Joseph Belafonte

A review of the evolution of conventional word-of-mouth advertising, and how techniques have evolved along with modern day Web 2.0 culture.

Crowdfunding has recently become a popular method used by today’s entrepreneurs to gain funding for their projects, while avoiding risky bank loans. The leading crowdfunding platform in the United States, Kickstarter.com, will guide the research into this newly emerging area of study. A content analysis of the site will be performed to gain an understanding into the implications message framing has in determining the success or failure of Kickstarter campaigns. Additionally, the research will… Show more

Crowdfunding has recently become a popular method used by today’s entrepreneurs to gain funding for their projects, while avoiding risky bank loans. The leading crowdfunding platform in the United States, Kickstarter.com, will guide the research into this newly emerging area of study. A content analysis of the site will be performed to gain an understanding into the implications message framing has in determining the success or failure of Kickstarter campaigns. Additionally, the research will seek to uncover to what extent conditional cooperation has on influencing the amount of funding obtained by Kickstarter campaigns, resulting in their ultimate success or failure. Show less

With a rapid increase of product placement in past years, it has become necessary to further research its effects in determining brand attitude. This study measures the impact of saturation, awareness, and congruence of product placement levels have on adjusting brand attitudes. A sample of 160 San Diego State University students over the age of 18 was used for this study. Subjects viewed a video clip containing product placement, and subsequently answered a questionnaire. Results were not… Show more

With a rapid increase of product placement in past years, it has become necessary to further research its effects in determining brand attitude. This study measures the impact of saturation, awareness, and congruence of product placement levels have on adjusting brand attitudes. A sample of 160 San Diego State University students over the age of 18 was used for this study. Subjects viewed a video clip containing product placement, and subsequently answered a questionnaire. Results were not significant enough to impact existing theory, but indicate a need for further research in this area of study. Show less