Date of Award

Spring 5-10-2012

Degree Type

Honors College Thesis

Department

Mass Communication and Journalism

First Advisor

Fei Xue

Advisor Department

Mass Communication and Journalism

Abstract

Advertising is at the core of the human experience. An ever-present facet in the life of every person, Advertising provides an excellent opportunity to transmit valuable information to audiences that normally would not be exposed to the desired message. At The University of Southern Mississippi, the university administration desired to educate students about the values and benefits of environmentally conscious decision-making. With this goal in mind, the university created the “EcoEagle” advertising campaign, a targeted approach designed to engage students through a variety of advertising media, with the desired end result of a more environmentally conscious student body. Now several years into the program, this study seeks to identify the effectiveness of the EcoEagle program, as well as the progress of the students affected by the current advertising. Using a basic survey method that examines a variety of exposure metrics, this study finds that many students were positively affected by the advertising campaign. Even more significantly, this study found that many students were unable to pinpoint a single source of advertising that influenced them until asked in a different way, representing an interesting advertisement impression. Final results indicated that posted campus advertisements were the most effective vehicles for information, even when not directly recalled. Data also suggested that on-campus students were more likely to encounter these materials and respond, as opposed to commuter students who were largely only exposed to email communications.

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