1,720,996 research outputs found
Organizational branding 101
No full textThe Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311
Steaks are high: COVID-19's impact on direct-to-consumer marketing in the Oklahoma beef industry
No full textJune 2020 retail beef prices were 25.1% higher than prices in June 2019 (USDA ERS, 2020). The strain of the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the beef industry encouraged some beef producers to try marketing their products directly to consumers, and for many consumers, the idea of buying beef products from a local source to meet their needs is appealing (Brown, 2020). Trust is an integral part of relations between producers and consumers and impacts consumer behavior. This study explored Oklahoma beef producers' perceptions of the changes that have occurred in direct-to-consumer marketing and consumer communications in the Oklahoma beef industry during the COVID-19 pandemic using semi-structured interviews. This study consisted of 16 participants found via snowball sampling. These participants were over 18 years old, managed a beef operation located in Oklahoma, and used one or more channels of direct marketing to sell beef products directly to consumers. Findings from this study indicate consumer interest in local beef products has increased, and so have beef sales for producers marketing direct-to-consumers. Harvest dates, freezer shortages, and up-front cost of bulk beef are all limiting factors associated with COVID-19 and inhibit producers from keeping up with demand. Some producers have relied on social media to foster meaningful communications with consumers, while others rely on word-of-mouth and high-quality beef products to sell themselves. Some producers stopped marketing their beef products entirely due to their inability to keep up with demand. Consumers came to producers because of decreased availability on grocery store shelves, and have become repeat customers due to increased levels of trust and interest in the "story behind the beef". Future research could explore consumer perceptions of beef producers during the COVID-19 pandemic to compare and assess the effectiveness of the communications between these two groups. Producers should acknowledge the impact fostering relationships with new customers, whether in face-to-face interactions or online, has had on the success of their business
External perceptions of the Oklahoma Youth Expo’s March 2020 COVID-19 response
No full textThis study evaluates the perceptions of Oklahoma agricultural education instructors, Extension agents, and parents of youth exhibiting at the 2020 Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE). The COVID pandemic caused the 2020 OYE to cancel early as the pandemic posed many challenges for ongoing events across the nation. The study evaluates perceptions of the event through the lens of crisis communication as it relates to brand reputation and crisis management. The study is guided by situational crisis communication theory and organizational crisis management theory. From this research, OYE’s brand reputation appears to have stayed intact throughout the 2020 crisis, and based on some responses, the OYE brand reputation may have gained more respect or value among agricultural education instructors, Extension agents, and parents of youth exhibiting at the 2020 OYE, strengthening their relationship with OYE’s brand reputation and brand loyalty
Consumer perceptions of food waste across the food supply chain: A Q methodology study
No full textIn the United States, approximately 40% of all food produced is never eaten ("Food Waste FAQs," n.d.). The issue of food waste has gained attention in the United States over the last decade (Collart & Interis, 2018; Neff et al., 2015). Much research exists regarding consumer beliefs about food waste in the latter half of the food supply chain - the retail and consumer sectors - but there is a gap in literature regarding consumer beliefs regarding the production, processing, and distribution sectors (Conrad & Blackstone, 2020; Roodhuyzen et al., 2017).Previous studies have provided a broad overview of consumer beliefs, attitudes, and motivations relative to food waste, but the nuances of those perspectives have yet to be identified, making Q methodology an ideal choice for this study. The 36-statement Q set described ideas about food waste across the food supply chain and were developed through a hybrid approach, drawing from both naturalistic and theoretical sources. Twenty consumers completed Q sorts, directed by the condition of instruction: "What are your thoughts about food waste?"The sorts were entered into the PQMethod software program. Principal components analysis and varimax rotation resulted in a three-factor solution. Data analysis, post-sort interviews, demographic questioning, and factor arrays were used to interpret the resulting factors. The factors were named the Reformers, the Individualists, and the Helpers.The Reformers perspective operates in big picture ideals. They can see change and believe it is within their grasp. They believe their actions make a true difference and want other sectors of the food supply chain to feel that way as well. Individualists are not that concerned about food waste. They don't see it affecting their lives and therefore don't have much desire to act. They believe actions have consequences and that every sector is responsible for their own. Helpers worry about how food waste affects them, and the people they know, on a personal level. They sympathize with producers and are cautious when it comes to what they allow themselves to waste
Untapped potential: The role Oklahoma craft breweries play in communities
No full textThe craft brewery scene in Oklahoma is quickly expanding. This nascent industry is creating an economic impact in both local and the state economies, but it also serves social purposes because craft breweries are locations where communities interact and engage. To better understand the brand of Oklahoma craft breweries with their communities, this study sought to understand how breweries establish their brand with respect to the communities they are in, and how community stakeholders perceive the brand of craft breweries within their communities. The brands of craft breweries in Oklahoma were examined through two studies using semi-structured interviews with 11 brewery personnel and 11 community leader participants. Branding showed up through local attachments, including neolocalism factors and place branding. Breweries should incorporate local ties in their branding to forge a sense of place, especially with the beers they distribute in gas stations and grocery stores. Oklahoma craft breweries are not marketing to the masses; they instead promote themselves through community engagements and events, which aids in community revival and the creation of sense of place. Word-of-mouth was attributed as the biggest factor of promotion. Moreover, this study demonstrated Oklahoma craft breweries exhibit third space characteristics. Third space locations are places where people are neither home or at work, and are locations where values and interests intersect to create a sense of identity and forge connections (Hickey, 2012). These characteristics include being a welcoming, local, inclusive location where people gather. Oklahoma craft breweries help create a quality of life aspect in their communities by being a venue were connections are made. This demonstrates Oklahoma craft breweries are venues where social capital is created. Social capital is present through the partnerships Oklahoma breweries have with other local business, their communities, and other craft breweries. Craft breweries and city leaders should recognize the difference craft breweries can make within communities through partnerships and being a third space location
Facebook Activity of Oklahoma Agritourism Operations
Full text linkAgritourism is an expanding industry in rural areas. Agritourism operators seek to efficiently market their operations and reach consumers far removed from agriculture. Social media serves a crucial role in tourism marketing; however, limited research exists on agritourism marketing to advise agritourism operators or those who advise agritourism operators. A quantitative content analysis was performed on 174 Oklahoman agritourism operation Facebook pages to describe posts, events, and business information created during the month of June 2018.Pages with at least one original post had more page likes than pages without. Amongst farm types, hunting agritourism operations had the lowest proportion of pages with at least one original post, while farm-to-table agritourism operations had the highest proportion. Number of reviews had a very strong relationship to total page likes, while other factors such as number of community and event posts had only a moderate relationship to page likes. Events were not frequent on Oklahoma agritourism Facebook pages, and overall page activity did not have a relationship with the number of people interested in going to events. Amongst original posts, posts created by the agritourism operator were most frequent, followed by posts shared from other sources. Pages with at least one live video or post about an event were most active. Hashtags were infrequently observed amongst Facebook posts, with limited consistency within individual pages or across multiple pages. Pages with an advertisement had more page likes than pages without advertisements.Recommendations to agritourism operators include encouraging agritourism visitors to create Facebook content, utilizing Facebook advertisements, and creating at least one original post. Additionally, agritourism operators should create a variety of types of original posts and utilize advertisements. Perhaps most important, agritourism operations should be wary of emphasizing quantity over quality in Facebook marketing. Future research should qualitatively describe Facebook pages and interview agritourism operators and visitors. Additionally, comparing Facebook data to "real life" data, such as business revenue/expense and number of visitors, could further measure the effective of various Facebook marketing practices
Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis and Application
Full text linkReview of Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis and Application (6th ed.
It's complicated: Exploring the co-creation of land-grant brand identity amongst faculty members at Oklahoma State University
Full text linkLand-grant institutions (LGIs) are tasked with providing accessible education to the common man and improving their quality of life. This study examined faculty members' awareness, perceptions, and interpretations of the land-grant mission at Oklahoma State University (OSU). Branding is the theoretical framework for this study. Faculty members are the primary deliverers university missions. Universities' effectiveness are often called into question by the public and funds continue to be reduced. Past studies have indicated some personnel are unaware of pieces of the land-grant mission. A strong brand presence increases the likelihood of a positive public image. Participants were recruited using a purposive sampling method. Eleven focus groups were conducted in the summer of 2020. The audio was transcribed and imported into MAXQDA20. The data were analyzed using Glaser's constant comparative method to identify themes, which were confirmed by assistant moderators. The data were triangulated using artifacts from OSU's website, faculty orientation materials, and a post-focus group questionnaire. All participants had heard about the land-grant mission, but not all had a grasp of what it meant. Participants were unsure if the public or students understood the land-grant mission. Participants had multiple definitions of the land-grant mission. Although the land-grant mission did not specifically influence which behaviors faculty members engaged in, it did seem to affect how faculty members worked. There was a general state of concern for the future. Participants did not mention Extension when asked about OSU. As university brands should be consistent with its missions, one could argue the internal branding of OSU could be improved. Results indicate a need to improve the internal understanding of the land-grant mission at OSU. Given the less than prolific understanding of the land-grant mission amongst faculty members, internal communication of the land-grant mission should improve. I suggest hosting an annual summit where faculty members could discuss their efforts related to the land-grant mission, network with colleagues from other colleges, and learn more about the land-grant mission in action. Future research should explore the internal brand of other LGIs. University staff, administration, and student perceptions of the land-grant mission should be explored
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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