Tonight’s Show Is Brought To You By…
Did your team not make it to the Super Bowl this year? Are you not the biggest Katy Perry fan in the world? Looks like you and I will be sitting down with the bowl of chips to watch the commercials, but, hey, that’s not so bad!
The spectacle of the ads is, by now, a tradition of the Super Bowl. And commercials are a staple of televised football, a sport of such stop-and-start momentum that the ads fill the spaces in between equal to the running time of the action in the game. Everyone knows by now that companies pay an arm and a leg to get ten seconds of your attention, because they know your attention will be given. Some brands play to the marking axiom: “all publicity is good publicity,” but others take the affair seriously, leaving you with a clip sometimes more memorable than the game.
Learning From Those Who Pay the Most
Only one team wins the game, but the brands that sponsor it are guaranteed to win. Below, we’ve put together a list of 5 things any brand can learn from the best and worst of Super Bowl commercials. We hope these ideas help you watch for the important moments on Sunday and use what you learn to THRIVE throughout the rest of 2015.
Strategy Before Creativity: The most memorable game-day commercials are not always the funniest or the flashiest. In an evening filled to overflowing with funny and flashy, the best marketing moments are not the best stunts, but the most strategic. For example: Pizza Hut took into account the early pre-game orders and scheduled their ads during a cheaper, but more thoughtful time. They were thinking about their audience rather than treating the day like a creativity contest.
Authenticity Matters: Think about how effective the Coca-Cola: America Is Beautiful ads are. You know the ones. They not only appeal to a wider audience, but they do it by painting an authentic picture of America. They do it without seeming over-wrought or desperate for your attention. If you can emulate a confidence and authenticity in your marketing campaign that’s anything like Coca-Cola’s, people will take notice.
Understand the Voice Of Your Audience: What images do the Super Bowl ads instantly bring to mind? Pop culture. Patriotism. Celebs. People wearing football jerseys. Businesses are aware of what their audience is really there for, and they talk to those people. Don’t ask the audience to step into your shoes. Step into theirs and show them that empathy.
People Respond Positively To… : E*TRADE says babies! And they’d be right. The same ad shows us that people respond well to surprises and shock value. Strategy may be your number one rule, but creativity is another form of good strategy. Try to come up with a message that will stick.
Repetition Is Your Friend: By this I mean that the most memorable brands become memorable because of consistency. Recognizable icons, jingles, even color schemes – lots of thought is put into making a brand image that people will recognize in any setting. This also applies to social channels. Turn your brand into its own character that people know and grow fond of.
We at Superior Business Solutions sincerely hope that this post is an effective launch pad that will help you THRIVE in 2015. Stay tuned throughout the year to hear our thoughts, hints, and reminders on how you can thrive in your personal and professional life this year. Cheers!
