Ridge Blog

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Major Sports League Logos

Having a passion for the sports industry, I took a deep dive into the logos of the 4 largest major sports leagues in the United States: National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Hockey League (NHL). After analyzing how all of these league logos have changed over the years, I noticed a couple of trends.

Let's begin with the MLB who updated its logo in 2019.

Here you can clearly see how this logo does a great job using whitespace and the law of closure to create a silhouette of a baseball player. Being familiar with all of the major spots league logos, this logo reminded me of the NBA logo.

The focal point of the NBA logo is also the use of whitespace and the law of closure to create a silhouette of a basketball player. However, it is interesting to point out that the silhouette of the basketball player in the logo is actually based on the NBA Hall of Famer, Jerry West. On the other hand, the MLB logo is just the silhouette of a generic baseball player. You might also notice the color palette of these two logos is extremely similar. This isn't just a coincidence as the NFL logo also contains the colors red, white, and blue.

This color trend does not surprise me as the colors red, white, and blue are the same colors that represent the U.S., where these leagues were founded. But, it is interesting how the MLB, NBA, and NFL logos are choosing to use slightly darker shades of these 3 colors in their most updated logos. Additionally, the trend of using whitespace continues with the NFL logo. However, the NFL logo uses whitespace differently than the MLB and NBA logos. Instead of using whitespace to create silhouettes, the NFL uses it to create starts and a football.

Similar to the NFL logo, the NHL logo contains a shield.

The NHL logo is the oldest logo out of the major sports league logos as it hasn't been updated since 2006. This might be why it looks the most different. It hasn't yet hopped on the whitespace bandwagon. Also, the logo only shares the color white, which is hard to see as it is used in a gray gradient.

Give a second look at the 4 logos above. Other than the similarities and trends I have pointed out, I would also like to predict future trends for these logos. I believe we will see a trend where the NBA, NFL, and NHL follow the MLB's lead where there is no text found in the logo. With no text, the logos will have a more timeless feel. I also think that once this change is made, these sports league logos will not be updated frequently as the logos are symbolic and cost a lot of money to change.

Interested in learning more about sports logos? I highly recommend taking a look at https://www.sportslogos.net/. Can you find some more trends?

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Twitter Media Switch-Up

Twitter can be quite cynical. However, to many people’s delight, one can’t ramble on about their thoughts forever as each tweet has a limit of 140 characters. Twitters homepage consists of tweets from people and brands you follow. Twitter is unique in the way that it allows user’s to organize their feed by using a Twitter algorithm or not. This means that people can choose to organize the content they see by “Top Tweets” or “Latest Tweets” Top Tweets organizes a user’s feed by having the most recent tweets at the top of the feed. Latest Tweets organizes a users feed by using Twitters algorithm which puts tweets on the top of the feed that they think are most relevant to the user’s interests. 

Also on the homepage, users can interact with tweets they see by commenting, retweeting, or liking. In addition, users can share tweets through direct messaging within the platform or share to other social media platforms. When users want to create a tweet themselves, they can write up to 140 characters per tweet and have the ability to add photos, gifs, polls, and their locations to the tweet. I find that many peoples tweets are casual and express what they are doing currently or their feelings on a certain topic. 

Another useful part of Twitter is the search page. On this page, users will find news, sports, entertainment, and other content that is tailored towards their interests. The importance of this page is immense as 7 out of 10 adult Twitter users use the platform as their news source. (https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/08/02/10-facts-about-americans-and-twitter/) Users also have the capability to type in a search bar for people or topics they are interested in. The results will show users anything on Twitter that matches what they typed in the search bar. Moreover, Twitter offers their users messaging capabilities. However, I believe this is the least used feature of the platform as there are many other social platforms that offer better messaging services. 

It is no surprise to me that 73% of Twitter users are under the age of 50. Also, as I mentioned above, these users love to use Twitter as their news source and like to discuss politics on the platform. Furthermore, it is important to note that 10% of users account for 80% of the tweets. This shows how many users just like to view other people’s tweets and not share their own thoughts. On the other hand, I was surprised to find that 42% of adult Twitter users have a college degree and 41% have an income of $75,000 or more. This signifies to me that Twitter users are more highly educated and wealthier than the general public. I was also unaware that 60% of Twitter users tend to learn towards the Democratic party. (https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/08/02/10-facts-about-americans-and-twitter/)

I found that most major brands have a Twitter page. Twitter is a great platform to reach a wide range of audiences. Unlike individual users, brands use Twitter in a more formal manner. Their tweets contain useful information about their products and/or services. However, some brands like to use trendy humor and memes in their tweets to help connect to their target audiences. Additionally, Brands use Twitter for paid advertising. Paid ads show up seamlessly into Twitters feed and do not distract from other tweets. 

Twitter is a part of my daily media consumption. I use Twitter every day for my news source, but never create my own tweets. Twitter differs from my other media consumption as it usually contains less photos than other social platforms I use. It also differs in the fact that content is more emotionally charged than content found on platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram. 

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LinkedIn Media Switch Up

As my undergraduate college career progressed, I became more aware of how powerful a platform LinkedIn could be. LinkedIn makes it easy to connect and network with other professionals and students in any area of interest or expertise. On the home page, users can find a stream of posts that are tailored to what the user is interested in and who the user follows. Users have the ability to like, comment, share, and send the posts they find interesting. In addition, on the home page is where users can draft their own posts, share pictures and videos, or write documents and articles. All of these features come in handy when trying to network and build your professional following. 

Another useful tool LinkedIn provides for its users to help them grow their professional networks is the “My Network” page. This page lists all of the people who have requested to connect with your profile as well as provides a directory of people LinkedIn suggests that you would be interesting in connecting with. Furthermore, this page recommends company pages and trending pages based off your interests. The My Network page is extremely important for new LinkedIn users to help them find people and pages that they want to connect with. 

When users first set up their LinkedIn profile, it is vital that they upload a professional headshot to their profile. This way, when you connect with other professionals, they will recognize your face. Also, it is important for users to keep their work experience and education up to date. Companies that recruit employees from LinkedIn want to see if your experiences and education align with what they are looking for. 

Once a user has completely set up and updated their profile page, another feature that is far-reaching is the Jobs page. On this page users can search for a job or company by name and also indicate what location they are looking for a job in. I learned that this page also provides tools for users to get alerts for when certain jobs they are looking for get posted. This tool makes finding jobs extremely convenient. 

It is clear that the community of users on LinkedIn are mostly made up of working professionals. 65% of LinkedIn users are between the ages of 18-49 and 51% of these users have a college degree or higher. Additionally, a similar number of men and women use this platform and an almost equal percentage of users are from urban or suburban areas.(https://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-media-demographics/#LI-demos) Most of the users on LinkedIn are interested in furthering their professional career or giving advice to help others grow in their careers. 

From my experience using LinkedIn, brands use LinkedIn in the same way as individual users. I see many companies and organizations using the platform to post educational content about their field or area of expertise. Posting educational content is the best type of content to post on this platform as users are looking to learn more about their professional or educational fields. 

I try and use LinkedIn at least once a day, but most of the time I find myself on it every other day. LinkedIn differs from other digital platforms I use as it is way more professional and serious in manner. Content is keep strictly educational with perfect spelling and grammar. Also, LinkedIn is filled with more text based content while the other platforms are filled mostly with photo and video content. 

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Instagram Media Switch Up

Instagram is the platform people love to fanaticize their lives and stock how other people are living theirs. Instagram pushes putting your best “looking” self forward by providing in-platform filters. With 40 filters available at user’s fingertips, it makes it easy for users to edit their photos to their liking. To me, these filters can push people to feel like they always have to post an edited photo as these filter options are presented to the user right before they post a picture. 

In addition to photos, Instagram users can post videos that are 3 to 60 seconds long (https://help.instagram.com/270963803047681). The platform also allows videos to be cut and edited. 

Instagram also provides users the options to post stories, in a similar way to Snapchat. Stories are located on the user’s homepage and are only available for viewing for 24 hours. In my experience, content posted on stories are more casual than content that is permanently posted on people’s pages. Since content on stories is only available for a short amount of time, people do not normally add filters. However, I have seen many users play around with stickers and other fun text options they can add on to their photos or videos through the platform. 

Another important aspect of Instagram’s platform is the explore page. This page provides content to the user that Instagram thinks they will like. The recommendations found on this page are based upon what a user normally views. The explore page is where users love to go to find new and interesting content that they can’t find their homepage. The explore page is an “Instagram stocker” best friend. 

Furthermore, the explore page gives users the options to search specific brands or people, watch IGTV, and shop items. I believe IGTV will become extremely popular as people love to interact with people and brands in real time. Additionally, I believe Instagram’s shop will be greatly used as it makes Instagram a platform where users can start and finish a transaction all in one place. 

After looking through my Instagram feed and explore page, it does not surprise me that Instagram is most popular with younger users. 67% of 18 to 29 year olds use Instagram which is up from 59% in 2016. I find it interesting that 85% of teens say Instagram is their preferred social network. This stat shows the power of photo content and how people are drawn to it. Also, I find it interesting that 90% of users on Instagram follow a business account. This shows how powerful Instagram can be to brands that want to target a younger target market. (https://blog.hootsuite.com/instagram-demographics/)

I found that most brands have an Instagram page. As I stated above, it is extremely important for brands to have an Instagram page to connect to younger consumers. Brands main pages are set up in a similar format to individual users’ pages but include links users can use to purchase their products. Brands differ from individual users on Instagram when they use native advertising. When an individual user is scrolling through their homepage, they will come across ads from brands that fit seamlessly into the platform. Instagram is a great advertising tool for brands as Instagram will target the ads based on user’s data. 

Instagram is part of my daily media consumption. I go on Instagram multiple times a day, especially when I am bored. I love how the explore page presents me with a wide variety of content that matches my interests. I also enjoy looking at the photos and videos my friends are posting as it allows me to stay connected with them. Instagram differs from other platforms I consume as it is the only platform I ever explore brands pages on. On Instagram, I always find myself exploring brands products as their Instagram content pulls me in more than the content found on other social platforms. Instagram is going to continue to be one of the most popular social media platforms as it is able to cater to the needs of both individual users and brands. 

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Youtube Media Switch Up

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Snapchat Media Switch Up

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Tumblr Media Switch Up