If you were part of the 100 million viewers who tuned in to CBS to watch the Super Bowl this year, ask yourself this: Who was the advertiser you saw the most? It’s likely that CBS definitely ranks high in your memory. Not only did CBS receive honors for having the highest-rated ad during the Super Bowl (its Person of Interest ad that aired at 10:31 p.m. EST won a household rating of 47.4, according to Kantar Media), but the network also significantly increased its advertising efforts since the Super Bowl of 2012, with 13 ads for its own programming between kickoff and the first half, compared to last year’s six. Considering that Super Bowl ads were going for about $4 million per 30-second spot, it’s interesting that CBS chose to promote its programming over the several million in direct revenue it could have earned from sponsor ads. But if you look at CBS’ decision beyond immediate ad dollars, you’ll start to wonder why more brands in online video aren’t following suit. Using tune-in ads for their own network, CBS tapped into a giant audience of captivated viewers (some of whom were watching just for the commercials); CBS was able to promote new and existing content, and beyond creating the ads, CBS didn’t have to pay for the extra exposure besides opportunity cost. When you have an engaged audience and the endless possibilities of digital video, why wouldn’t you use the chance to promote yourself?

Online publishers can take a tip from the television networks

TV networks have been capitalizing on tune-in ads for a while now (e.g., Fox, Spike, AMC, and CBS), and they wouldn’t do it if there wasn’t a payoff. CBS’ pay off may not have been immediate (its primetime lineup the following Monday had very little growth when compared with its recent Monday lineup of first-run episodes), but it sure left an impression on viewers who may not have been aware of their full programming lineup. Too bad I can’t watch The Job anymore due to its cancellation, but it certainly caught my eye. (I guess there aren't enough workplace enthusiasts like me out there.) And while there’s no guarantee of a direct correlation, a week after the Super Bowl, Nielsen ratings showed that CBS took 8 of the 10 top spots in ratings for the week ending on Sunday, February 10, knocking out Fox top-ranking shows from a few weeks back. CNBC is another example of a network that does tune-in advertising well. CNBC promotes its nighttime lineup branded “CNBC Prime” throughout the day to audiences who are glued to their screens for stock market news. This comes in the form of linear ads (video-based advertising) and non-linear ads (overlays at the bottom of the screen).

Other than the obvious benefit of advertising with little direct cost, riding the coattails of already popular content makes a lot of sense. So why does it seem that online publishers aren’t tapping in? Too often, ad spots online go unfilled. Unlike broadcasters and cable programmers who must fill advertising slots with ads, online publishers are letting good inventory go to waste by jumping directly to the content when they don’t have an ad. Instead of letting ad spots go empty, wouldn’t it make more sense to use some unsold inventory to encourage the user to stay tuned-in or come back later or visit another related section or property? Advertisers aren’t earning money anyway, so why shouldn’t they get the most out of the view and advertise themselves? Even when they do have enough advertisements to serve during the videos, they should also consider including their own ads in the mix, beyond just the simple bumper.

Use tune-in to promote your cross-platform presence

Tune-in ads can be especially helpful for cross-platform promotions. In the case of television meets internet, if someone on Fox’s website is watching American Idol clips, the network has an option to either earn revenue running a preroll for Coke or to capture a new viewer for Glee on television by running a tune-in ad. Fox already knows the viewer enjoys musical content, and American Idol and Glee aren’t that far off from each other. Yes, Fox might miss out on the initial ad revenue, but building up their audience base for other shows will generate more money down the road. AMC (the cable channel) also seems to understand the value of self promotion. Before I could watch a behind-the-scenes clip for The Walking Dead on its website, I enjoyed an AMC preroll for The Walking Dead video game. I didn’t know there was a video game based on the show, and I’m sure a lot of others who came across that preroll didn’t, either. Sure, AMC didn’t get the money they would have by running a sponsor’s ad, but they will reap delayed benefits when people purchase or buzz about the video game. I’m not implying that publishers should be just like CBS during the Super Bowl and be constantly promoting themselves. Staying revenue positive should always be your first priority, but publishers should also include themselves in promotional mix, especially if they have a presence on multiple platforms.

Rewards worth waiting for

Video is a very lucrative media channel, and publishers should use tune-in advertising at every touch point possible to drive more video viewership. Even when the benefits aren’t always immediate, tune-in ads can significantly reinforce your publishing property and brand. Make sure that the next time your audience is considering watching content – whatever the category – they think of you. This is especially relevant for those publishers who are frequented by search-engine audiences (audiences who end up on your site because they were searching for news, travel tips, recipes, etc.) because they may not have encountered you otherwise. Understandably, today’s video advertising is already difficult to manage, but if there is one more lesson that digital video can adopt from television, it is self-promoting through tune-in advertising.

What ads came out in the Top 10?

1. Doritos
2. Ram Trucks
3. Budweiser Clydesdale
4. Audi
5. Taco Bell
6. M&M
7. Tide
8. Coca-Cola
9. Budweiser Black Crown
10. Bud Light

So how does this compare to the data out there?

According to a post from a fellow iMedia Connection blogger, some of the same brands "scored" in social media including Taco Bell, Budweiser, Ram and Audi. There were different brands that hit the top 10 mentioned on social media though including GoDaddy, Calvin Klein, and Fast and Furious (Universal). However, these brands all had low positive sentiment suggesting they were discussed but not liked.

When compared to the most viewed videos on YouTube, there were a few different brands that were most viewed online like Mercedes, Volkswagen, and Best Buy.

And what sites or apps did viewers use while watching the Superbowl? The Dynamic Logic poll showed the top 3 were Facebook, Twitter and Google+ which beat out other social sites/apps and sports-related ones like Viggle or SportsStream.

It looks like the San Francisco 49ers couldn't quite make it past the Baltimore Ravens in this year's Super Bowl. In business, we also strive to pull ahead and stand out among leading competitors. Winning customers in a business arena can be a challenge. So, when faced head-on with competition, will your website stack up or are you just throwing a Hail Mary?

1st Down - Branding: Does your website and homepage reflect your product or services and who you are as a company? If the first impression of your website does not resonate with your demographic, you have lost their attention at kickoff. A cohesive brand image and identity is essential to gain credibility among your consumers or clients.

2nd Down - Layout: Ease of navigation is key to pull readers into your content without overloading them with data and endless text. Think of your layout like a game plan where you want clients to look, click and how they drive into your website will steer them to take action or forfeit the search altogether. Simple, organized layout wins hand over fist against dense copy, dozens of tabs and multiple, competing messages.

3rd Down - Subscribers: Capturing visitors is a must; and integrating email marketing is the first step to turning these new subscribers and leads into loyal customers. Make the call to action simple and provide something immediate of value. Continue educating and send relevant communication for these prospects to stay engaged with you and your company.

Touchdown! Fans: Done all of the above? Fantastic. Now integrate a blog and social media channels that your business utilizes. Get up close and personal with customers and clients, hear their praise and criticism of your industry and learn to be transparent- love this. Knowing your audience on a personal level will be invaluable, and the insights can leverage your business ahead of the game.

Extra Point - Content Strategy: From the copy on your homepage, to articles on your blog and pictures and questions asked on social media, creating a compelling message and valuable content unites all elements of your brand. Know your voice, where you want to position your business in the industry and your customers' trust and loyalty will follow.

Need a conversion?
Think you may be lacking in one or more of these areas? No problem. Give us a call or shoot us an email today and we will get you and your website trained and ready for the big game.

After laying out oodles of cash for television time and impressive spots, what do you do next to help cement your success? This year, you probably did a couple things. You previewed the spot online to build buzz. You made sure your website supported the brand proposition on click through. And in most cases, you built in multi-channel social engagement during and after the game.

But if you’re a marketer at Chrysler, Audi, Mercedes Benz, Skechers or any of the movie studios advertising big new movies, you forgot to think about the guy on the sofa with a smartphone in his hands. Especially the one who was interested in your brand. That’s right – you spent millions to reach consumers in a high-impact environment but didn’t build a mobile site to let them take action right away on the interest your ad created. In fact, nearly half of Super Bowl advertisers didn’t have a mobile site.

To quantify what they missed:

• In 2010, Pew Internet found that in the 30-49 age cohort, 43% of Americans now access the internet on their smartphones. (A 12 point increase over 2009.)
• Among the 18-29 year olds, that number increases to 65%.

And to put it in perspective alongside Twitter:

• Of the 30-49 age cohort, only 7% use Twitter.
• Among 18-29 year olds, just 14%.

To be fair, social media strategies we saw this year had more to them than Twitter – Audi’s “estate sale” Facebook promotion, for example. But Audi’s other big social concept was based on driving use of a conceptual hashtag – and consequently was aimed at a tiny fraction of their audience. (Among 50 – 64 year olds – those likely to buy a big fat Audi A8 – only 6% used Twitter, as of December 2010.) I’m sure the agency would point out that small groups of highly influential individuals tend to profile well against both advanced social media use and likelihood to influence purchasers. I know I’d probably haul out that rationale, but I’m not sure I’d really be able to feel good about it.

And if you’re Chrysler, and you just spent millions on a spot that powerfully communicates a new positioning for a company attempting to rise from its own ashes – how do you justify not providing an immediate next step?

For anyone looking for Super Bowl advertisers with great mobile sites that really delivered on the next step, check out Kia, Hyundai, GoDaddy, and VW. And be sure not to miss SalesForce’s mobile microsite for Chatter, which let you start the signup process for a free trial in a beautifully simple way – and gives Salesforce what they needed to follow up with you through your work email, thus moving the conversation from your living room sofa to the office. The site’s not elegant, but it’s remarkably effective at furthering prospect engagement.

I know from personal experience how hard it can be for the agency to affect decisions about the website; in many cases, the client’s marketing organizations are structured to split ownership of site and campaign decision-making and budgeting. And site development roadmaps are often built with far longer lead times than campaigns. These are gaps best closed by senior client-side marketers. The data is there to justify it – is the will?

Robert Davis is SVP Digital Marketing at PJA advertising + marketing. This post was written with research support from Tessa Sandler.

The big conversation at the iMedia Summit today has been focusing on the Superbowl advertisements - no surprise really given the event kicked off with a Superbowl party & Bob Garfield's opening keynote was a deconstruction of the ads.

The biggest talking point with this crowd: Google's ad. Most love it (in fact I just polled 24 brand marketers & 15 loved it while only 2 didn't like it). Yesterday during the Superbowl my CEO Rob Key leant over to Craig Daitch & I seconds after the spot aired and said "how long until we see a parody of that online?"

Well, Slate didn't disappoint with this satirical take on the ad seen through the eyes of Tiger Wood's search history after that fateful day in November:

Hat tip to our good friends at Agency Spy! And stay tuned to our @Converseon Twitter account for updates from the conference. This post cross-posted from the Converseon blog.