OSP: Rashford & Kardashian - Audience and Industry

 Audience

1) Who are the potential target audiences for Marcus Rashford and Kim Kardashian's online content? Try and cover both demographics and psychographics.

Marcus Rashford's audience includes demographics like young people, football fans, and supporters of social causes, while Kim Kardashian targets demographics like fashion-conscious individuals, aspiring entrepreneurs, and followers of pop culture and beauty. Psychographically, Rashford appeals to those who value social justice, personal growth, and sports, while Kardashian attracts those who seek entertainment, lifestyle inspiration, and are interested in celebrity culture and entrepreneurship. 

2) Marcus Rashford’s online presence is partly driven by his excellent use of social media. How does he use social media to engage with his fans and make them feel part of his brand?

Marcus Rashford engages his fans and makes them feel part of his brand by being authentic and using his social media platforms to discuss important social issues, such as child food poverty and racism. He provides clear calls to action for his followers to get involved, and consistently uses his own personal experiences and relatable language to connect with a diverse audience, creating a sense of shared purpose. 

3) What is Instagram engagement rate and what engagement rates do Marcus Rashford and Kim Kardashian have? 

Marcus Rashford’s power as an influencer is shown by his engagement rate of 6% (although recently this has dropped to 3.2% due to increasing his follower count and focusing more on football rather than his brand development).

Kim Kardashian's engagement rate is lower at 0.33% but she has over 350 million followers so can still reach and engage with huge audiences.

4) Go to Marcus Rashford and Kim Kardashian's X or Instagram account. Find and screenshot/link three posts that show the different aspects of their brand e.g. Relatable person (normal, down to earth), Campaigner (interested in politics), Celebrity (e.g. awards ceremony or fashion), Brand promotion (e.g. selling a product).

5) What audience pleasures are provided by Marcus Rashford's online presence? What about Kim Kardashian? Try and apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory here. 

Using Blumler and Katz's Theory, Rashford uses  Information and Relationships as he posts his good deeds and as well as promote books to educate children into being the better them, people grow a relationship to watch his football matches as he is not only a large supporter but also a footballer.

Usuing Blumler and Katz's theory, Kim Kardashian uses Diversion and relationships as she posts many product reviews and makeup as well as wearing many designer clothes that most of her fans cannot afford. Yet she still creates a relationship with her fans by regularly posting pictures and information about her family, creating a personal relationship with her fans.

6) Applying Stuart Hall's Reception theory, what would a preferred and oppositional reading of Marcus Rashford and Kim Kardashian's online presence be?

• Preferred reading (people who support Rashford/Kardashian): Rashford is a man who cares about children and making sure they can eat and grow up educated as well as working at foodbanks and changjng politics, not for his own gain but to help families in need. Kardashian is a down to earth influencer who loves her family very much and is like a friend to her fans.
• Oppositional reading (people who criticise Rashford/Kardashian): Rashford is someone who is performing as a 'well-meaning' saviour by posting every good deed hes done and profit over it as well as gain power not for the people but for himself. Kardashian is a money hungry woman who sets impossible beauty standards and sells her merch and brwnds with every chance and waking moment she has. Shes a walking AD, not an idol.

Industries

1) What is Marcus Rashford and Kim Kardashian's net worth and how does their online presence help them to make money? 

Kim Kardashian's net worth is estimated at \(\$1.7\) billion to \(\$1.9\) billion, primarily from her businesses like Skims and SKKN by Kim. Marcus Rashford's net worth is estimated at around £60 million, which comes from his football career, endorsements, and investments. Both use their online presence to directly generate income; Kardashian through direct sales from her brands and endorsements, and Rashford through brand partnerships and leveraging his online platform to promote his philanthropic work. 

2) What companies/brands are Rashford and Kardashian associated with? Why might they want to be linked to those celebrities?

Brands like Nike and sportswear companies are associated with Rashford as he ie a football player and has an authentic positive social impact and broad international appeal to his fans.

Makeup and fashion brands like Skims and SKKN are associated with Kim Kardashian because she has a huge platform trend influence and market reach to her fans.

3) Research Twitter/X and Instagram. Who owns the companies, how do they make money and how much profit did they make last year?

Elon Musk owns X and Meta owns Instagram. Elon makes money by giving out personalised ADs,  subscriptions and data liscensing, whereas Meta makes money by Ads and creator tools. Elon's profit is estimated to be $2.5 billion znd Meta's profit is $164.5 billion in total from last year's profit, which is much more successful.

4) What are the worries about Instagram’s negative effects?

Worries about Instagram's negative effects include negative impacts on mental health, such as increased anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, often linked to social comparison and fear of missing out (FOMO). The platform also raises concerns about body image issues, particularly among teenagers, and links to poor sleep, cyberbullying, and exposure to risky behaviours. 

5) How do social media platforms manage online abuse on their platforms and why has Marcus Rashford drawn attention to this? How might this change in the future?

Social media platforms use a combination of automated technology and human moderators to manage online abuse by removing harmful content and suspending accounts. Marcus Rashford drew attention to this issue because he, and other players, experienced racist abuse and called for platforms to act more decisively by immediately deleting accounts of abusers.

6) What happened by law in 2022 that changed the way the internet is regulated? Write three changes that this new law may bring in and explain why it is difficult to regulate the internet.

In 2022, the United Kingdom's Online Safety Act was a major development that changed internet regulation, though it did not become law until late 2023. The act creates new duties for online companies to protect users, especially children, from harmful content and illegal activity. It gives regulators like Ofcom the power to enforce rules and levy penalties on companies that don't comply, and it requires platforms to take action against illegal content and protect children from inappropriate material. 

The internet is very difficult to regulate because it is global but governments are national. Also, corporations like Amazon or Facebook are now more powerful than some governments.