Everyone gears up for the infamous Super Bowl every year – but it’s not just the football we like to pay attention to. Although the whole point is surrounding the winning team of the tournament or catching Travis Kelce’s greatest moments, we want to follow how the big brands use marketing to their advantage. It’s a stage where some of the brand giants worldwide come together to compete against one another for attention. And how do they do this? Marketing.
Many people aren’t aware that marketing stems way beyond those 20-second commercial breaks. The ad breaks bring with them plenty of marketing prowess, yet they don’t deliver nearly as much ROI as some of the other types of digital marketing tactics that are available. These larger brands usually invest in commercials as their sole form of advertisement and spend the big bucks because they have a larger budget available. But what’s the point in spending on ads if you aren’t going to brand out your marketing plan?
In this blog, we’re going to explore the multichannel marketing techniques that were used in parallel to these huge commercials. From TV screens to social media feeds, it’s time we deep dive into how brands wove their campaigns throughout the whole season.
First things first – what is omnichannel marketing?
In the marketing landscape of today’s world, there isn’t one specific platform that can carry the weight of an entire campaign. Because of this, omnichannel marketing is used – and it’s a customer-centric approach that brings all channels in to deliver a unified and consistent presence across all touch points. Super Bowl brands know this strategy all too well – which is why most don’t rely only on expensive TV adverts to do the work for them. No matter if it is for the most popular sport in Canada, soccer in Europe or the hero of this text Super Bowl – the household name brands are out there creating a seamless omnichannel experience – without you even realizing it. Every time you watch the game, place a bet, or tune in with friends, there is an abundance of marketing tactics going on behind the scenes.
From the moment you walk down the street, to tuning in on your phone, brands now use omnichannel approaches to link their ads to all touch points. This saves on money by using the same ad but also makes sure that as much of the market is targeted as possible. Now compare it to the 30-second advert that was made for a couple of million dollars, and notice how it’s just a high-budget moment in front of millions. However, when the same brand reinforces that exact message with their other channels, it creates a ripple effect and turns into a conversation beyond gameplay.
The cheapest marketing method? User-generated content
One of the newer yet most versatile forms of marketing we saw during the recent Super Bowl has to be UGC. Huge brands like Pepsi, Mcdonald’s, and Domino’s know that no amount of paid advertising can beat true authenticity. This is real people showing their real experiences, which relates to the average person a lot more than a shiny sports car on a TV screen. Big brands like Uber Eats managed to harness the power of the people by bringing in influencers and everyday people to share their messages across social media. They released a captivating advert (as usual) but backed it up by encouraging viewers to engage, create, and share their own content relating to the brand.
Here’s how UGC is utilized during the Super Bowl and how it can help you:
- Audience participating: Doritos and Pepsi are renowned for bringing fans in to take part in their challenges. This encourages people to talk, which then gets the news around about your brand. For instance, Doritos did challenges that got the everyday viewer to submit creative content – thus meaning that spectators then turn into creators.
- Authenticity and trust: The best way to get your brand seen in the marketing world is by building a brand that speaks to people. UGC is natural, real-life, and has an authentic feeling – which resonates more with a person than shiny adverts on the TV. If you engage with the customer in this way, they will build a rapport with your brand and remember you in a positive light.
- Free reach: One thing about marketing is that it can be a little expensive (just ask the Super Bowl commercial breaks). UGC means that users post content relating to your brand, and it is completely free. This, in a sense, is then free advertising, which helps you get seen by a whole new market of people – at no extra cost.
The Super Bowl is the biggest stage in the world for football, but it’s also a huge marketing ploy to get your brand seen. If you’re looking to take charge and get ahead in your planning for 2025, then create a marketing strategy around people. As we’ve seen from the larger companies, you shouldn’t rely on the big budgets alone – but bridge all of the elements together to reach wider audiences on many other channels. Omnichannel marketing is and will continue to thrive, as it’s a way for brands to get more visibility.
