Browsing by Subject "Branding"
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Item Àjọ : a certification to promote Nigerian sustainable design(2019-08) Yussuff, Murktarat A.; Gorman, Carma; Walker, James, M.F.A.Why is there not more sustainable design in Nigeria? Despite being Africa’s Mecca of cultural production, and largest economy, Nigeria has the highest rates of poverty globally, along with some of the world’s worst waste issues, and is plagued by infrastructural and political challenges. Many Nigerian designers and NGOs have attempted to encourage sustainable design in Nigeria, but they have had only limited success because they have typically relied on Western models that are not a good fit with Nigerian infrastructures and culture(s). Addressing the challenge of sustainable design in Nigeria requires an incremental approach that is sensitive to Nigeria’s sociocultural and economic contexts, and that does not unrealistically expect Nigeria to change overnight. This approach must consider the limitations and challenges of the current context and find ways to encourage and support even modest gains in environmental, cultural, and social sustainability simultaneously. Àjọ is a sustainable design certification system that works toward that goal by showcasing and promoting Nigerian sustainable design. The platform takes its name from the Yoruba word àjọsepọ (to do together) and is inspired by the legacy of the grassroots cooperatives that Nigerians of the 1930s used in the face of structural obstacles in colonial Nigeria. The Àjọ certification system articulates sustainability standards for Nigeria that are not only environmentally but also culturally and socially appropriate.Item City Branding: An Austin Case Study(2020-05) Barakat, LinaGlobalization and changing power dynamics amongst nation-states has created new opportunities for smaller entities, like cities, to partake in international affairs and discussions. While global cities already have established economic and political roles on a global level, city leaders and stakeholders in emerging cities around the world have begun looking for ways to capitalize on their economic and political potential. One viable strategy for achieving this is city branding. The branding process helps highlight place-based attributes and collective experiences of people within the city in order to make a city more competitive while simultaneously creating a clear path forward. The city of Austin is a prime candidate for such a project because it is currently experiencing a crisis of identity at a critical growth point. After several years of rapid economic growth, city leaders and the stakeholders need to reassess the priorities and values of the city to ensure a clear path forward both at the local and global level. A city branding project would not only help contend with the competing visions that are found within the city but also help navigate the pitfalls created by such rapid growth. This thesis presents the tagline “In this Together” for Austin because not only does it help align stakeholders and local leaders under one prevailing idea, it also builds in the flexibility and innovation that has become emblematic of the city. It helps reframe the city’s priorities to ensure that the people are at the forefront because they ultimately ensure the legitimacy of the brand. Essentially, the idea here is that city branding can offer a framework within which important conversations can be had by city leaders and stakeholders about the priorities and values of a city and how those translate to real actions and change that happen at both the local and global level.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 Evaluating brand perceptions, attitudes and usage of Airbnb with the uses and gratifications framework(2020-06-22) Northfelt, Peter; Sciarrino, JoAnnAirbnb and many technology platforms disrupt markets with superior customer functionality and reduced friction. However, as these technology platforms evolve from disruption to mainstream providers, it is imperative for them to also move from being perceived as a “facilitator” brand to a “gratifier” brand in order to retain and grow brand advocates and loyal consumers. This study applies the well-known uses and gratifications theoretical framework, coupled with qualitative research, to explore and understand consumer perceptions of Airbnb within the facilitation/gratification spectrum. This study revealed that consumers in the Gen-Z and college target market perceive Airbnb as a facilitator brand, but have clear aspirations for the brand as a gratifier. Airbnb may build on this study to evaluate and evolve marketing communications to demonstrate tangible gratifications of the brand more meaningfully to consumersItem 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 Following the familiar : the effects of exposure and gender on follow intent and credibility of journalists on Twitter(2017-05-09) Boulter, Trent Royce; Coleman, Renita; Chen, Gina; Eastin, Matthew; Sylvie, George; West, KateThis dissertation examines the effect of mere exposure and journalists’ gender on the credibility and follow intent of journalists on Twitter. Through the use of controlled experiments it was found that both exposure and journalists’ gender does significantly impact the credibility and follow intent enjoyed by journalists. This indicates the need that practicing journalists have to strategically consider their level of activity on Twitter, and how it can be used to strengthen their position as an information source in the current media environment. Results also suggest that elaboration and credibility serves as mediators for the effects discovered. Also established was the perception of female journalists being more credible and having a higher likelihood of being adopted as an information source than their male counterparts. Future avenues of research are discussed.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 The niche network : gender, genre, and the CW brand(2013-05) Lausch, Kayti Adaire; Beltrán, Mary C.In 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 On content : busking in the digital age(2019-05) Brentlinger, Joseph Dee; Brummett, Barry, 1951-; Gunn, Joshua; Cherwitz, Richard; Boyle, CaseyThe dissertation scrutinizes media called “internet content” in order to uncover the richness of online communication today named digital busking. It offers the critic a method by which to understand issues surrounding online communicative forms. The method is blend of ethnographic research and experience, academic scholarship, and creativity. By using the methodology of crafting vignettes, the method identifies fives issues surrounding online communication that are worthy of note. The issues are divided into categories. The five categories are: 1) The New Sophist, comprising issues regarding the speaker in communication; 2) The Reconfiguration, comprising issues surrounding the effects of speech; 3) Nodal Hubs, which comprises issues surrounding the environment and circumstances surrounding online communication; 4) Branding, which comprises issues surrounding literacy and online communication; and Interpellation, which is a category comprising issues regarding the ritualistic aspects of human communication. The argument of the dissertation can be summed up simply: The meaning is the method.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 The Brand Identity Pyramid : a theoretical model to predict brand success and failure(2021-04-30) Wooden, Jourdan Kenneth; Cunningham, Isabella C. M.The visual aspects of a brand are a powerful communicator. Researchers have spent years investigating the power of suggestion of colors, type-faces, logos, and images in general. Brands depend on visual cues to communicate with consumers in general. The visual aspect of a brand is an integral part of the brand identity, but still only one part of a whole. Visual branding should reflect the strategic goals of the brand and should reinforce the values, principles, and story on which a brand stands. This thesis proposes a theoretical model developed to predict the success of a brand and to provide guidelines for strategists and designers. The Brand Identity Pyramid is based on theoretical principles already explored by researchers combined in a predictive model. Practitioners agree that brand is a reflection of a company, product, or service as the customer sees it; however, most existing models approach brand from the orientation of the strategists or graphic designers. The Brand Identity Pyramid approaches from the perspective of consumer psychology, and was developed after researching the development and market acceptance of a number of brands through the case study method. Further, the validity of the model was tested through the analysis of three case studies. This thesis describes the Brand Identity Pyramid, its theoretical foundations, and proposes the future effectiveness of the model in developing a brand identity congruent with that brand’s strategic goals.Item The mutated Chechen identity : “Akhmat Sila!” the significance of a slogan and its proliferation in the digital and physical space(2021-05-03) Laznovsky, Nicholas Scott; Sidorkina, Maria A.Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov has reshaped Chechen society to his ideal image. After two wars that made the city a living hell and an insurgency that was not cleared until the beginning of the last decade, Putin’s policy of Chechenisation that started in 2000 with the late Akmad-Hadji, has started to resemble a perceived peace. This peace provided the region’s inhabitants a sense of security and produces world-class sport fighters, catapulting young Chechen men and sometimes women up the social ladder. Despite the human-rights violations and accusations of funneling fighters to employment in the local armed forces, Kadyrov has been able to shape the image of the ideal Chechen man and simultaneously, reaffirm his power with a slogan, Akhmat-Sila. This slogan be heard in various mediums to the point of proliferation. This thesis will use a historical-digital ethnographic approach with a theoretical framework of nation branding to explain the shifts in Chechen identity and the slogan Akhmat-Sila, providing a background on how Chechen warrior culture and the patronage that gives the slogan agency now. The slogan will be examined on Instagram and supporting media sources. Chapter 1 dives into the Caucasus imaginary and history of Tsarist Russia, leading into the two Chechen Wars and years after. Chapter 2 will expand on the current research of Ramzan Kadyrov and his social media use, parsing out themes found in his Instagram account. Chapter 3 will focus on the theoretical framework that will support the qualitative approach for the phenomenon of the slogan. Chapter 4 will narrate the findings of the data, developing into a conclusion.Item To all the audiences I’ve tweeted to before : Netflix, teen girls, and social media marketing(2020-08-11) Vidolova, Latina Sabinova; Perren, AlisaIn the late 2010s, Netflix assembled a significant collection of teen-centric media on its service, which it extensively promoted on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. This thesis examines Netflix’s relationship with teen audiences as framed in the social media marketing materials for 13 Reasons Why (2017–2020) and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018), as well as in the service’s intra-industrial communication and engagements with press from 2016 to 2020. Illustrating how Netflix echoed The CW and Freeform’s earlier pursuit of teen viewers, this study highlights the continuities in marketing strategies between emergent streaming services and legacy niche networks. On social media accounts dedicated to targeting young women, Netflix focused on fashion and beauty, boys, and female role models. The teen femininities Netflix promoted most heavily were straight, white, and thin. On other accounts, Netflix’s marketing efforts centered parents or older women instead of teens as key viewers of its teen shows and movies. The different modes of address Netflix cultivated point to social media services as valuable sites through which to examine how Netflix constructs audience segments. Furthermore, Netflix’s social media strategies marked a shift in brand promotion from selling a lifestyle to addressing audiences as a friend.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.