Playbook for Marketing to Superbowl Fans

SUPERBOWL MARKETING 2015

 

Superbowl Sunday (February 1) is approaching, and that means a stadium-full of marketing. A brief selection of what's happening:

• It's an ad, ad, ad, ad world. Think with Google has a page of suggestions about how marketers can make the most of Superbowl-related marketing and advertising. One quote that is jaw-dropping: "In 2014, fans spent a staggering 14 million hours watching the top 10 Super Bowl and World Cup ads featured in our annual Ads Rewind. Seventy-five percent of those hours were earned before or after the day of the Super Bowl or the month of the World Cup." In other words, brands that post ads in advance can earn a lot of viewership and social media buzz before, during, and after the game. For instance, Snickers is using a teaser to whet fans' appetites for its Super Bowl commercial.
• Engaging customers. Doritos is mounting its 9th annual "Crash the Super Bowl" crowdsourced ad contest. Finalists are up right now for voting and this builds anticipation for watching for the ads during the game (not just the game itself).
• Money matters:
• Ad Age has its rundown of who's airing what during the game.
• Forbes estimates a cost of $3 to reach each viewer with a game ad.
• The cost of a Super Bowl ad is $4 million-plus in 2015.
• Don't just advertise--strategize. Simply airing a well-regarded ad during the big game isn't enough. The business has to get all the fundamentals right. Radio Shack, which had a hit Bowl commercial last year, continues to struggle.
• What about after the game? For a look at the best Super Bowl ads ever (according to the Ad Meter), check out the USA Today site here. A good ad isn't the be-all and end-all (see Radio Shack comment above) but it can reinforce brand recognition for weeks and months after the Seahawks and Patriots battle for the NFL title.