Monday, January 20, 2014

The "BIG" Game: Super Bowl Ads




Yes, Super Bowl Sunday is less than TWO weeks away and the beloved Peyton Manning and his Denver Broncos will be taking on the "rising star" Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks. Should be a game for the ages, right? Well many companies certainly think so as they wait patiently all year hoarding their advertising budgets for this monster event. So as we approach the big game, I decided to dive in a little deeper into the event that is not just about the final score anymore.    



Over the years, Super Bowl Sunday has become a huge event not only to all sports fans, but to companies with money to spend. There has been a steady rise since the new millennium on Super Bowl advertising that one can contribute to the new age of online media and growth.However, cost is outgrowing the number of traditional TV views over the last two decades. So why would a company spend the estimated price-tag of $4 million dollars this year for a 30 second spot?

Two Words: BUZZ MARKETING

Since the Super Bowl Ads have become part of the main event, they are actually generating more views then the game itself, with over 109 million viewers tuning in for the ads last year. The views do not stop here however. Buzz Marketing comes into play when the viewership continues for weeks and weeks after the commercial aired. Particularly good commercials, like my personal favorite from last year of the Budweiser Clydesdales (click it, you know you want to), are shared among groups and viewed again and again on social media sites such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. This is where many companies believe that the $4 million upfront cost pays off. Free advertising continues long after the initial viewing through consumer word of mouth; we are literally advertising for the company and it is not going to end anytime soon. As more buzz generates around the ads and the ads themselves become better and better, social media will become a major platform for advertising without the companies spending anymore money. Expect to see some well-known players like Anheusr-Buch InBev, Chevorlet, Coca-Cola, and Audi all back and better than ever for Super Bowl XLVIII (2014 Super Bowl Ad Chart).

So go forth and re-watch some of your favorite ads from 2013 and get ready to find new favorites for the year, I know I will be.


Sources:
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-01-20/super-bowl-ad-insanity-explained-in-six-charts
http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2001-07-29/buzz-marketing
http://www.superbowl-commercials.org/23531.html


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2 comments:

  1. UnknownJanuary 20, 2014 at 8:33 PM

    I'm not sure if this is a current strategy that companies use, but I could imagine marketers starting to drop ads exclusively on social media platforms such as twitter. The amount of traffic on twitter during the superbowl is ridiculous, and they could avoid the high price tag of a 30 second TV ad. If it's funny enough or good enough, I think something like that could easily go viral over the course of the game without ever actually being on TV.

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  2. UnknownJanuary 21, 2014 at 7:22 AM

    It is so true that super bowl commercials are a huge part of marketing strategies for companies like Budweiser, etc. I never thought about how when social media users share the funny commercials with their friends and followers that would eventually end up benefiting the advertisers. I agree the millions they spend on those commercials are very beneficial to them even the short 30 second spot through buzz marketing because if people see it on TV they are most likely to find it and watch it again to share with their friends.

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