SUMMARY: A lot of top brands have decided to forgo TV advertising for the Super Bowl. While some say it’s because of the “mood” of the country, it’s really the reality that they can spend five million dollars via digital and get better results.
According to the Financial Times “blue-chip brands such as Budweiser and Coca-Cola, which for decades have fielded memorable ads for the National Football League championship game, say they are opting out this year. CBS, the Viacom network which will broadcast the game on February 7, finished selling its inventory of commercial slots just this week, according to a person briefed on the matter. Last year’s event sold out more than two months before kick-off“.
This should be a wake-up call to a lot of advertisers and agencies.
The objective of advertising is to sell products, but too many brands have bought into the myth that having a commercial that entertains us will lead to sales. Too many marketing VP’s also like to build a name for themselves by advertising on the big game and then having their agency treat them to a luxury box.
Many commercials make me laugh or entertain me, but that doesn’t mean I’m about to buy their products. I don’t want a relationship with Oreo’s; make a good cookie.
The political division in this country has led to a steep decline in trust, which extends to brands. In fact, some brands are going to great distances to avoid the perception that they are aligned with the right.
Brands are starting to realize that they can get more for five million dollars via unique digital strategies than a 60 second Super Bowl spot. Corona beer, for example, is asking people to send in videos of their Corona Beer moments.
Frankly, TV advertising is boring and too repetitive and doesn’t make consumers want to purchase the advertised product. Take that money and put it into a POP display and FSI page, and you’ll get sales rather than a “feel-good moment.”
