research

1. Research
Alex Shepherd

2. Existing Product
My front cover is
going to be like
this one because
I’m going to
have a main
player who I
look up to as an
idol like many
kids do now
with Patrick
Mahomes (that’s
the guy to the
right). Having a
well-known
player and what
they have
managed can
draw people in
and that’s what
I’m going for.
The use of a team who may have
made a deep playoff run, made the
super bowl, won the super bowl or
just defined expectations. The
bigger players draw more attention
and showing them first of can make
people want to read about them
and how their story played out.
The name of the magazine to me
is the most important piece as
having something snappy and
bold really grabs the eye of the
buyer. Also using something that
links to the sport is key as you
want people to know what this
magazine is about.
I like what Neil put has put a
line to grab attention so you
see Kanas City Chiefs and
Patrick Mahomes, but that tiny
piece of text really sells it to
me and that’s what I want to
get across for my final front
cover.
With the league just passing
through it’s 101st season so Neil
was clever including that this
addition saying it was the 100th
season is clever because again it
catches attention and people
may then want to buy it read
about the league and it’s history.

3. Existing Product Madden has been the video game for the NFL for
years since the great John Madden. Madden uses
different players every year to mix things up. Using
different players creates different attention as
people may be drawn to players from their favorite
teams may cause more attention when it comes to
buying the game.
As time has progressed the colours behind the
players has extremely changed and it has become
more unique based on the year of the games
release. To me that is highly important to stay up to
date with certain players and the use of colours, the
more colour used the more attention the game
causes on selves and catches the eye of gamers.
When I bought my first Madden I got Madden 17
and it was the player on the cover which drew me in
because seeing a well known player catches the eye
of new players like I was at the time.
The font and text also plays a big
part to me as if they used the
same idea each year it would end
up becoming boring and repetitive
and no one wants the same idea
year after year. The look of a front
cover plays a big part in some
people eyes like me, it may only
be a small part of the cover but it
still creates something different to
go along with player and colour
The layout of text,
player and font also
changes year in year
out and that again
plays a role in
grabbing the attention
of players. You want a
game that plays as
well as it looks and
Madden in one of
those games.
Showing which type of console the
game is made for. Although this is
basic it does hold an important
place because you may buy the
game and try play it on the wrong
gaming console and it doesn’t
work you would want to take it
back and get your money back but
then you can’t because you didn’t
look at the console it was made
for.

4. Existing Product Billboards can really mix things up massively and this
one really catches the eye. Every NFL players journey
has to start at college but coming out of high school
they have to commit to a college where they will study.
This headline really grabs the attention because
everyone has the dream of achieving greatness and to
say greatness begins at LSU really catches attention
and to me would really help my decision when it came
to committing.
Advertising the college, now even
though the LSU is little it still gives
off something and sometimes
knowing which college is best is
important for me this whole
billboard has made me really up my
dream of playing for LSU and then
going on into the NFL.
The inclusion of a player, having a player is
extremely good because younger kids may look
up to that player and seeing they believe
greatness begins at LSU may play a huge role in
that persons future and how they g about playing
football in the future.
This billboard to me is really good because as much as
it draws you in and catches the eye and could help get
high-schoolers to commit their future to LSU but the
main thing for me is the statement written on it.. Even
if people don’t want to play football and they want to
follow their path but saying ‘Greatness Begins Here’ can
really help kids.

5. Existing Product Lawrence came through
college playing for Clemson
and the masthead is using
Clemson colours of Orange
and Blue as seen as
Lawrence’s helmet.
Using multiple colours can
catch the eye of the target
audience as bright colour is
an eye catching moment.
Player image
Trevor Lawrence the number
one draft prospect for the 2021
NFL Draft.. Lawrence been the
future of the NFL it may make
the audience want to get to
know more about him as he has
been talked and talked about so
much for the last year.
Doesn’t just focus on
Trevor so it tries to focus
on the top 300 prospects
in the draft rather than
just aiming to tell you
about Lawrence.

6. Research Analysis
• What common features do the researched products have?
All the products are bright and try to be eye catching, this is a rather obvious one because you want whatever your
advertising to stand out and be eye catching so people will want to go out and bye that product. The use of headlines
also pop up a fair bit and they add just something else to the product.
For me the most important thing when it comes advertising a product you need to try connect with the aimed
audience and the products that succeed are the ones that do connect. I want people to see Quarterback One and want
to read it based looks so trying to content cover to audience is extremely helpful.
For front covers it tends to mainly be a really well known player to grab the attention, Gridiron mainly uses the bigger
teams as they tend to have the really well know players like Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady and Aaron
Rodgers.. Bigger players tend to grab attention and boost sales.
• What aspects of the research will you include within your
on work?
I’m going to use the headline/to try assist my work in getting across and linking it to what people may want to
hear or read about but I’m mainly going to include colour and images and I also want to use players who may
be seen as role models to the kids growing up watching the current players in the NFL.
I want to try a different approach and not use a player on the front cover and show off the NFL in England and
at Wembley. In 2019 I went to my first NFL game and tried to take pictures that showed an atmosphere during
the day. Like having all the fans walking up Wembley way and then inside the ground and just how full it is even
though Football is not played over here.
Looking at covers that don’t use a player they always have a snappy bold masthead which really stands out and
grabs the attention so I am making sure I have that included for my front cover.

7. Questionnaire Analysis

8. Audience research
• Observation: Shocking.. It is the more logical answer but I’m still shocked.
• What this says about my audience: They know a little bit more and it has eased
some of my fears that no one had a tiny idea about the NFL.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: I’m hoping to educate them
more and try get more people to understand the sport I love. Everyone during this
will be wanting to create something that helps people may understand a bit more
or just show want to show off their knowledge, this question may have been basic
but having the knowledge that your audience at least know what your going to be
creating something on is extremely helpful.

9. Audience research
• Observation: New York attracts attention
• What this says about my audience: New York seems to catch attention, the
alliteration of Buffalo Bills seemed to grab attention.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: Using this study and some
more research on NFL most supported in other countries and using all
those results to use those teams on a double page spread in my magazine.

10. Audience Research
• In response to my survey question about which team caught the eye I have found
a study on which teams are best supported worldwide and I found the 10 most
supported teams across Europe.
• 1. New England Patriots, 2. Los Angeles Rams, 3. New York Giants, 4. Seattle
Seahawks, 5. Oakland Raiders, 6. Atlanta Falcons, 7. Green Bay Packers, 8. Denver
Broncos, 9. Philadelphia Eagles, 10. Baltimore Ravens… These were the ten teams
from the study and out the teams I used in my survey only the Falcons and Packers
appeared.
• I also found the most supported team in the UK was the Carolina Panthers.. To me
this was a shock I was expecting the Jacksonville Jaguars to be the most supported
as they have played in England the most since 2007.
• My question was mainly how people would pick teams and I had a feeling which
ever one they have made heard of, seen before or that teams play in a city they
want to visit. The teams I picked I mixed it up.. I used one alliteration (Buffalo Bills),
I used my own team (Jacksonville Jaguars), then I thought to add a New York
because I know people love New York and many want to go and my survey ended
up with the results favouring the New York teams.

11. Audience research
• Observation: So far the survey has had more male answers.
• What this says about my audience: Mixed bag so far and I expect it to be around
55-45.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: I’m just trying to educate more
people about the NFL and see if I could maybe get more people watching and
enjoying the game I love, especially getting more females fans because no sport
should be for only one gender.

12. Audience Research
• So my far more males have taken my survey than females so this led to
me wanting to research how the NFL fanbase was spilt between the
two and which team had the largest number of female supporters.
• In 2012 the percentage of female football fans was around 40%
meaning it was male dominated but it was closing, in 2013 it had risen
to 44% but in 2020 Statista released figures about how each gender
supported the NFL and the results showed that 49% of male were avid
fans, 29% were casual and 29% weren’t fans at all. The female numbers
are rather shocking 49% aren’t fans at all or even interested in the
sport, 33% are casual fans and a tiny 18% are avid fans.. 2020 was a
strange year but for the numbers in 7 years but drop so much is rather
shocking the NFL works hard on making the game for both genders, in
super bowl 55 they had the first female official and that is only going to
continue so hopefully more females get back into the sport.
• In 2007 Pittsburgh were named the most followed team out of 122
across all the major sporting divisions in America and back then it was
also recorded they had the largest number of female fans.
• The most supported team now is the New England Patriots with over
4.5 million fans this is mainly down to the Tom Brady era but despite
Brady leaving in 2020 free agency but the base barely lost fans. The NFL
does struggle with bandwagon fans who just support the team who
wins the super bowl.

13. Audience research
• Observation: People like the idea of Jacksonville been on the front cover
because the colours of the team link with the colour I want to use for my
front cover
• What this says about my audience: This is good for me because
Jacksonville are my favourite team so I did want to use the team as the
cover and the double page spread.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: Since the replies so far
have all been positive about how the cover it means if I can use this with
my product it should help to appeal to the audience.

14. Audience research
• Observation: The magazine cover I selected would catch attention but
possibly not enough to be purchased.
• What this says about my audience: A basic cover with one
big headline doesn’t really grab the attention of the audience.
• How will your product appeal to this audience:
Using the feedback on the Jacksonville cover and this feedback I am going to mix
the two pieces and then hopefully using the feedback create a product that will
appeal to my audience.

15. Audience research
• Observation: So the design of using a player in the centre and then mix it
with just straight up words doesn’t catch the eye.
• What this says about my audience: Basic doesn’t really catch the eye
• How will your product appeal to this audience: Using all the feedback I got
from all the magazine covers I’m going to create a product that will have
used all the feedback from the survey.

16. Interviews

17. Interview 1
• Nathan interview..
• So question 1. What age group do you fit into?
• 17-20
• Q2. Would you say the NFL is a male dominated sport?
• I’d say at the moment it is male dominated yes, but seeing Sarah
Thomas officiate in the super bowl I think things are changing.
• Q3.. What made you get into the sport?
• I think getting close with you on the Italy trip helped and then we
both started going out to throw the ball and we both started getting
into it more and it went from there.
• Q4. Who is a current player you look up as an idol?
• I’d say Tom Brady just because he went from a no one to the best
player is the games history..

18. Interview 1
• Observation: Nathan has the same belief as me about
males currently taking up the sport but he believes that
Sarah Thomas officiating in the super bowl will help.
• What this says about my audience: Most will agree that
the game could have more female involvement and
having more may help with getting more people into
the sport.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: Using
my interviews and knowledge I’m going to mix all of
them together in order to create a product that
everyone will like and would want to buy the product.

19. Interview 2
• Interview with El
• Q1. As a female do you think the world of sport
should be equal in all aspects?
• Yes I do, I believe males and females should all be
equal.. I think American sport does more than
sport over here in England.
• Q2. If the NFL offered more to females would you
be interested in trying to learn about the sport?
• I would say those girls into there sports would
maybe interested in getting into the sport but
those who don’t play sports probably wouldn’t..

20. Interview 2
• Observation: I need to try get my point across even to
those girls who maybe don’t like sports as much.
• What this says about my audience: I’m going to have to
really use my knowledge and answers from surveys and
interviews to try make sure I can get across and my
product will make sense and people will want to read
from start to finish.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: I want
mainly to show boys how goof the NFL is but also I
want to educate more girls because I believe no sport
should be mainly taken over by one gender.

21. Bibliography

22. Bibliography
1. Alex Shepherd. (2018) Target Audience Research Survey (conducted on
8/03/21)
2. Nathan Hattee. (2018) Target Audience Interviews (conducted on
15/03/21)
3. Elosie. Target Audience Interview- Help with diversity in the NFL
(conducted on 15/03/21)
4. Class Mates. Target Audience Interview. (conducted on (9/03/21)
5. Gridiron Magazine- Existing Product research (8/03/21)
6. Madden Video Game Covers- Existing Products research (8/03/21)
7. LSU Billboard- Existing product research (8/03|21)