Our OSP CSPs are the online presence of former Manchester Utd and England footballer Marcus Rashford and celebrity influencer Kim Kardashian.
These are in-depth CSPs so we need to study all four areas of the theoretical framework: Language, Industry, Audience and Representation. This first case study will focus on Language and Representation.
Who is he? Marcus Rashford
Footballer
A Premier League and international footballer, widely praised for his very effective use of social media.
Campaigner
Uses his platform for food poverty, homelessness and books-for-children campaigns - and has influenced government policy.
Brand
Endorses products and is sought after by brands; his official website covers both his football and his campaigning.
KEY INFO: His focus is mainly his football career now - reportedly after criticism of players focusing more on off the pitch actions.
Why study him? Marcus Rashford
1. 'Effective use' of social media
A model example of an influencer who uses platforms expertly and purposefully.
2. Real-world impact
Influenced government policy (e.g. free school meals) and mobilised companies and individuals.
3. Industry & regulation
Shows how platforms profit and why brands (Burberry, Aldi, Nike, Tesco) want to associate with him.
4. Activism, not just profit
He directs most effort to good causes rather than commercial gain - unusual for an influencer.
5. Rich representation issues
Gender, ethnicity, age, class - a young Black working-class man as role model and campaigner.
6. A contrast to study
A useful contrast with Kim Kardashian's more commercial, materialistic online presence.
Media Language
HOW meaning is made: codes, conventions, semiotics. Main focus = His official WEBSITE.
Genre and narrative
Marcus Rashford has created a strong personal brand that merges different genres – footballer, campaigner / activist, influencer, celebrity.
His online presence emphasises his working class background and how hard his mum worked as a single parent. This creates a narrative of success against the odds. He then uses this to drive his campaigning work on food poverty and reading.
Media Industries
HOW his platforms are made, owned, funded and regulated.
Marcus Rashford net worth
Marcus Rashford’s net worth has been estimated at around £16m (source: Sunday Times rich list). This includes:
- £300,000 per week from Manchester United (£15.6m a year)
- £2m endorsement deal with Nike
- Additional deals with Burberry, Jaguar Land Rover, Coca-Cola and others
He is also the youngest person to top the Sunday Times Giving List for raising £20m for good causes.
Media Audiences
WHO are his platforms for, why they use it, how they read it.
Target audience: demographics and psychographics
What is the target audience for two CSPs?
- Demographics: CAGE?
- Psychographics?
Audience engagement
Instagram engagement rate is a measure of how much audiences engage with posts (e.g. likes, comments). An engagement rate of 1-3% is considered good and anything 6%+ is extremely high.
Marcus Rashford’s power as an influencer is shown by his engagement rate of 4.03% (although this has dropped and risen over time due to increasing his follower count and focusing more on football rather than his brand development).
What is the appeal of Marcus Rashford audiences? Think about their campaigns, use of social media and brand associations. Also, consider their appeal to different audiences.
Use Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory:
- Diversion
- Personal Identity
- Personal Relationships
- Surveillance/information
Media Representations
WHO/WHAT is shown and how: selection, construction, mediation.
Marcus Rashford’s online presence offers a real mix of representations – some reinforcing stereotypes of masculinity, footballers and race/ethnicity but others subverting them. He also looks to challenge stereotypes regarding poverty, benefits and social class.
Use Daniel Chandler’s representation theory of CAGE to analyse representations in the media. Here's an example for Marcus Rashford’s online presence:
C – Class (social class – working class people)
A – Age (youth)
G – Gender (masculinity)
E – Ethnicity (black British)
Glossary Terms:
Technical Codes - Design and image choices: photography, colour, layout, typography, video.
Genre Conventions - Expected ingredients of a personal/official website and of social platforms (menus, feeds, captions).
Semiotics - Reading signs: denotation (what we literally see) and connotation (what it suggests).
Convergence - When two or more media forms can be accessed in one place or one device e.g Marcus Rashford’s website also links to his books, social media feeds and video content.
Online engagement/dialogue - Communication online e.g between a celebrity and a fan.
Endorsement - When a celebrity or influential figure recommends something to the public.
Blog Tasks:
Context:
1. Open his official website (marcusrashfordofficial.com). Find ONE thing that is about FOOTBALL and ONE thing that is
about CAMPAIGNING. What does this balance suggest about his brand priorities?
Language:
Analyse the website (or a page of it) using the
denotation/connotation method, then judge its coherence.
1. Write 3 things you
DENOTE (literally see).
2. For each, write
what it CONNOTES (suggests).
3. Identify ONE
technical code and ONE genre (website) feature.
4. Judge: Is the site
'bitty' or 'well-integrated and coherent'? Why - and what does that say about
his brand?
5. Describe 3 differences between his website and his Instagram/Twitter (look / content / purpose).
6. How does Marcus Rashford's online presence use the narrative of his childhood upbringing to create a positive brand identity?
Industry:
Imagine a brand (e.g. Burberry or Aldi) is deciding whether to pay Marcus Rashford to promote its products. Build the case.
1. List 3 reasons it is in the brand's interest to associate with him.
2. Explain HOW social media is used to make the association.
3. Identify ONE risk to the brand if it goes wrong.
4. Decide: would you advise the brand to go ahead? Justify.
5. Investigate ONE brand linked with Rashford (Burberry, Aldi, Nike or Tesco). Why does that brand benefit from associating with him, and how is social media used to make the link?
Audience:
Take one of his campaign posts and write all THREE readings of it.
1. Preferred: what does he want you to think and do?
2. Negotiated: where might a follower half-agree?
3. Oppositional: how might a critic reject it?
4. Which Uses & Gratifications need does this post serve best? Why do you believe this?
5. Explain how his website's mode of address (style) speaks to BOTH football fans and campaign supporters.
Representation:
Choose a post/page
from Rashford’s website (himself, a campaign, or fans).
1. Selection: what is
shown? What is left out?
2. Construction:
which media-language choices (Mise-en-scene, camera shots/angles, etc) build the representation?
3. Stereotype check:
positive, negative, or challenging a stereotype? (Consider stereotypes on all of CAGE) Justify.
4. Describe one way he is represented positively and one
stereotype he challenges.
5. Evaluate: 'Rashford's online presence challenges negative
stereotypes.' How far do you agree?
Challenge: Analyse how Marcus Rashford’s online presence has been constructed to create a positive representation of the footballer. (6 Marks)
