5 Things 50th Super Bowl Taught us About Marketing

Super Bowls have transformed into much more than just sport events. In recent years, they are accompanied by the marketing bonanza unlike anything we have seen before.  The 50th Super Bowl brought us a delicious crop of new ads that took the biggest TV stage there is. Many corporate giants have embraced the all-star marketing messaging and stepped up the game, giving us a lot of notes to take. So, to add some shine to the marketing pearl, you need not look further than a glittery sports spectacle.

Snatching the opportunity

For marketers, the outcome of the game is not in focus. They have mastered riding on the wave of hype and are versed at making the most of the unparalleled exposure. This window of opportunity is utilized to communicate a clear message to the massive audience. The game serves as a barometer for the feelings of the public, but it is crucial to test the messages before delivering them. Super Bowl commercials cost an arm and a leg, so there is no room for error. Exclusive content reigns supreme, and teasers and behind-the-scenes clips are a popular choice.  

Strategic thinking

Big brands invest a great deal of time and money in refining their messages. Top-notch marketing is not a spur-of-the-moment activity. Super Bowl is one of the important touch points in the journey to forging lasting relationships with the audience. Consumer and enterprise advertisers show us how to leverage market momentum, but they know that it cannot be sustained with one spot. Thus, there must be an overreaching strategy that gives an answer to the question: “When the crowd and cameras disappear, what is next?”

Humor and nostalgia

This year’s show has been stolen by uplifting messages and self-aware humor. These lighthearted messages are imprinted in the collective memory for months, even years to come, which is not the case with an average TV spot.  Nostalgia also seems to do the trick. Pokemon, for example, used the ad to commemorate the 20th anniversary and remind people of their carefree childhood. Namely, an extended cut of the ad was played ahead of the game to mark the beginning of a larger campaign.

Trust me on this one

SunTrust, a newcomer to the big marketing stage, decided to take a bold move. It did not follow the celebrity, humor tone of other giants. Instead, a regional bank came up with a straightforward message: Take control of your finances. The spot is also a part of an integrated campaign that will roll on for the next few months. This demonstrates that a different, daring approach is possible, but also that Super Bowl commercial is one costly piece of the content marketing puzzle.  

Digital frontier

When a consumer sees a striking ad, he is compelled to go online in pursuit for some extra information. Take the example of Taco Bell, which ran a paid search campaign in combination with the reveal of the new menu. The company displayed the best digital marketing performance by maximizing the paid search. This blog post by Louder Online seems like a great place to start picking up great digital marketing advice, as it outlines some great and easily achievable content marketing strategies.

Stellar marketing

Super Bowl is a treat for both the marketers and consumers. This event is used to create positive brand associations on a massive scale and widen the reach of marketing messages. Many valuable lessons were learned this year. First and foremost, the amount of thought and planning that goes in this content is astounding. Also, although the Super Bowl is pinnacle of content marketing, it is also a part of the bigger picture. The golden mine is secured when marketers manage to turn the initial interest and buzz into engagement over the long haul.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/marcusjensen/5-things-50th-super-bowl-taught-us-about-marketing/