EMILY WININGER
HONORS THESIS
Below you will see a timeline of my honors thesis process - from the idea to the research to the defense and a guest blog post I wrote about the process. You will also find the complete title of my honors thesis and its abstract. Copies of my thesis are available upon request.
electronic-word-of-mouth: a content analysis of southwestern united states luxury hotels and resorts
ABSTRACT - Social media has quickly become a dominant tool for businesses across all sectors due to its two-way communication capabilities. Previous research has suggested that companies should be engaging in authentic dialogue with its audience members. For the hospitality and travel industry it is crucial to have vibrant imagery on social media channels and it also vital to monitor and promote user-generated content and electronic-word-of-mouth. These elements were observed for six luxury hotels and resorts in the Southwestern United States over the course of a month on Facebook, Twitter and TripAdvisor. In addition, three two-part electronic-questionnaires were administered to three of the six luxury hotels and resorts to determine industry perspectives on these subjects and to serve as a comparison of social media tactics in this sector. Every company used imagery on Facebook, which was used predominately as an advertising vehicle. Although Twitter included some imagery it was predominately a vehicle used for dialogue between the luxury properties and other users. Three crisis responses via social media were also observed. Later research may choose to include more analytic-based research and examine other platforms.
BLOgs
Click on the picture to read the full post.
BARRETT UNSCRIPTED
Because "Barrett Unscripted" changes each year, these posts are no longer available online. Copies of these posts are available upon request.
Timeline
 The Idea...It all began when The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas tweeted me back, followed me back and treated me like a friend via Twitter. |  Relevant TrendsReport finds more affluent travelers than ever, and most are women. "Who's Sleeping With You: A Detailed Look at the US Online Hotel Guest" finds 4 out of 10 travelers are between the ages of 18 and 36. |
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 The Resorts are ChosenAward-winning Forbes Travel Guide and AAA Diamond hotels and resorts are chosen across the Southwest. They include: - The Beverly Hills Hotel - Montage Beverly Hills - ARIA Resort & Casino - The Venetian Las Vegas - The Phoenician - The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician - Fairmont Scottsdale Princess |  The Research BeginsA comprehensive literature review of relevant articles containing information on: electronic-word-of-mouth, user-generated content, luxury branding, authentic dialogue and crisis communication is completed. |
 Content Analysis CommencesThe TripAdvisor, Facebook and Twitter social media channels are monitored for a month. |  Social Media Interviews StartThroughout the process I had the privilege of working with the social media teams of The Beverly Hills Hotel, ARIA Resort & Casino, The Phoenician and The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician |
 UGC PMMBy adapting Hvass and Munar's (2012) user-generated content promotional marketing mix definitions, I was able to code Facebook and Twitter. |  Results are in...The study finds Twitter is predominately used as a channel for authentic dialogue whereas Facebook is used for advertising |
 The Thesis is Written93 pages, 50+ hours of show tunes and one-week of all nighters later and the paper is turned in for review. |  The Defense HappensOn April 2, 2014 I will defend my thesis before my academic committee. |
 Barrett GraduationIf the defense is approved... |