This research examined the language used by higher education development professionals, specifically similar and dissimilar tropes and how they shape the perception of those development professionals. By studying these linguistic devices, insight is provided into this particular occupation and the effects these devices have on perceptions and interpretation. The findings in this study could help to produce more skilled communicators in the field and could be used as a framework to study other professional positions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather data from twelve participants, and the data was then analyzed through thematic analysis. Findings revealed the types of metaphors used by higher education fundraisers and if and how they shaped their perceptions of the profession. Findings also showed what contradictions, paradoxes, and ironies are found in the field and if and how they shaped perceptions of the profession. This study applies theoretical aspects of organizational communication to the field of higher education development presenting new data. This study also provides practical implications for those currently in the field to consider.

In 2008, President Barack Obama was named Advertising Age’s marketer of the year, the first time a politician won such an award. While presidential candidates have always employed marketing tactics in order to communicate their platform and persuade voters to support them, candidate Obama’s marketing campaign completely revolutionized the field. Through an innovative marketing strategy, candidate Barack Obama transformed himself from a mere political unknown in 2004 to a worldwide sensation by the time the general election started in 2008. His calls for “hope and change” and “post-partisanship” captured the hearts of Americans frustrated with failed Bush policy and constant gridlock in Washington. His inspirational speeches and words inspired a nation ready for a fresh and modern leader prepared to tackle twenty-first century problems. And, his innovative use of online and social media tools allowed millions of supporters to easily get involved in the campaign, igniting a movement never seen before in American elections. This paper analyzes how Barack Obama transformed political campaign marketing, utilizing both traditional and new ways to communicate and engage with the masses. This is accomplished by first illustrating a general framework for political marketing. Then, I examine the history of political campaign marketing, with a special emphasis on how technology has transformed the field over time. Lastly, I analyze how online and social media tools helped Obama win the election and how the internet has transformed the nature of political elections.

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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) became known to the world when oil was discovered. Since that tine, the country has modernized and developed into one of the largest trading centers in the world. The purpose of this research is to identify companies in the UAE who are currently using public relations, and those that would benefit from its use. The objective is to provide marketing managers with the knowledge of the benefits of public relations and how it could be used to advantage in their marketing plans. Primary and secondary data was selected for the study. Primary data consisted of a survey undertaken by a questionnaire with forty managers of various organizations in the private and public sectors of the UAE to learn how public relations was being used in their marketing strategies, and how much they know about public relations. The results of the survey indicated that most marketing managers were knowledgeable about public relations, but would benefit from learning about how it could be used to greater advantage. It was proposed that seminars be conducted for marketing managers focused on how public relations could be used and the benefits to be derived from its use.

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This research aims to examine the logos of lifestyle brands and explore whether certain logo colors elicit a purchase response in consumers. Color Theory and Impression Management Theory are examined alongside the idea of this study. Two-hundred-nine United States residents 18 years of age and older who are not color blind or color deficient participated in a voluntary online survey where they were presented with several differently colored lifestyle brand logos and then prompted to choose which color of lifestyle brand logo would prompt them to purchase a product from the brand in question. The variables of gender, age and, favorite color were also examined in the survey. Results from Qualtrics Survey Software and SPSS showed that even though an individual chose a certain color as their favorite color, that favorite color was not always the color they chose when choosing the preferred color of a lifestyle brand logo.

Women’s subjugation to the objectification of men is a traced theme throughout the history of Western culture. In this thesis, the attributes of the male gaze will be explored via the patriarchal pioneers of literature: Dante to Petrarch to Shakespeare. The solidification of the male gaze takes place during the late middle ages as Dante Alighieri writes an infatuated love for Beatrice throughout La Vita Nuova and Inferno, demonstrating the virgin-whore dichotomy with Francesca. Similarly, Francesco Petrarch’s poetry of Rime Sparse describes the objectification and dismantling of woman for erotic pleasure and patriarchal power. The shift from early to late renaissance displays William Shakespeare’s presentation of women in Titus Andronicus, Othello, and Hamlet as a denunciation of women through the male gaze. These themes of patriarchy developed throughout historic literature will help us analyze media advertisements today as women are silenced, dismembered, and exhibited through the male gaze.

There is a common belief that the special situation one encounters in restrooms is likely to evoke negative associations between the setting and a potential product, and that these presumed associations make advertising in restrooms incompatible with the objectives of advertisers. This general proposition was questioned on theoretical grounds. It was argued that the specific situation in a restroom would be conducive to advertising goals in a number of ways. In addition, while negative associations may occur with certain kinds of products, others were hypothesized to be unaffected. In particular, the potential value of restrooms for communicating public education issues such as AIDS and Cholesterol was examined.

Largely developed as a professional occupation in the United States throughout the 20111 century, public relations now faces several changes and challenges as more American organizations venture onto the international landscape during the 21 st century. This study examined the evolution of public relations into an international practice, considering whether strategies and tactics are affected by cultural differences. The view that cultures can have an effect on the individual, communication processes and organizational practices is based on Hofstede's cultural dimensions. Palanca is a term used in Latin American societies, referring to the use of personal influence on one's behalf by relatives or friends. Guanxi, or personal connection, is a traditional practice of relationship marketing in the Chinese community. The literature review for the study examined the connection between cultural dimensions and this conceptualization of social networking in Latin America and China. The study investigated the effects of social networking on public relations practitioners in Latin America and China using a 15-item questionnaire conducted through email and telephone interviews. The analysis sought to determine how culturally-based social networking influences socialization, business practices, ethics and public relations strategies. The results for research question one indicated that palanca and guanxi were very similar in the cultural dimensions of individualism-collectivism and power distance; both are high collectivist and high power distance. They exhibited similarities related to uncertainty avoidance, though Latin America is high in uncertainty avoidance and China is medium. The two cultures differed along the dimensions of masculinity-femininity and long-term orientation. Research question two addressed business ethics related to culture. While practitioners did encounter ambiguous or unethical situations, their actions were largely dictated by the ethical standards and codes of their organizations. Research question three discussed public relations strategies and tactics. Public relations strategies were viewed as very similar to the U.S., regardless of where the respondents were based. Practitioners in both Latin America and China emphasized managing relationships as a vital component of public relations efforts. However, practitioners in China found media relations and the flow of communication to be underdeveloped in comparison to the U.S.