Graduation Year

2023

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Economics, Finance, and International Business Department

Program or Major

International Business

Faculty Advisor

Bridget Leonard

Abstract

To better connect with the potential fan base in the United Kingdom, the NFL created another Instagram account, separate from their main “NFL” account, with the username “NFLUK”. In this thesis, I conducted a content analysis comparing a selection of posts made during the 2021 NFL season for each account, “NFL” and “NFLUK” to examine how the NFL modified their posts and communication for their new target audience. The posts were examined through the perspective of two different communication theories: The Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion and the Adaptation versus Standardization Model of International Marketing. The goal was to determine if the UK social media posts used more peripheral cues than the US posts, and that the U.K., given its cultural differences with the U.S., used more calmer tones and less excitement than the US posts. It was found that that the UK account did use more peripheral cues and that some of the posts were adapted to meet the standards of the UK market.

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