“Marcus Rashford, he’s Manc born and bred…”
As fans echo those words around Old Trafford, Rashford is admired for his work not only on the football pitch but for the nation too.
Having had such success within the footballing world and wider society, you wouldn’t believe Marcus Rashford has made such an impact at only 24 years old. From earning an MBE to an honorary degree from the University of Manchester, Rashford has not only established himself as a regular in United’s starting eleven but a voice for the vulnerable through the power of social media.
While many may have first come across his charitable work during the pandemic in 2020 where he supported families who faced free school meals being scrapped, Rashford has utilised his platforms long before to encourage ideas of giving back to the community — seen in 2017 when he visited his old football club to promote grassroots football and in 2018 where he raised awareness about the Manchester attacks.
Using Instagram to share such content from early on in his career has allowed Rashford to effectively build his “personal” identity as a local man of Manchester who is passionate about inequalities affecting the people.
His character is further communicated through his ability to be vulnerable with his audience by sharing intimate stories about overcoming racial and socioeconomic barriers, allowing his followers to connect with him on what seems a personal level, as a relatable figure, rather than a celebrity.
Furthermore, Rashford’s use of features like Instagram reels is a useful tool to reach people who otherwise would have not come across his initiatives (by enabling content to be viewed on the Explore page) such as Fulltimemeals, encouraging families to cook easy and affordable meals together.
He also demonstrates a conscious decision to boost his audience by cross-promotion, through partnering with chef Tom Kerridge, to maximise who can benefit from such projects, rather than for personal gain.
is seen as ‘microblogging’, which is demonstrated by Rashford’s maintenance of an active Twitter presence, connecting with parents of children who have read his inspiring book, allowing him to preserve this “personal” brand while working to increase literacy skills. Though his online audience is predominantly of young adults and above, he can connect with and inspire younger children in this way.
Partnerships with the NLT and KPMG have allowed his scheme to gain more ground, both online in terms of awareness and literally, with 62,000 more books set to be donated in 2022.
And of course, there is his famous letter which made headlines, where he called on his followers to bring their MPs' attention to #maketheUturn.
Having cultivated such a loyal, mass following, he was able to cause policy changes, gained over 1 million signatures for his petition later in the year, and has seen sustained support since (with his #EndChildFoodPoverty campaign), demonstrating the successful communication of his character and intentions.
While critics have accused him of “virtue signalling”, the impact Rashford has had locally and nationally, as well as AQA’s inclusion of his social media usage in the GCSE media studies curriculum is a testament to his successful management of an online presence in fighting for social causes.
Take pride in knowing your struggle will play the biggest role in your purpose.
