The Super Bowl is more than just two teams battling it out for bragging rights. Over the years, it has served as the stage for not only drama on the field, but also in marketing. It’s the one of the few times where advertising is openly celebrated and marketing lessons abound. This year, there were quite a few marketing take-aways that can help you improve your own business. Let’s take a look at five key marketing lessons we can glean from this year’s event.
You either put it all out there, or you get lost in the crowd.
#1 – Go Big or Go Home
When it comes to the big stage – there’s no room for mediocrity. You either put it all out there, or you get lost in the crowd. When companies are spending millions of dollars on ads, when jobs are on the line and the difference of a few digits can mean the biggest loss of your season, you have to give everything you’ve got.
The same applies to your everyday business. While you may not be able to give 150% every single day, when you need to stand out in a busy genre you have to give better than your best. The companies and brands that really resonate with people are the ones that are known for going the extra mile – for doing the little bit more than what’s expected.
#2 – Leverage All Available Resources
When you’re the center of attention and all eyes are on you, you need to do more than just spread your message. You need to leverage all available tools to get people interacting with your company. Super Bowl advertisers, networks and even the NFL accomplished this by asking viewers to visit websites for polls, share tweets or submit ideas.
While you may not have access to the audience that the Super Bowl attracts, you can still take advantage of this technique in your own business. If you are having an article of yours shown on a well-known website, you can use the opportunity to ask readers to vote about something on your own website. If you are hosting a webinar or even an actual seminar, you can encourage people to go further by visiting your website to download free worksheets or templates. The same creativity big companies use to leverage increased exposure should be put into use whenever you’ve garnered your own extra exposure.
#3 – Be Prepared for Anything
One of the more memorable moments in this years Super Bowl was the thirty minute power outage. It’s interesting to note that Twitter saw a 34% spike during the power outage. Some companies saw this as an opportunity to promote their brands and acted quickly. For instance, Oreo and Tide quickly posted ads on Facebook referencing the power outage.
Even PBS joined in with this tweet:
The marketing lesson here is to make sure you’re prepared enough to be able to use any scenario to promote your business or your brand. These were moments that garnered these brands quite a bit of unexpected attention because they were prepared to act.
#4 – Know What Your Audience Wants
When you’re spending millions of dollars on an ad, you need to make sure it’s going to resonate with your audience and attract broad attention. Generally speaking, Super Bowl ads are about creating something funny and memorable. This year, however, there were quite a few emotional and inspiring ads deemed as viewer favorites.
This goes to show that you don’t always have to be funny to go viral. You just need to connect on an emotional level with your audience. If humor isn’t something that works with your marketing messages, consider trying the inspiring and emotional tactic instead.
#5 – Competition Breeds Strength
The Super Bowl isn’t just about two teams competing. There’s also a fierce competition for best Super Bowl ad and, let’s be honest, we’re always comparing half-time performers with years past. Competition doesn’t always feel like the most favorable aspect of your business, but when it comes to the big stage, it can help take you from good to best, from great to mind-blowing.
This type of competition should not only be welcome, but even sought out. Sometimes you need a cause or an adversary to help bring out your best. A worthy opponent can help push you to reach heights you never realized you could. You may have to work harder or longer, but when two companies or players get stronger and stronger at their skills, everyone wins.
What were your take-aways from this year’s Super Bowl? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!
