This week the NFL announced that the Weeknd would be performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show! For many, this is the most exciting part of the show. The NFL is believed to have picked The Weeknd in an attempt to switch to artists with larger social media following who are popular with younger generations and people of color. This is extremely different from their past performances that typically feature classic rock white musicians.
While FOX Sports will not be broadcasting the Super Bowl this year, it is still important for them to keep tabs on what the NFL chooses to do each year from a strategic standpoint. This strategy implemented by the NFL is relevant to my client because their actions are in response to the ongoing Colin Kaepernick movement. In 2019, they struggled to get artists to perform for them to show solidarity with him and the movement. So, the NFL hired Jay-Z to help orchestrate the performance and attract artists that originally did not want to.
As the PR person, I would be most concerned with the response to the Weeknd performing from minorities. For example: Is this method effective, and does it change a person’s perspective who is loyal to the Kaepernick movement? My initial thoughts would be no, but after looking at other efforts that the NFL has made, it is clear that they are working in the right direction to support the athletes, teams and viewers. Instead of just marketing towards diverse audiences, they first hired a diverse staff, which makes this an overall positive story for the brand.
This story in particular does not say anything about the FOX Sports brand right now. But, this information could be used in our project to help us understand the essentiality of reaching diverse audiences and how to effectively do so. Particularly in our case we are focusing on female viewers, so it would be interesting to look at our tactics and ideas to ensure that our campaign is reaching ALL female viewers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/12/sports/football/weeknd-halftime-show-super-bowl.html