Advertisers Shouldn’t Overlook Social Media Before Or After The Super Bowl

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We’re just days away from the big game – and the Super Bowl remains the one event of the year where many people tune in just to see the commercials. This year, NBC charges $6.5million per 30-second ad spot, up from $5.5million in last year. This is quite a leap from 1967’s first Super Bowl, when both CBS and NBC aired the Super Bowl. The former charged $75,000 for a 60 second spot, while the latter charged $85,000 – unheard of at the time.

For years, Super Bowl ads were often just regular commercials, but that began to change in 1980, when, during Super Bowl 14, the now famous Coca-Cola commercial – titled “Hey Kid, Catch” – in which “Mean” Joe Greene gives his game jersey to a young boy aired. Although it premiered during the NFL fall season 1979, audiences loved it on Super Bowl Sunday.

Only four years later, the first truly game-changing ad was created.

The commercial was Apple’s “1984” advertisement, and it was shown during Super Bowl 18. Directed by film maker Ridley Scott, it had cost about $375,000 to produce – while the average commercial spot that year was $525,000. This was quite a sum considering the company was not yet well-known. However, it was seen by 85 millions people. The spot continues to be one of our most popular commercials.

It was the other way around. 2.Time the advertisement was aired. It was broadcast just before midnight on December 31st 1983 on several western U.S stations so it could qualify for 1984 Clio Awards.

It is also unlike most of the current ads, which can only be seen for a few weeks AfterThe “1984” advertisement was not broadcast once more. You can find it on YouTube.

Advertisements in 2022

Many of today’s biggest ads are now appearing in days leading to major games. Even if there is no excitement in the game, some ads may go viral on social media.

Super Bowl commercials are a great investment because people tend to pay close attention. Some people actually view the Super Bowl with this mindset,” Julianna Kirschner from the USC master of communication management program said.

Kirschner, via email, explained that “but as the prices for Super Bowl ads soars it can become more complicated for organizations as we develop our strategic plans.” The best place to launch and sustain a Super Bowl advertising campaign is social media. Social media is often structured, which means that what someone sees on their social media feeds may differ from what they see in another’s.

Additionally, people who don’tSuper Bowl Sunday ads will not be shown to viewers if they don’t tune in due to the influence and reach of social media.

“The platforms create algorithms that separate people according to what users are interested in seeing. Kirschner stated that companies could benefit from this structural division because they already have an audience. Kirschner said that audiences that have been primed for a company’s messaging can amplify their content via original tweets, replies, and sharing, making it more loud for others who might fall under the same or similar algorithmic classifications. You can connect with people interested in your brand through live tweeting. They can then engage with the organization’s content, even if their attention is drawn to it via the Super Bowl commercial.

How to Maximize Your Ad Campaign

The question here is not how to maximize exposure for ads given the cost of them, but how can social media help?

There are many sides to this story. Super Bowl advertisements are too expensive for their air time. This is one argument. Advertising agencies can get more bang for their buck by investing elsewhere such as with influencers or more targeted ads via social media.

Some advertisers may also consider using a guerrilla marketing strategy to make ads that mimic the Super Bowl advertisements by adding to or mocking them. Campbell said that this can be an effective way to draw attention to another brand’s ads and is cost-effective.

Campbell said, “The second argument is that Super Bowl advertisements are worth the cost because of all the publicity they generate.” This is similar to the idea of “re-read” in print media (magazines, newspapers), where advertisers have a better understanding than most people about what they will read. Because ads get more attention, the more they are re-read in a publication is more valuable. Super Bowl ads are not only watched during the match, but they’re also watched on YouTube before and after the event. They also receive lots of media attention. All of these extra eyes might help make Super Bowl ads seem reasonable priced.

Associate professor of communication at Maryville University, Dustin York said that ad buyers must be proactive and not reactive.

The Super Bowl viewers share two common characteristics. They all experience the same thing simultaneously and will be able to access the game via at least one device. York said that businesses have the chance to use social media to report on what millions are simultaneously experiencing.

Even for those companies who didn’t purchase a spot, there can be other opportunities.

 “Remember the ‘Oreo tweet’ that went viral as soon as the Super Bowl stadium lights went out in 2013,” York noted. Business owners should make sure that someone is on their social teams who can create content to engage with a national conversation sparked off by the Super Bowl.

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