It seems that on the biggest advertising day of the year, brands are entering a new evolution of marketing.
During this year’s Super Bowl, consumers chose the endings of their favorite commercials, wrote scripts, unlocked exclusive brand content, submitted photos, and even named a baby foul on behalf of Budweiser. Along with wings, beer, and football, it appears that participating with brands has become a game day staple.
Some brands, like Doritos, are no stranger to collaborative Super Bowl spots. “Crash the Superbowl” turned seven this year, and the campaign has landed the brand in the Top 5 favorite ads in USA Today’s AdMeter every year since its 2007 premier. In 2009, 2011, and 2012, commercials submitted by Doritos fans snagged the #1 AdMeter spot (source: Mashable).
Others, like Ford, newly embraced consumer collaboration. This year, Ford invited Lincoln fans to “Steer the Script,” featuring user-submitted road trip stories acquired on Twitter in both print and television spots.
In fact, 20% of 2013’s 35 Super Bowl advertisers incorporated some form of consumer involvement into their marketing. That’s a noticeable shift when only four brands featured hashtags during 2012 Super Bowl commercials. This year, consumers guided a big chunk of the multi-million dollar game day... Read more
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Consumer Collaboration Dominates Super Bowl Sunday Commercials
What Obama’s Victory Should Signal for Marketers: 3 Key Lessons Learned
The 2012 presidential election will be discussed for years, especially amongst Washington’s political junkies. Those of us who work in marketing have much to learn from Obama’s campaign as well. Despite being severely outspent and a well documented rocky first four years in office, Obama won all but one swing state and was reelected in a decisive victory.
While the efficacy of each candidate’s political messaging can be debated, their respective marketing strategies cannot; Obama’s team definitively won on this front by leveraging the most current strategies available to marketers. The 2012 race is a case study in just how real and important it is continually stay ahead of the latest marketing developments. Just as Obama did, marketers with lesser budgets can outsmart competitors by recognizing a few key principles that are now critical to a brand’s marketing strategy.
1. Brands Need a Strong Ground Game
Perhaps the most talked about element of Obama’s successful campaign was the ground game. Utilizing the latest technology, Obama was able to connect with his most passionate fans and get them to the voting booths. Much has also been cited... Read more
