5 Marketing Tips from the Big Game

February 17, 2023

If you’re like the rest of us, you tuned in to this year’s very entertaining Super Bowl. While the matchup was a thrilling one between the fiery Philadelphia Eagles and the eventual champion Kansas City Chiefs, there was more than enough intrigue and wander to go around for even those who are not sports fanatics. From superstar entertainer Rihanna revealing a new baby bump during her halftime show to a wide range of celebrity cameos in the crowd, the Super Bowl gave plenty of sights and sounds to be excited about.

However, in the marketing world, the Super Bowl keeps our eyes glued to the screens for different reasons than most. In reality, it gives us a rare chance to get a glimpse into the minds of some of the biggest, most successful brands in the world. According to Nielsen, arguably the most trusted information, data and market measurement firm in the country, an astounding 113 million viewers tuned in to watch the Big Game. With so many eyes, it made perfect sense why the world’s most recognizable brands paid and lobbied for a chance to score ad space. While you may not be in a position to afford a Super Bowl ad just yet, there were tons of things we learned from watching that can help you grow and expand your business. Here’s the Howl list of the top 5 marketing tips you should adopt.

Always Promote Your Brand

Let’s get back to Rihanna for a bit. It was a surprise to many when the pop star was announced as the performer for the highly-anticipated Super Bowl half-time show. After all, fans have been clamoring for new music for years and she has kept her focus on her different business ventures. In fact, while taking a long break from making albums (her last release was 2017’s “Anti”), Rihanna famously became a billionaire (that’s right, major moves), in large part to the launch of her now popular cosmetics brand, Fenty Beauty. Well, if there’s one thing we can all learn from Rih Rih it’s that you should always take advantage of high exposure moments to promote your entire portfolio. In a famous clip from her Super Bowl performance, the songstress can be seen taking a break to look in a handheld mirror and apply makeup (her makeup, Fenty Beauty, of course). According to Launchmetrics, that performance helped garner over $5 million in media impact value for the makeup brand in just 12 hours. How can you apply this to your business? When you go to the gym after work, wear a t-shirt with your company’s name and logo on it. If you’re attending a conference that gives you a chance to meet new clients, hand out pens with your company’s information. Her performance was a reminder that you should always be promoting your brand.

Hire the Right Help

As marketers, we always tend to pay more attention to the Super Bowl commercials than anything else. Well, as always during the Big Game, a consistent theme centered around big name celeb endorsements. In one of the most talked about commercials, Dunkin’ (formerly Dunkin Donuts), snagged power couple Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck for their ad. The hilarity ensues when J-Lo pulls up to the drive-thru and finds that her super star husband is taking orders. The commercial ends with her famously asking him to grab her a glazed donut before she speeds off. Other commercials on the day featured everyone from P. Diddy to John Travolta and Serena Williams, who appeared in two ads on the day. Don’t panic; we are not asking you to blow your entire marketing budget by hiring a celebrity. Instead, use this as a reminder to bring in the right help. This could mean someone to handle your email marketing and social media so that you get better engagement and brand awareness. Or perhaps you need someone with SEO experience to take your business to the next level. Don’t be afraid to invest in yourself by hiring the right help.

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Take Smart Risks

While there were some amazing ads this time around, many also missed the mark by playing it too safe. When you get an opportunity to make an impression, the last thing you want to do is come off as boring and forgettable. According to MarketingDive, fans thought that many of this year’s commercials were not impactful at all. As you put your marketing efforts together for your business, don’t be afraid to take risks. If you always use quotes on your social media, step outside your comfort zone and add some charts and graphics next time. Or maybe you run a monthly ad in a local magazine. Next time around, change it up completely to add some shock factor. Sometimes marketing is a no risk, no reward business. Think about ways you can push the envelope and help transform your company.

Market Wisely

While the average spot for a Super Bowl ad costs approximately $6 million, you can plan your marketing strategies out for a lot less and still gain great success. While many of the companies that marketed their brands at the game were already successful, they knew that the Super Bowl presented a rare chance to promote a new product or introduce a feature to millions of people at once. As you plan out your marketing efforts, make sure that you look for opportunities that provide maximum exposure while impacting your target audience. This could be anything from placing your billboard at a particular exit to deciding what tech summits you want to attend in person this year and what ones are not worth your time.

Know Your Competition

No matter how you cut it, an event of this magnitude comes with a certain level of competition. There’s always the jostling for top position between phone company giants Verizon and AT&T. Oh, and we can’t forget the beer companies, Bud Light and Coors, going at each other as well as the never ending creative war between Android and Apple. In the world of marketing, stakes will always be high and you will always have a competitor. This is true regardless of whether you are a local moving company or an international marketing agency. If you gain any inspiration from the Super Bowl and its marketing techniques, let it be a major reminder to study and know your competition. This is an excellent way for you to avoid copying their techniques and it helps you be unique and create things they never even thought of.

We hope that these marketing tips help you take your company to the next level in 2023. Be sure to continue to follow Howl Marketing for more tips and contact us here if you need help with any of your campaigns or marketing initiatives.