Fletcher Library at the West Campus
COM 320 : Consumerism
| Professor: | Sharon Kirsch , Lecturer and Internship Director, Communication Studies |
| Librarians: | deg farrelly, Liaison to Communication Studies |
| Allison Leaming, Liaison to School of Global Management and Leadership |
Assignment and Overview
Reference Books
Reserve Books
Who's Buying Series
Other books in the ASU Libraries collections
Online Resources
Finding Journal Articles
Finding Videos and Images
Additional Assistance
Using The Sneaker Book as a model, you will trace the history, manufacturing, distribution, marketing and advertising of a single product. Your research, analysis and evaluation will be presented in both a paper (7-10 pages) and a poster session.
This assignment consists of different components: Product History, Product Analysis, Manufacturing/Distribution, Marketing and Advertising, and your Presentation/Poster Session. Review the assignment description provided by Dr. Kirsch for the specific details around each of these components.
Overview
This course page provides information on specific resources that can assist you in the completion of the assignment. It is not exhaustive. Additionally, the resources listed here may not contain information specific to the product you analyze. Many other resources in the ASU Libraries' collections, including materials in the library collections on ASU's Tempe, Polytechnic, and Downtown campuses may provide information that will help you complete the assignments.
The following Fletcher Library Reference Books provide information useful to this assignment.
The Advertising Age Encyclopedia of Advertising
Call Number - HF 5803 .A38
Best Customers : Demographics of Consumer Demand
Call Number - HC 79.C6 B45
Brandnames : Who Owns What
Call Number - T 12 .F72
Brands and Their Companies
Call Number - T 223 .V4 A22
Encyclopedia of Consumer Brands
Call Number - HF 5415.3 .E527
Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns
Call Number - HF 5837 .E53
How Products are Made
Call Number - TS 183. H69x
(See also online version, listed below)
International Directory of Company Histories
Call Number - HD 2721.I63
Lifestyle Market Analyst
Call Number - HF 5415.33 .U6 L54
Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America
Call Number -
TX 349 .E45
The following materials are available on Reserve at the Fletcher Library Circulation Desk:
Controversies in Contemporary Advertising
Call Number - HF5823 .S4854
Lifestyle Market Segmentation
Call Number - HF5415.127 .M53
Lifestyle Marketing: Reaching the New American Consumer
Call Number -
HF5415.127 .M535 2003
"100 Leading National Advertisers". Advertising Age, Special Report, June 26, 2006.
(also available online here through Communication & Mass Media Complete).
Who's Buying Series (Hayden Library Reference Collection)
The Who's Buying series of publications by New Strategist pulls together data culled from numerous government and industry statistical sources, to provide a snapshot of spending habits by demographics and type of product. These titles are in the Reference collection in Hayden Library on ASU's Tempe campus. Call numbers vary by title.
Alcoholic and Nonalcoholic Beverages
Apparel
at Restaurants and Carry-Outs
By Race and Hispanic Origin
Entertainment
Executive Summary of Household Spending
For Pets
For Travel
Groceries
Health Care
Household Furnishings, Service, and Supplies
Information Products and Services
Transportation
Other books in the ASU Libraries collections
Use the ASU Libraries Online catalog to search for other books specific to your topic.
Useful terms for searching the catalog (as well as other resources) include:
| Company name | for example: | McDonald's |
| Company founder | for example: | Ray Kroc |
| Industry key concept | for example: | fast food restaurants |
Related Keyword concepts combined
|
for example: | marketing AND franchises |
Hoover's Online
Public, private, and international companies are described in readable company profiles. Includes competitors, company financials include private companies, industry surveys and rankings, biographies. Links to news articles and annual reports.
Company and Industry Web Pages
Links from company, industry, and association webpages can provide additional information on your product. Locate the address of company web pages through Hoover's Online. To identify professional, trade, and consumer organizations use Associations Unlimited.
Associations Unlimited
Provides detailed descriptions of nonprofit membership organizations of international and U.S. national, regional, state and local scope or interest, including professional societies, trade associations, labor unions, cultural and religious organizations and other groups in all fields. Use "Subject/Any Word Search" to search by SIC codes and descriptions.
How Products are Made
Explains and details the manufacturing process of a wide variety of products. The site provides step by step descriptions of the assembly and manufacturing process, complemented with illustrations and diagrams. Also has related information such as background, how the item works, inventor(s), raw materials used, product applications, by-products, possible future developments, quality control procedures, etc.
Online version of How Products are Made listed above.
Many of the concepts this assignment requires you to explore can be located in journal articles. To find relevant journal, magazine, or newspaper articles start with these indexes:
Academic Search Premier
This is a general multi-disciplinary index that contains information from a wide range of areas, including business, social sciences, humanities, general academic, general science, education, multicultural, and general reference.
ABI/Inform Global Edition
Emphasizes scholarly research in business and management appearing in international business publications. Includes full text of Wall St. Journal.
Communication & Mass Media Complete
Provides quality research in areas related to communication and mass media. Indexes the industry journal "Advertising Age".
More indexes and databases are available from the ASU Libraries List of Resources
Finding Media and images to support your presentation
Finding Videos
Fletcher Library has an extensive video collection including numerous titles that address issues related to this assignment.
To find videos in the collection:
In the Library Catalog
- do a keyword search for your topic and add the word "videorecording"
Example: Wal-Mart and videorecording
OR - When viewing a list of search results, click on the
button, then under Material type select VIDEO/FILM
Finding Images
The Photographs and Digital Images page on the Fletcher Library website provides links and assistance for finding images.
- Fletcher Library Reference Desk - Can help with most questions and is open most hours the Fletcher Library is open
- deg.farrelly@asu.edu - Assistance by appointment - generally reply to e-mail within 24-48 hours
- Allison.Leaming@asu.edu - Assistance by appointment - generally reply to e-mail within 24-48 hours
- Ask a Librarian - 24-hour virtual reference service
