An estimated 108.4 million people watched the Baltimore Ravens' defeat the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl XLVII. Source: The Nielsen Co. Fans watched 55 valuable commercial spots, worth investments of almost $4 million, per 30-second slot. But, this year, marketer’s ROI included new opportunities to connect, and real-time lessons in response.

Following the #SocialOlympics there was little doubt that fans would be active within social media during the game. Trendrr.com tracked 47.7 million social media posts, with total social activity at 52,556,473 during the Super Bowl, more than 3 times higher than last year’s game. Branded content was integrated across platforms optimizing the ability to capture fan attention and support social engagement. This year brands were able to seize our attention, respond to 30 minutes of disruption (e.g. #poweroutage) and encourage us to search for more information.

Real-time media offered advantages. Brands were engaging fans, and starting conversations, but this level of connectedness required marketers to pay attention and respond with real-time relevance. In one, now famous example, a fantastic collaborative strategy put real-time response into play for Oreo and 360i during the power outage. Oreo took advantage of the Super Bowl's third-quarter blackout, sharing the now legendary, "You can still dunk in the dark" caption, and simple image on Twitter and Facebook. The results, the post has more than 21,000 likes, 800 comments and 6,000 shares. The tweet has been favorited by thousands and re-tweeted more than 15,000 times.

Key Plays in Twitter’s Game

Critical moments measured in Tweets per minute (TPM) Source: Twitter

· Power outage: 231,500 TPM

· 108-yard kickoff return for Ravens TD by Jones: 185,000 TPM

· Jones catches 56 yard pass for Ravens TD (end of 2nd quarter): 168,000 TPM

Real-time media created the competitive difference. Oreo had the right content, and delivered it at the right time. Their response also supported lasting connections and learning. Imagine thousands of comments and shared connections that can be mined to assist new product development and innovation.

We also wanted to see what brands were actually responding, directly to fans.  Moving beyond engagement, interacting with fans and fan content in real-time. Twitter was certainly the priority platform for marketers. Hashtag strategies were incorporated into ads for most brands. Brand standard #hashtags performed best.

· #Doritos was able to garner more than 33,000 mentions via Twitter and with 50% positive sentiment from Facebook and Twitter.

· #Calvin Klein reached more than 29,000 tweets and received a 31% positive sentiment rating within Facebook and Twitter. Source: Bluefin Labs

Surprisingly, we found limited examples of brands directly responding.  A few RTs were noted, but even less comments within Facebook posts. And, very little effort to share real-time consumer generated content.  An excellent example of co-creating content,

Oreo shared fan-inspired masterpieces across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook as part of their Cookies or Cream challenge, but content was created specifically for this contest and not in real-time. Fans tag Instagram photos #cookiethis or #cremethis, and Oreo re-creates a portion of the image.

Acknowledge People who Create Unimaginable Brilliance

Fan-generated content can be very powerful simply because it is authentic. Consider sharing content that is naturally emotional, not too perfect and from the imagination of real-people. A key element of our response strategy enables people to feel a part of the experience. When their personal masterpieces are shared a very strong connection is formed.

Brands need to support occasions to celebrate original ideas and respond by sharing fan-generated content. The emotional connection of sharing fan-generated content should be orchestrated to motivate sharing. By celebrating authenticity, brands develop emotional connections and let fans know they are experiencing the games, in real-time, along with them.

Preparation for Next Year

Create content and plan messages that not only engage fans, but also enables encounters that let people feel they are personally a part of the Branded Message...The Experience…The Super Bowl. Fans become the reporters, storytellers, and their heart-felt excitement will be celebrated and shared.

Moving from a “The-Super Bowl” to a “Our-Super Bowl” mindset…

Also posted via Communica Inc...

More than that, I will respond to the marketer’s ask for me to take out my phone or tablet – ok, one will be in each hand, so taking out will be unnecessary – and I'll participate. I’ll learn more about a new product, be entertained by a brand beyond what was possible in a 30-second commercial, and even text to win.

So will millions or perhaps tens of millions of others.

Marketers buy into the Super Bowl telecast because it is the one time of the year when consumers are actually tuning in to commercials instead of muting the volume or fast-forwarding on their DVR.

Here’s an old school recipe for success:

One part new product or service offering upgrade

A tear-inducing script (Tears can be a result of hilarity or a message that pulls at the heartstrings.)

One teaspoon of a timely message (Think Valentine’s Day and/or tax season)

A cute animal or hot celebrity – or in some cases, both

A tease in the media

Yet, mobile calls to action have been missing this day of 24/7 social, mobile consumers.

Why is this an opportunity missed?

It takes that near-perfect, talked-about-for-days ad and extends its value. By including, for instance, an SMS call to action and engaging with consumers, companies can ultimately build remarketable databases that tie directly to their loyalty programs and enable ongoing communication.

Last year, Super Bowl advertisers relied on simple URLs, some of which weren’t even mobile-specific. Other ads directed consumers to social media prompts via a plethora of hashtags (Audi’s #SoLongVampires, Bud Light’s #MakeItPlatinum, H&M’s #BeckhamForHim, etc.).

Hashtags are catchy and make people want to join in on the trending. They create a following, for a short time at least. But they are hard to track and measure for true value. Instead of (or in addition to) a hashtag, why didn’t they include an SMS option for viewers to receive more information? Doing so also creates a sense of exclusivity, and allows consumers to be part of a special network of people who receive deals, coupons and other special treatments that promote customer loyalty, repeat shopping and increased purchase value.

Here are five ads that could have been improved with a simple mobile call to action:

1. GoDaddy. The brand teased viewers that its “NSFTV” ads were available online if they scanned a QR code. They could have used an SMS in addition to a QR code (which is sometimes hard for viewers to see, much less get them to fire up their scanner and capture the code onscreen before it disappears) to “see more now” that would have brought users to the coveted “Too Hot For TV Internet Only” versions. By offering multiple means of engagement, GoDaddy could have increased its reach.

2. Teleflora. This ad was racy and tied in with the upcoming “holiday of love.” Perfect timing, of course. However, it could have used a text campaign for a Valentine’s Day coupon instead of just posting teleflora.com and trusting that consumers will travel there on their own without an incentive. An initiative like this could have led to Teleflora building an opt-in list of people who like to give flowers to their loved ones and would probably do so again on their birthday or anniversary.

3. Coca-Cola and Audi. Both brands had multiple spots but did not set up the next ad. For instance, they could have created some type of scavenger hunt or delivered a message, such as, “prepare to use Shazam next time you see Coke,” to tie-in the experience across ads.

4. Best Buy. This ad was entirely about mobile innovation, yet had no mobile innovation of its own. It did not embrace the very technologies that it was commending. There was a real missed opportunity to expand on each of the founders’ stories for more consumer inclusion and engagement.

5. The movie clips (Transformers, The Avengers, John Carter, etc.). These movies were built up as the blockbusters for 2012, yet there was no incentive to check them out beyond the digital effects and big-name celebrity rosters. Think of the perks for both brands and consumers if they had incorporated a mobile campaign to see “Sneak Peaks” or an opportunity to win tickets, all while building a database of future prospects.

Will this year end with a Hallelujah?  Or will it be another sermon about opportunity lost? We shall see.