Like most of the US, I look forward to Superbowl Sunday to eat myself silly, have a few laughs with people I enjoy and watch the Superbowl. I admit, I’m not much of a football watcher but I’ve always enjoyed the new commercials and maybe the half time show. Traditionally, the millions spent for each :30 sec. spot lasted exactly that, :30 sec. This year, advertisers brillliantly employed Inbound Marketing techniques to get the most out of their $3.5 million investment.
A couple weeks ago, I searched for “2012 Superbowl Commericals” and was quite surprised to see how many were already posted. Not only were they posted but longer versions were available and buzz was already spreading by bloggers, consumer word of mouth and general comments posted on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+. Smart marketers understand the power of Inbound Marketing and that people simply search for what they’re interested in. Face it, if advertisers are spending $3.5 million per :30 sec. spot, they better be smart about getting people to see their content.
Are these online ads really Inbound Marketing at work? Absolutely! Here’s how:
1. They’re searchable – a simple Google search for “2012 Superbowl Commercials” quickly highlights the newest available content.
2. They’re attractable – targets and prospects (in this case, viewers) are not only entertained by these great spots but they’re exposed to the brands’ content and sales message.
3. They encourage conversion – interestingly, many of this year’s spots contain very little product “sell”, they are strictly designed to drive viewers to the brands’ websites. While offers are not necessarily embedded in the creative, any web viewer visiting the primary website is treated to a host of benefit content, online discounts, coupons, recipes and even Superbowl party tips.
4. They create buzz – social media channels have been buzzing about these spots for weeks. While the actual spots during the game may not be so exciting since they’ve already been viewed, they do let game watchers point out their favorities to the crowd (I made everybody hush for Volkswagen’s barking dogs). Spots posted well before the game had MILLIONS of views before they even aired! I wonder how many repeat views of Honda’s Ferris Bueller spot occurred by the simple question “How many references did you spot” – by the way, I saw 19/24 after three views.
What were your favorites? Which ones do you think were fabulous? Flops? I think Volkswagen outdid themselves not only with the buzz generating barking dogs but the nice surpirse spot they gave us of the exercising dog in a commercial playing in the Star Wars cantina – with the Vader kid!
Bravo to the brands that implemented Inbound Marketing into their Superbowl efforts this year.
Want to know how Inbound Marketing can create buzz for your brand? Download our Step by Step Guide to Inbound Marketing.
