gain favorable consumer product evaluation. Also, consumers with low and high product knowledge are more likely to be affected by COO fit information than those with moderate product knowledge. It was found that subjective knowledge is more related to consumer heuristics and decision making processes than objective knowledge. Implications and suggestions for future research in this area are provided.Item Examining the rise and role of college athletics as a business : brand management and brand power in Division I intercollegiate athletics(2010-12) Sims, Wade Ryan; Cicchirillo, Vincent J.; Fleming, JohnThis paper seeks to examine how major college athletics have grown into a billion dollar industry, and the way businesses, advertisers and the schools themselves can effectively grow their brands. By understanding the theoretical framework referenced by the social identity theory, disposition theory and identity through mass media, this paper offers a look into the reasoning for America’s strong affinity towards college athletics. Resulting in a mass market for intercollegiate sports delivered though various media outlets, and the business models that conferences and television networks operate in an effort to capitalize on their demand. In addition, the observation and analysis for organizational dissension between conferences and membership is explored in order to better understand the reasoning for shifts between university teams and conferences.Item Exploring Brand Identity Creation of Female Athletes: The Case of Jennie Finch and Cat Osterman(2014-08-12) Lobpries, Jami NicoleIn the context of human branding, athletes have become viable brands capable of providing empirical support for scholarly and industry endeavors. To add to our conceptual understanding of athlete branding and particularly in the context of female athletes, this qualitative case study investigated the brand identity creation and brand building strategies used by two female athletes, Jennie Finch and Cat Osterman, and their management teams to leverage their brand equity. Further, due to the gendered nature of sport, this case study assessed the perceived barriers female athletes face in the brand building process. Guided by brand identity theory and social role theory, interviews were conducted with Finch, Osterman, three female agents who manage female athletes? brands, and four softball players from various levels of the softball community. Findings from this case study provide empirical support for using brand identity theory to assess the creation of an athlete?s brand identity and strategies for positioning, communicating, and leveraging the athlete?s brand. Themes shaping brand identity creation included identifying core values, brand personality, and brand associations. Brand building strategies included positioning the brand, communicating the brand?s message, leveraging the brand?s equity, creating a unique selling proposition (USP), and brand longevity. Additionally, barriers identified specific to female athletes? branding included an athlete?s performance is only part of the package, ban bossy female athletes, lack of consistent visibility, lack of strong brand associations in women?s sports, lack of assistance or guidance in managing a female athlete?s brand, and breaking barriers included strategies for overcoming barriers. A discussion examining the two cases of Finch and Osterman in the broader context of athlete branding is provided with support from extant literature on brand identity and branding literature. Finally, the academic and practitioner implications of this case study are provided as well as the limitations of this case study and suggestions for future research and practice.Item The influence of adult attachment style and advertising appeals on consumer brand attachment and measures of advertising effectiveness(2015-12) Flowers, Jason Jerome; Atkinson, Lucinda; Ballard, Dawna; Cicchirillo, Vincent; Stout, Patricia; Thomas, KevinThe relationship consumers form with products and brands is well researched. Products provide consumers with a way to create a sense of stability, comfort and expression and can serve as an actual or psychological extension of the consumer. The theoretical idea that consumers form relationships with brands that often mimic interpersonal relationships is the foundational assumption this dissertation operates under. The common thread that ties various transitions of branding scholarship together is the notion of attachment. In the domain of consumer behavior, current research that examines attachment fails to address the impact advertising plays in the effective communication of brand messages. The purpose of this research is to further examine the role advertising plays in the formation of consumer emotional brand attachment. But specifically, this research examines how various types of advertising appeals and adult attachment interact to influence advertising effectiveness. Two studies were conducted. Study 1 examined the impact of adult attachment and one advertising appeal on participants’ emotional attachment to a brand that was perceived to have a sincere personality. Also, participants were asked to rate the effectiveness of the ad by reporting their attitude toward the ad, attitude toward the brand and purchase intention. Study 2 further examined the anxiety dimension of attachment by looking at the affects of secure and preoccupied attachment styles and two advertising appeals. The study sought to understand how participants with varying levels of anxiety coupled with seeing two advertising appeals would report their emotional brand attachment and their perception of the advertisement shown. Overall, this research seeks to bring attention to the importance of the role attachment and advertising play in fulfilling consumers’ needs. Consumers with different attachment styles often have different consumption goals that need to be taken into account when trying to craft effective strategic communications that help build strong consumer brand relationships.Item Neuromarketing : an essential tool in the future of advertising and brand development(2016-05) Hilderbrand, Miranda L; Eastin, Matthew S; Cicchirillo, Vincent JThis research is designed to explore the future role of neuromarketing in advertising and brand development. To understand its necessity, the research will begin with an in-depth review on what is meant by advertising and branding. Once there is an understanding of these industries, the research will look at the field of neuromarketing – a history of the industry, an explanation of the common research methods that it employs, and an understanding of how neuromarketing can assist in advertising research and brand development. To gain knowledge on the potential future of neuromarketing, a qualitative study was done through a series of in-depth interviews with professionals who have practical uses for neuromarketing in their respective fields. This research is concluded with a summary the current state of neuromarketing, and a discussion on what needs to be done as the industry moves forward.Item New media communication in education(2012-06) Livingston, Kat; Bichard, Shannon; Baake, Ken; Stoker, KevinResearch and teaching are the crossroads at which higher education exists. Great scholar-researchers in the field understand that new media communication in education is a very fluid area of study, rich with opportunities to glean context and insight in every interaction. This project evaluates the learning processes and experiences that took place in my pursuit of a Master of Science in the interdisciplinary studies of new media communication in education. The research included in this portfolio is a reflection of my growth and development as a professional scholar. The content provides an assessment of the academic work I completed, and a means for self-examination and exploration. The papers within this portfolio draw attention to research and literature related to different elements within the realm of Mass Communications, Educational Instructional Technology, Technical Communication and Rhetoric, and Educational Psychology. The content, research, and subject matter seek to explore various concepts and challenges within these four areas of study. Additionally, this research provides a bridge of understanding in regards to the role of new media communication in education, and analyzes the relationship and connectedness of new media and instructional learning. In the study and exploration of these areas of interest, I was able to gain great focus on a research agenda that concentrates on generating research pertaining to the psychological effects of new media on teachers and students, and how these areas work together to better pedagogy and instruction in education. In analyzing the various issues surrounding Mass Communications, Educational Instructional Technology, Technical Communication and Rhetoric, and Educational Psychology, I was able to develop a greater understanding of the world and a foundation upon which my interest in higher education is built.Item The niche network : gender, genre, and the CW brand(2013-05) Lausch, Kayti Adaire; Beltrán, MaryIn 2006, the merger of the WB and UPN broadcast networks created a new network, the CW. As the fifth major broadcast network, the CW occupies an interesting, hybrid space within the television industry. The CW behaves like a cable channel, yet it usually receives the coverage of a broadcast network. Its target audience is women ages 18 to 34, an extremely small target demographic by any standards. Despite its unique status with the television industry, the CW remains woefully under-studied. This project aims first to provide a context for the CW moment and compare the network's trajectory with that of its predecessors in order to illuminate the myriad of changes that have occurred in the media industries. This project considers how the CW's branding strategies shape perceptions of the network, how the CW brand is produced and how the network's branding practices demonstrate an investment in postfeminism. In order to analyze the CW's branding, this paper examines the network's promotional materials and other paratexts, focusing primarily on print ads, since they are the most circulated. This project also asks how the CW constructs its audience in this age of postfeminism. In order to expose the contradictions and assumptions that underpin the network's project of audience construction, this paper considers both statements from network executives and the network's penchant for reviving 1990s programs with nostalgic appeal. Finally, this paper considers how the category of the "CW show" functions as a genre, and, through textual and narrative analysis, how that genre works to limit the possibilities for female representation on the network. This analysis draws attention to the complicated ways that postfeminist ideas are integrated into young women's programming today, and how conversations about female audiences have changed in the last twenty years. This project draws attention to an as-yet-unstudied site dominated by what Rosalind Gill calls the "postfeminist sensibility" (148).Item The prop metaphor : how consumers and socially-visible brands connect(2011-05) Schulz, Heather Marie; Stout, Patricia A.; Drumwright, Minette; Eastin, Matthew; Maxwell, Madeline; Falbo, ToniPost-purchase consumer behavior is an area of consumer research that is underdeveloped. One new phenomenon that can be used to study post-purchase consumer behavior is the individual behavior related to “socially-visible brands.” A socially-visible brand (SVB) is a brand located on or near a person’s physical body while they are out in the public atmosphere. Understanding consumers’ use of their socially-visible brands sheds light onto this form of post-purchase behavior. From a theoretical standpoint, impression management theory from the field of social psychology and consumer culture theory from the field of consumer research were juxtaposed and applied to the topic of socially-visible brands. An organizing framework is presented which adapts the dramaturgical concepts from impression management theory to the field of consumer behavior. Two studies are then presented which look at consumer behavior through this organizing framework. Study one delves into the consumer culture surrounding consumer behavior associated with socially-visible brands. Study two shows how market segmentation factors predict consumer behaviors associated with socially-visible brands. The overall argument being made here that socially-visible brands are a “prop” or tool consumers use during their presentation of self to others.Item Responsible coffee requires responsible marketing : the 2013 marketing plan for Big Bend Coffee Roasters(2012-12) Williams, Joe Espy; Wilcox, Gary B.; Stout, PatriciaBig Bend Coffee Roasters (BBCR) is a small business in Marfa, Texas offering high quality, Fair Trade and organic coffee. Primarily, the business operates as a wholesale roaster catering to small-to-medium size coffee shops across the country, but primarily in the Texas region. While the wholesale business is the core business model of BBCR, the company would like to pursue retail sales online. Currently, there is no marketing plan in place. This report is a one-year marketing plan incorporating the entire 2013 strategy and implementation with the following goals: 1) raise brand awareness in Texas, and 2) increase retail sales of BBCR coffee and products.Item Strategic communication issues for nonprofits : targeting donors, utilizing new media, and planning for crises(2012-12) Garcia, Lauren Elizabeth; Drumwright, Minette E.; Eastin, MatthewThe purpose of this paper is to examine the growing nonprofit sector in the marketplace and the challenges and opportunities involved with attracting and maintaining donor relations and charitable giving. Nonprofit organizations have a number challenges relating to marketing and communications but I have chosen to focus on three dominant areas: targeting donors for support and greatly needed funds, the use of emerging media tools, and crisis management. These issues have a significant impact on an organization’s ability to effectively communicate their brand as compelling to their public. First, I will briefly go over the branding process and what makes a nonprofit brand so unique. I will discuss the target market of donors, the importance of understanding them and their mindset, and finally provide some variables that relate to successful recruiting and maintaining of those relations. Additionally, my research will cover not only methods that could best attract donors but also why many nonprofits do not have marketing or communications plans in place already and the consequences for such a choice. Following that research, I will go into the actual marketing and communication tactics that can be used, not only through traditional but also in new or emerging media communications. Then, I will transition into research of crisis management, linking to the necessity of implementation of marketing plans and the consequences that can occur when nonprofits deal with crises ineffectively. Based on the research, I will conclude my own set of guidelines for how nonprofits should proceed should they want to be successful in a competitive marketplace.Item Understanding consumers’ responses to spiritual advertising(2010-12) Marmor-Lavie, Galit; Stout, Patricia A.; Lee, Wei-Na; Drumwright, Minette; McCombs, Maxwell; Abzug, Robert H.This dissertation sets out to advance the field of spirituality and advertising. It first discusses --the Spirituality in Advertising Framework (SAF) -- used as a platform for research of spirituality and advertising. Next, it explains how the SAF is used to study the spiritual message in advertising. These previous advancements have led to the main study of the current dissertation, which focuses on consumers and their reactions to spiritually-dense commercials (which are television ads rife with spiritual themes). Twenty nine semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with students from three different types of student organizations (New Age, religious and Sports), at the University of Texas at Austin. Three main areas of findings were suggested: the presence of spiritual themes in the commercials, the personal meaning participants derive from the commercials and some relevant advertising/branding issues. It was found that participants not only captured the SAF spiritual ideas, but also offered some new themes, including hope, embracing life, destiny vs. free will and the concept of a Higher Power. Moreover, it was revealed that the use of nature, a strong human factor and inspiring ideas in the commercials elicited the most meaningful reactions from participants. The final set of findings, which focused on advertising and branding issues, revealed the following points: 1) authenticity is a major construct in the field of spiritual advertising; 2) more so than the other groups, the New Age group tends towards predispositional skepticism of advertising; 3) the spiritual message created a boomerang effect under certain conditions; 4) the spiritual message triggered questions about brand identity and personal identity of the consumers; and 5) only certain product categories mesh with a spiritual message. Finally, the dissertation ends with implications for practice that could potentially change the face of the advertising industry.