{"id":16297,"date":"2015-01-15T16:55:35","date_gmt":"2015-01-15T15:55:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.sotrender.com\/?p=16297"},"modified":"2024-04-16T14:40:21","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T12:40:21","slug":"essential-tips-for-smbs-how-to-benefit-from-super-bowl-obssesion-by-using-social-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sotrender.com\/blog\/2015\/01\/essential-tips-for-smbs-how-to-benefit-from-super-bowl-obssesion-by-using-social-media\/","title":{"rendered":"Essential tips for SMBs on how to benefit from Super Bowl obsession by using social media"},"content":{"rendered":"

Super Bowl garners a lot of attention in the USA, not only as a sports event (even though it\u2019s the third most watched singular game worldwide) but also as a marketing phenomenon. Companies prepare special campaigns, where they\u00a0spend a massive amount of money<\/a>. Smaller businesses, however, can also benefit from the \u201cSuper Bowl effect, \u201d especially if they use social media wisely. Here are some smart tips on how to leverage social media for your brand before and during the most important (American) football game, which this year falls on February 1st.<\/p>\n

Pros & cons of \u00a0Super Bowl marketing<\/h2>\n

Every year, everyone and their grandma\u00a0follows the Super Bowl. Last year\u2019s game was watched by a record 111.5 million Americans. Many watchers used social media to communicate during the Big Game (It’s unofficial nickname). Super Bowl commercials were commented on by social media users, with some of them being inspired by social media events. The popularity of hashtags related to the Super Bowl is quite the indicator of the event’s popularity. As you can see on our chart, based on data from RiteTag<\/a>, it’s already growing this year.<\/p>\n

\"Super<\/a>

#superbowl trending on Twitter: Dec 2014 – Jan 2015<\/p><\/div>\n

One example of a start-up that benefited from a Super Bowl ad is the toy company Goldie Blox, which gained a national following after their commercial aired during Super Bowl XLVIII. You probably don\u2019t have $4 million for a 30-second airtime, many medium-sized companies don\u2019t. Goldie Blox didn\u2019t have it either, but they won a contest organized by Intuit for the spot. Of course, it was an exception, but even without an ad airing during Super Bowl, you can bring attention to your brand or product using social media. They\u2019re not as expensive as advertising through traditional media and can boost your brand awareness even more effectively.<\/p>\n

The biggest drawback against using the Super Bowl in your social media marketing\u00a0is that, well… it\u2019s the Super Bowl. Social media will be cluttered, everyone will be posting, tweeting, \u00a0and commenting on the game. And let’s not forget that\u00a0you should have a long-term marketing strategy. A one-off action during the Super Bowl, even the most brilliant, likely won\u2019t have long lasting effects on your brand.<\/p>\n

How to prepare your social media for Super Bowl?<\/h2>\n
    \n
      \n
    1. First of all, think and take an informed decision if you really want to try.<\/strong> You can’t be dubious about it. As one wise-man once said: do or do not; there is no try. If it fits your marketing strategy, and you have a smart concept, it\u2019s worth a shot.<\/li>\n
    2. Think on how the Super Bowl fits your strategy – what elements related to the Big Game (e.g. \u00a0sport, fun, games) fit your brand.<\/strong> If you would like to attack a bigger player, it\u2019s good to know challenger strategies, described by Adam Morgan in his great book Eating the Big Fish: How Challenger Brands Can Compete Against Brand Leaders<\/em>. Some of the challenger strategies (see the list presented here<\/a>) like The Enlightened Zagger or The Irreverent Maverick might be a good choice in such a situation. Newcastle Brown Ale\u2019s 2014 campaign, based on a fake Super Bowl campaign and parody of Dorito\u2019s contest ad, is an example of putting such a strategy into practice:
      \n