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Super Bowl Game (Football)

Super Bowl Advertising: A Changing Landscape

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As the most-watched television event in the United States, the Super Bowl has long been a coveted platform for advertisers to reach millions of viewers. However, in recent years, companies have begun to question the value of advertising during the big game. Associate Professor of Marketing John Antil, from the University of Delaware's Lerner College of Business and Economics, notes that some of America's largest corporations, including General Motors, Pepsi, and FedEx, have opted out of this year's game, citing rising costs and difficulty in justifying expenditures. Antil attributes this shift to a growing focus on return on marketing expenditures, as companies seek to quantify the return on investment from their advertising efforts.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Super Bowl's advertising landscape is experiencing a significant shift, with some of America's largest corporations choosing to forgo the game in favor of more cost-effective online marketing strategies.
  • Companies are now paying closer attention to the return on marketing expenditures, making it more challenging to justify the high costs associated with Super Bowl advertising.
  • The price of a 30-second Super Bowl ad has decreased for the first time in several years, with many advertisers not paying the full sticker price.
  • The Super Bowl's value as a premium brand might be sinking, but its ability to drive consumers online may be rising, with at least seven web-only businesses using the Super Bowl to attract people to their sites.
  • The "Pepsi Refresh Project" campaign is a notable example of a company's shift towards online marketing, with a $20 million effort to donate money to community projects suggested and selected by consumers through social media.
  • The online impact of Super Bowl ads is becoming increasingly important, with research firm HCD/MediaCurves conducting a study to measure the online impact of Super Bowl ads.
  • Companies are now using regional ads that are not broadcast nationally, which has been a way to avoid expensive exclusive contracts with the network.
  • The Super Bowl carries more ads than normal football broadcasts, leading to advertising clutter, and some companies are now taking advantage of this by buying regional ads to achieve almost full coverage of the audience.

Statistics:

  • The price of a 30-second Super Bowl ad has decreased for the first time in several years, with many advertisers not paying the full sticker price.
  • A record number of companies have chosen to forgo the Super Bowl this year, citing rising costs and difficulty in justifying expenditures.
  • At least seven web-only businesses will be using the Super Bowl to attract people to their sites.
  • The online impact of Super Bowl ads has grown significantly, with many advertisers achieving over a 100% gain in unique visitors and 15% of all Super Bowl viewers claiming to visit an advertiser's website.
  • The "Pepsi Refresh Project" campaign has allocated $20 million for community projects suggested and selected by consumers through social media.
  • The Super Bowl carries more ads than normal football broadcasts, with actual playing time for an entire NFL football game being an unbelievably low 12 to 15 minutes.

Sources:

  • University of Delaware
  • John Antil, Associate Professor of Marketing, Lerner College of Business and Economics
  • HCD/MediaCurves
  • The National Football League (NFL)
  • Pepsi
  • The New York Times (specific article not referenced)
  • The Washington Post (specific article not referenced)

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