Ugh, Hungry

Ugh, Hungry is a multimedia business that hopes to counter typical college eating habits by being a resource for creating fast, affordable and healthful eating. The founder drew on her experience as a student in both the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the Arizona State University School of Nutrition for a foundation for this project. The business was created within two semesters allotted for thesis study as directed by Barrett, the Honors College. Research of competitors, audience, and business creation was conducted in order to begin an entrepreneurial start-up. The corresponding website, ughhungry.com, is a collection of recipes directed toward healthy eating for a financially limited, or college lifestyle. Each recipe article contains an opening article, either a video or photographs, and a recipe. Business, journalism, and nutrition are combined to create a fully engaging experience that can expand and has potential to profit in the future. The thesis project that follows examines the steps, research, and process of creating a journalism-based online business. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the Ugh, Hungry model are analyzed. Nutrition research was used to examine the problem of college weight gain. Data analytics were deployed to research the site's potential audience. The paper closely analyzes key competitors, including BuzzFeed, The Dorm Room Diet, Spoon University, and Tastemade. Finally, a business proposal for future investors in Ugh, Hungry outlines the potential future of the business.