Supporting the Community
Using marketing and advertising resources to support the greater good is
win-win. The organizations are better able to continue their good work and the
"piece of yourself" you leave behind makes for solid public relations.
This year the NFL, CBS Cares, the Bears’ Lovey Smith and Colts’ Tony Dungy
donated time (and lost advertising revenue for the network) to support Big
Brothers Big Sisters (bigbrothersbigsisters.org). The NFL also donated a 10
second spot encouraging viewers to volunteer at unitedway.org.
Sponsorships Sell
Maybe it was my imagination, but there seemed to be A LOT of sponsor spots
this year. If the Super Bowl is any indication, sponsorships are hot
commodities. Every "Super Bowl LVI is sponsored by..." announcement seemed to
include a different set of sponsors. By my count, 2007 Super Bowl sponsors
included (I’m sure I missed one here and there): Budweiser, Pepsi, FedEx, Toyota
Tundra, Careerbuilder.com, GM, Bud.tv, King Pharmaceuticals, Wild Hogs,
GoDaddy.com, HP, E*TRADE, and Doritos.
In addition to the "sponsored by" spots, there was "some video coverage
provided by Budweiser," a "Built Ford Tough Kickoff Show," the "Pepsi Super Bowl
LVI Halftime Show" (not to be confused with the "Blockbuster Total Access
Halftime Show Report") and the game's "Cadillac Super Bowl MVP"
(presented during the "Cadillac Super Bowl Today Post Game Show"). Phew!
Sponsorships are alive and well in America.
"What Didn't Happen" is Viral
Some brands are generating buzz by touting commercials that didn’t
appear during the game:
Anheuser-Busch-owned Rolling Rock beer aired a commercial the week before the
game reporting a purported controversy about the brand's "Men In Thongs"
commercial possibly not being allowed to air during the game. There was no
Rolling Rock commercial during the game. The supposedly "banned" commercial was,
however, leaked online through popular video sites. This ―
like the brand's "Ape" commercial that didn't air on television in 2006
― smells contrived. The brand creates buzz and
curiosity offline by airing apologies and explanatory spots on television.
Meanwhile, the racier "banned" commercials circulate on the Internet.
Anheuser-Busch is also generating viral email campaigns around the Super
Bowl. I recently received a forwarded email with the subject line "An early
preview of Super Bowl ads?" Two commercials ―
supposed "Super Bowl reject" commercials originating from Anheuser-Busch
― were attached. One features a "Brazilian Fighting
Cockatoo" guarding a fridge full of Bud Light. The other ―
starring what appears to be the same cockatoo and a trio of parrots in a pet
store ― is a "whazzup" commercial from campaigns past.
These both appear to be part of old campaigns, so I doubt they were truly
contenders as 2007 Super Bowl commercials. BUT, they are effectively viral and
supply incremental buzz for Anheuser-Busch products.
There you have it, five Super Bowl advertising lessons you can apply to your
own marketing efforts. Utilize them and take your brand to the next level.
About the Author
Bobette Kyle draws upon 18+ years of Marketing/Executive
experience, online marketing experience, and a marketing MBA as inspiration for
her writing. She is publisher of WebsiteMarketingPlan.com and
MyOnlineWeddingHelp.com, as well as cofounder of Daysteps
LLC.
|
