The Super Bowl for Marketing Dream Teams

On Sunday, my Super Bowl nightmares were realized. For others, it was a day packed with back-to-back football excitement as the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens claimed their respective NFC and AFC Champions titles.

So what’s my problem? I’m a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Do I support our big rival or the team that will tie our Super Bowl victories if the game works in its favor? I’m going to choose Answer (C): Watch Animal Planet’s constant replaying of the Puppy Bowl with my plate of wings and other refreshments. Just kidding—sort of.

I’ll watch the game and the crazy commercials that pad it out. For viewers like me, those commercials serve as entertaining filler—which company is the most creative, the funniest, etc. However, for advertisers, those commercials (hopefully) compensate the millions of dollars spent per second of airtime. Some marketers have opted to take a different approach in Super Bowl XLVII. According to an article in The New York Times, companies including Kraft Foods and Procter & Gamble will share part of their Super Bowl commercials before the spots are broadcast by CBS. Some risky business for sure, but we are living in a social media-influenced world. What does this mean if the element of surprise is removed? Will a teaser campaign generate the same amount of buzz? What will people talk about on February 4 … the actual game?!

I’d like to hear your thoughts on the aforementioned strategies. In addition, I want to know what’s happening with you. Is your company running a smaller-scale campaign to cross-promote the Super Bowl and a big sale or a new product? Every year, I look forward to opening timely emails from suppliers and distributors (the Super Bowl and March Madness always seem to inspire many great ideas). Needless to say, I don’t look forward to my inbox being inundated with pro-Ravens sentiments. To prove I’m not a bad sport, it’s okay if I receive those as well.