SUMMARY: Once again the hype machine is in full operational mode for Super Bowl commercials that, in most cases, are a waste of money. It clearly shows that frustrated creative directors, who envision themselves as the next Steven Spielberg, and the “business” of marketing are in full swing.
It’s reported that Budweiser is going to spend $15 million on spots for the upcoming Super Bowl. Are there any clever or cute spots for Bud going to bring more people back to a brand that is losing market share because of changes in the market?
The bottom line objective for advertising is that it’s supposed to drive sales. Spots are supposed to inform and educate consumers so they purchase your product. Even the best and funniest ads cannot save lousy products.
Those of us who have been in marketing understand that spots on the Super Bowl are really not about sales; they are about the business of advertising where agencies wine and dine clients in luxury suites at the game.
Of course, if you’re introducing a new product the Super Bowl is a great venue but that doesn’t always work if there’s no demand or people could care less about a new model auto.
Among brands hoping to raise awareness of new products is Kraft for its Devour frozen foods and Bumble a dating app. While this makes sense could they have taken that $5 million for more targeted ads on and offline? for them to be successful they are going to need to blitz all marketing channels including FSI’s.
As for Bumble, today, there are millions of people on thousands of dating sites looking for their perfect match, whether that’s for a hookup, date, relationship, or marriage. But obstacles are persent.
According to a report, 15 percent of 20- to 24-year-olds have not had sex since turning 18, up from 6 percent in the early 1990s. And a study published in the same journal last year found that although millennials are more accepting of extramarital sex than earlier generations, they reported fewer sexual partners than any group since the 1960s.
According to Online Dating Magazine, there are more than 7,500 online dating websites — over 2,500 in the United States and 5,000 around the world. In addition, Pew found that online dating still has some stigma surrounding it. Approximately, 29% of those surveyed in 2005 agreed with the statement “People who use online dating sites are desperate.” In 2005, that number had shrunk to 23%.
For there brands like Pepsi or Doritos, a Super Bowl spot is just a waste of many and is not going to translate into more sales. It is, however, going to allow agency people and VP’s of marketing to pat themselves on the back to say “look what I did” while sales either remain flat or are declining because of the
