ATHLETES AS PR SPOKESPEOPLE: THE NFL’S “A CRUCIAL CATCH” PR CAMPAIGN EXPLORED
ATHLETES AS PR SPOKESPEOPLE: THE NFL’S “A CRUCIAL CATCH” PR CAMPAIGN EXPLORED
Author(s): Chyna Teresa TribleSubject(s): Media studies, Theory of Communication, Health and medicine and law, Social Informatics, Sports Studies, Marketing / Advertising
Published by: University of Lincoln and World Experience Campus Foundation
Keywords: Public Relations; Identification; Athlete Spokespeople; Sports Communication; Football;
Summary/Abstract: The present study examined the National Football League’s (NFL) “A Crucial Catch” breast cancer awareness campaign in the United States. Variables included identification with NFL athletes, exposure to the campaign, NFL fanship, and intention to schedule a breast cancer screening (the action promoted by NFL athletes in this PR campaign). Social media outlets and an e-mail listserv of the School of Communication at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York, USA were employed to solicit participants (n=119) in a survey. A questionnaire composed of items modified from Brown and Bocarnea’s (2007a) Celebrity-Persona Parasocial Identification Scale to investigate identification with NFL athletes was used. Statistically significant relationships were found between identification with NFL athletes and exposure, identification with NFL athletes and intention to schedule a breast cancer screening, and identification with NFL athletes and NFL fanship. NFL fanship was also significantly related to exposure to the campaign. Implications for future studies analyzing PR campaigns produced by the NFL and FIFA are suggested.
Journal: Journal of Media Critiques
- Issue Year: 1/2015
- Issue No: 2
- Page Range: 107-118
- Page Count: 12
- Language: English