Madison Allen ’18 grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and is currently a Junior at Clemson University. She is majoring in Marketing with a Minor in Sports Communications. She is currently the Chair of the Marketing Department Student Advisory Board, a member of Delta Sigma Pi, a member of the Business College’s Student Advisory Board, and a marketing intern for the Clemson Athletic Department. She also worked as a marketing intern for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, ECHL hockey team in Greenville, SC. After graduation, Madison plans to attend graduate school in pursuit of either a Masters of Sports and Entertainment or an MBA. After graduate school, she would like to work in the world of professional sports.

Madison’s interest in consumer experience was peaked because of her internships and exposure in her major classes -Consumer Behavior and Market Research. Being a researcher in this Qualitative Consumer Research Creative Inquiry has peaked her interest in pursuing more consumer related research. She is most interested in how to improve the sports experience through sponsorships and activations. This summer during her research, she hopes to determine what promotions have the biggest impact on people at music festivals and why these activations are retained by consumers.

Favorite Act(s) Live: Billy Idol, Van Halen, Hozier
Wish List: John Mayer, Gavin DeGraw
Fun Fact: I create playlists like scrapbooks! Anytime I find a favorite song, I put it in that year’s playlist.
Favorite Lyric: “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” -Semisonic

 

Erin Andrews is a Marketing major from Greenwich, CT. She transferred to Clemson from Penn State her junior year and says it was the best decision she’s ever made. To her, Clemson is a home away from home and she’s made memories and friendships that she’ll never forget. She is currently serving as the vice president of communications in her sorority, Sigma Kappa, interns with Clemson Tigers Sports Properties, and also serves as the public relations chair for the Clemson Marketing Student Advisory Board.

She’s interested in this Creative Inquiry because she’s excited to have the privilege of working with Anastasia and having an edge in the workplace with experience in qualitative research.

Favorite Act(s) Live: Jason Aldean, Kacey Musgraves, and Keith Urban
Wish List: Old Dominion, Kenny Chesney, and Shania Twain
Fun Fact: Erin’s dad played for the New England Patriots.
Favorite Lyric: “I live to love and laugh a lot and that’s all I need” – Kenny Chesney

 

Hannah Maisel is a sophomore at Clemson University pursuing a B.S. in Marketing and a minor in Political Science and plans to graduate in May 2018. After touring Clemson with a friend who was interested in agriculture, Hannah decided to apply on a whim. Later that year, she was accepted and decided to attend! Originally from Mobile, Alabama, Hannah knew only one person coming to Clemson who happened to be her next door neighbor.

Hannah currently works as the student assistant for the Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Almeda Jacks. She is also on Gamma Phi Beta’s Executive Council as the Financial Vice President. Additionally, Hannah has found a home in Clemson’s College of Business as a Chapman F. Leadership Scholar, an ILEAD! scholar, and the Teaching Assistant for Business 1010.

Hannah initially became interested in this Creative Inquiry after taking Consumer Behavior with Dr. Thyroff. Her love for understanding people and their cultures alike drives her interest in qualitative market research, and thus plans to pursue a graduate degree in Market Research after graduating from Clemson. Hannah also has a passion for music, so this research project was the perfect match for her!

Favorite Act(s): The Arctic Monkeys (go see them now!!) and Tom Petty
Wish List: Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Alt-j, The Civil Wars (RIP), John Mayer, Mumford and Sons, and Miley Cyrus
Fun Fact: I have a twin sister! No, we’re not identical, and she’s older by two minutes. I also play the ukulele!
Favorite Lyrics: “Where you invest your love, you invest your life” –  Mumford and Sons

 

Arianna McGuire is a Junior at Clemson University, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a minor in Psychology. Arianna is from Woodbridge, Virginia and decided to come to Clemson after visiting and feeling right at home. Currently, she is a brother of Delta Sigma Pi Professional Business Fraternity and had held the position of VP of Alumni Relations. This summer, Arianna is working as a brand marketing intern for Newell Brands. Arianna’s long term career goal is to work in the music industry for a music festival by helping plan and promote to consumers.

Arianna became more interested in qualitative research after taking Consumer Behavior, which shined a light on a part of marketing she had never heard of before. She loves how it combines marketing and psychology. Being on a research team has opened her eyes to the plethora of topics one can study, which has led to a heightened interest in qualitative research, specifically in the music industry.

Favorite Act(s): The Lumineers, The Weeknd, Oh Wonder
Wish List: Milky Chance, The Beatles (back in the day)
Fun Fact: I went to Lollapalooza in 2016!
Favorite Lyric: “I don’t care what’s in your hair, I just wanna know what on your mind / Use to say I wanna die before I’m old, but because of you I might think twice” -Twenty One Pilots

 

Melissa Nenninger is a junior marketing major and political science minor at Clemson University and will be graduating in May 2018. She is from Hartford, Connecticut and the story of choosing Clemson is a little out of the ordinary. She was deciding between three different schools, so her mom suggested a M&M catching contest and whatever one she caught in her mouth two out of three, she would go to. Clemson was the winner and still is (2016 Natty Champs!).

Melissa is currently the UPIC Business in Paris Intern for the College of Business Student Enrichment where she assists in coordinating study abroad programs after studying abroad in Paris the previous spring. She is also involved in the professional business fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi and sorority, Gamma Phi Beta, having held previous leadership positions in both. She is highly interested in the analytics side of marketing after taking Consumer Behavior with Anastasia Thyroff and completing two analytical focused internships. Pairing analytics with music is her perfect combination since she is an avid concert goer and tries to go to as many she can.

Wishlist act(s): Panic! at the Disco, George Strait, Adele, Billy Joel, Matchbox 20
Fun Fact: I learned all my 80’s/90’s music because my dad would quiz me on the way to school growing up.
Guilty Pleasure: I have a low-key obsession with Meatloaf and Bowling for Soup (okay, high-key)
Favorite lyric: “It’s such a fine and natural sight, Everybody’s dancing in the moonlight” – King Harvest

 

Lauren Stabler is a Sophomore Marketing and Spanish major at Clemson University. She was born and raised in the Philadelphia area but decided head south and come to Clemson after she toured for the first time and fell in love with the school. 

Lauren is currently a student intern with the Institute for Parks at Clemson; her internship allows her to use a variety of skills and platforms to market to the Institute’s research projects and capabilities and is teaching her so many new things about parks. She is also the social media chair for her sorority, Gamma Phi Beta. She enjoys being able to showcase her sisters and thinking up new and creative ways to use each social media platform. Throughout her time at Clemson, she hopes to determine which areas of marketing interest her the most and what she would like to pursue after graduation. 

After taking Consumer Behavior with Anastasia Thyroff in the fall of her sophomore year, Lauren became interested in learning how to conduct qualitative research. Lauren is especially excited to see how brands at Lollapalooza go about creating experiences for consumers and how effective those experiences are at influencing consumer behavior. She also hopes to explore what attracts people to Lollapalooza and what is essential to their experience there. 

 Favorite Act(s): Ed Sheeran, The Chainsmokers
Wish List: Florence and the Machine, X Ambassadors, The Weekend, Blink 182
Fun Fact: I was in the basket weaving club in middle school.
Favorite Lyric: “She needs wide open spaces, Room to make her big mistakes, She needs new faces. She knows the high stakes.” – The Dixie Chicks 

 

Anastasia Thyroff is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Clemson University. She is the instructor and lead researcher for the Qualitative Consumer Research Creative Inquiry. She received her M.M.R. from the University of Georgia and Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas.

Anastasia’s likes to research broad, macromarketing concepts within the contexts of technology, generosity, music, and sustainability.Her research has appeared in outlets including the Journal of Business Research and the Journal of Consumer Affairs. Some of her recent awards include: The SMA Best Paper in Conference Award (2013), The Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award (2012), and The JCA Best Article Award (2011).

Professor Thyroff attended her first music festival (H.O.R.D.E.music festival) in 1996 and has been fascinated with them ever since. Their recent growth and popularity over the last decade has made her passion for understanding and researching them stronger.  She is looking forward to researching the context with such a bright group of undergraduate students through Clemson’s Creative Inquiry program.

Favorite Act(s) Live: Pinback, Sufjan Stevens, Classixx, Album Leaf
Wish List: Say Hi, Volcano Choir, Daft Punk, Low Roar
Fun Fact: Growing up, I went to over 20 DMB concerts with my dad.
Favorite Lyric: “Growing up is for trees” – I’m from Barcelona

 

Robbie Fitzwater is the Director of Content and Social Strategy at Clemson and serves as the staff support member and project coordinator for the Qualitative Consumer Research Creative Inquiry.
Rather than participate in the lectures, Robbie works hard behind the scenes to make sure the CI is a success. Specifically, he helps manage and provide strategic direction for the course.

Robbie has two bachelors from the University of Arkansas and is currently completing his MBA from Clemson. Robbie has  years of experience working in digital marketing. He currently manages the universities content and social strategy. Prior to coming to Clemson he worked in Northwest Arkansas where he was able to work with brands such as The American Red Cross, Walmart, CBRE, Fleet Feet Inc., Moxy Ox Creative and Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport.  He also likes Coca-Cola, economics, sandwiches and the Kansas City Royals!

Favorite Act(s) Live: The Strokes, LCD SoundSystem, Cut Copy, Edward Sharpe
Wish List: Interpol, Decemberists
Fun Fact: Robbie was in the front row of a live recording of MTV’s TRL with Carson Daily in the early 2000s.
Favorite Lyric: “I’m losing my edge to the art-school Brooklynites in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered eighties.” – LCD Soundsystem