How the NFL continues to target women

From Ad Age and The Journal Gazette

Review by Christian McLaughlin in KIN 332 (section 2)

I chose to do an article about the current marketing done by the NFL directed towards women. I was really interested in this topic because I have actually noticed the increase in women fans over the past several years. Growing up, it seemed that NFL Sundays was all about the guys. Due to the NFL’s strong marketing campaign geared to women, we have seen a significant change in the demographics of football fans. The article said that 44% of NFL fans are now women! It also said that 43.3 million women viewed the Super Bowl. My only question about these numbers would be how many of the 44% are casual fans compared to diehard fans. I do not want to sound sexist, but how many of these women actually watch the game? To be fair, I also know that there are men out there that only watch football because other men watch, and it has become a social norm. On the other hand, the article makes a great point in that even the casual woman fan still wants to show team loyalty, meaning they are going to buy apparel. This is where I think the NFL has finally done a good job in its marketing strategy. They realized that women are going to be watching with the men, so why not tap into that market. I am not saying that all women are only watching the game because men are, I just want to make the point that I think the social aspect plays a massive role in the numbers. After reading this article I am shocked at how long it took the NFL to reach women. It wasn’t until the “Fit for you” clothing line, that the NFL made gender specific clothing. Social Media and celebrity endorsement then fueled the growth of apparel. Facebook became a platform for women to show off their new gear, and talk about their team. Alyssa Milano made her own clothing line that sells NFL apparel such as jerseys, handbags, boots, and jewelry. I think that the NFL has only scratched the surface with marketing towards women, and the revenue will continue to increase in the years to come.