I'm a sports fan, and because of that I'll be watching the Super Bowl this Sunday. Living in Indianapolis, I can't help but root for Peyton Manning to win a second Super Bowl ring. That's reason enough to be excited about the big game this weekend.
But as a marketing professional, the most creative advertising messages of the year will be unleashed on the general public starting about about noon on Sunday. Technically, you can see many of this year's commercials on YouTube and other sites that are previewing the message.
Previewing your TV commercial seems odd on so many levels. First, isn't it amazing that people actually WANT to preview a TV commercial? But for the advertisers, usually the goal is to keep things under wraps until the big unveiling during the game. As prices and expectations continue to grow for Super Bowl advertising, there is a need for as much pregame hype as possible.
Pricing for a typical :30 spot in the TV broadcast has reportedly topped $4 million. That seems insane; or does it?
The excitement of a potential Manning victory will have a lot of people watching, beyond the typical Denver or Indianapolis crowd. Manning is by far the biggest name in the NFL, and his presence could help spike viewership.
Check out these six graphics focused on the Super Bowl advertising bonaza:
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-01-20/super-bowl-ad-insanity-explained-in-six-charts#r=read
Businessweek does a good job of showing the rising cost of advertising for the Super Bowl, compared with the rise of viewership.
Enjoy the display of the advertising world's most creatively crafted messages, and enjoy the game! -- Go Broncos!
Monday, January 27, 2014
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
How big data can steal information from your smartphone to provides marketing and advertising insight
Perhaps I should be afraid of big data for the intrusions that it brings into my life. For all of my concerns, I'm still overwhelmed with curiosity with all the positives that can come from big data used for good. For me, I think the difference is that I've made the decision to offer up data willingly, knowing that there are benefits.
I just finished dinner, and checked in on Foursquare. Tonight's restaurant did not offer a discount, but I've found more than my share of discounts and coupons through the use of this social media outlet. I check in, allow retailers to see who I am and what my shopping habits are. The trade off to allowing that peek into my life is often times a free appetizer, dessert or 10% off the bill. They gain data, I save money creating a win-win situation.
The Wall Street Journal had a very interesting article today, detailing another way big data is being collected. This time, the individuals are not giving up the data voluntarily. Turnstyle Solutions Inc. is a Toronto business that is monitoring the smartphones of individuals, gleaning information about lifestyles, shopping patterns and more. All of this is gained through electronic monitors placed in businesses who subscribe to the service, and all of this done without the permission of the smartphone owners.
Turnstyle is currently collecting data from about 200 businesses in a small portion of downtown Toronto. The results are remarkable, and offer a glimpse into how marketing will likely change in the coming years. As the article points out, a restaurant owner no longer needs to guess what promotion might work with his clientele. He can merely look at the data and develop a tailor made promotion based on real data. The prospects are limitless.
Recently, I touched on how I could see Comcast using viewership data from their cable subscribers to provide better programming and better targeted advertising on their network NBC. No doubt cellphone companies can do the similar things, based on tracking the signal of subscribers and through monitoring web traffic.
The legal issues are still a concern. The libertarian mindset I often operate from does not like the idea of anyone spying on me, be it a government or my cellphone provider. When the information is voluntary, I don't have an issue with it, and in fact like to reap the benefits. While I am fascinated by the technology presented in the Wall Street Journal article, it is a troubling to think the information is being taken without authorization.
Check out the article for yourself: http://on.wsj.com/19rP71U
Pete Van Baalen is a dynamic marketing professional specializing in traditional and digital marketing platforms with over 25 years in media and marketing experience. From Central Indiana (Indianapolis), you can reach Pete at pete.vanbaalen@gmail.com.
I just finished dinner, and checked in on Foursquare. Tonight's restaurant did not offer a discount, but I've found more than my share of discounts and coupons through the use of this social media outlet. I check in, allow retailers to see who I am and what my shopping habits are. The trade off to allowing that peek into my life is often times a free appetizer, dessert or 10% off the bill. They gain data, I save money creating a win-win situation.
The Wall Street Journal had a very interesting article today, detailing another way big data is being collected. This time, the individuals are not giving up the data voluntarily. Turnstyle Solutions Inc. is a Toronto business that is monitoring the smartphones of individuals, gleaning information about lifestyles, shopping patterns and more. All of this is gained through electronic monitors placed in businesses who subscribe to the service, and all of this done without the permission of the smartphone owners.
Turnstyle is currently collecting data from about 200 businesses in a small portion of downtown Toronto. The results are remarkable, and offer a glimpse into how marketing will likely change in the coming years. As the article points out, a restaurant owner no longer needs to guess what promotion might work with his clientele. He can merely look at the data and develop a tailor made promotion based on real data. The prospects are limitless.
Recently, I touched on how I could see Comcast using viewership data from their cable subscribers to provide better programming and better targeted advertising on their network NBC. No doubt cellphone companies can do the similar things, based on tracking the signal of subscribers and through monitoring web traffic.
The legal issues are still a concern. The libertarian mindset I often operate from does not like the idea of anyone spying on me, be it a government or my cellphone provider. When the information is voluntary, I don't have an issue with it, and in fact like to reap the benefits. While I am fascinated by the technology presented in the Wall Street Journal article, it is a troubling to think the information is being taken without authorization.
Check out the article for yourself: http://on.wsj.com/19rP71U
Pete Van Baalen is a dynamic marketing professional specializing in traditional and digital marketing platforms with over 25 years in media and marketing experience. From Central Indiana (Indianapolis), you can reach Pete at pete.vanbaalen@gmail.com.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Are Super Bowl TV commercials worth the money advertisers are paying for them?
The NFL is down to its final four, and the teams for Super Bowl 48 will be set within the week. For marketing, the showcase of creativity will be here before you know and the broadcast is again sold out with record setting rates.
Forget the game, the hype will be the half time show and the commercials. We'll leave the choice of Bruno Mars as the entertainment for another blog, and focus on the commercials. But are the commercials worth it?
Fox Business hosted a panel to discuss whether the commercials are worth it; for the price and for the recognition they can bring to a brand. The answer to whether the ads are worth it is probably yes, realizing that the goals for each of the commercials that will run during the game from New York are different for each.
Water cooler talk and brand buzz are hard to measure regarding the price paid for the spot. In research done by Communicus, one 1 in 5 Super Bowl ads sells products. http://www.communicus.com/topic13.php
Other ads actually produce a negative product image for the advertiser. http://admeter.usatoday.com/story/sports/ad-meter/super-bowl/2014/01/09/ad-meter-story-super-bowl-ads-not-effective/4384197/
Marketers have to keep an eye on the brand that they are suppose to be promoting. Sometimes I think they lose track of the product and the end goal producing Super Bowl commercials, placing all too much emphasis on the need to be funny and creative.
In the 2013 Super Bowl, I still believe the Dodge Truck commercial, a tribute to the American Farmer voiced by the late Paul Harvey was a powerful commercial. It was recently judged by some as one of the best ads of 2013. It was not witty or funny, but still generated great emotion.
The bigger concern for me on Super Bowl ads is the memorability of the ads. Every year, I review the commercials with my sales staff to discuss the good content and the bad. It is always amazing to me how many don't register with the staff 12 hours later.
Let's hope that 2014 offers a good crop of creative, funny and memorable marketing messages.
Pete Van Baalen is a dynamic marketing professional specializing in traditional and digital marketing platforms with over 25 years in media and marketing experience. From Central Indiana (Indianapolis), you can reach Pete at pete.vanbaalen@gmail.com.
Forget the game, the hype will be the half time show and the commercials. We'll leave the choice of Bruno Mars as the entertainment for another blog, and focus on the commercials. But are the commercials worth it?
Fox Business hosted a panel to discuss whether the commercials are worth it; for the price and for the recognition they can bring to a brand. The answer to whether the ads are worth it is probably yes, realizing that the goals for each of the commercials that will run during the game from New York are different for each.
Water cooler talk and brand buzz are hard to measure regarding the price paid for the spot. In research done by Communicus, one 1 in 5 Super Bowl ads sells products. http://www.communicus.com/topic13.php
Other ads actually produce a negative product image for the advertiser. http://admeter.usatoday.com/story/sports/ad-meter/super-bowl/2014/01/09/ad-meter-story-super-bowl-ads-not-effective/4384197/
Marketers have to keep an eye on the brand that they are suppose to be promoting. Sometimes I think they lose track of the product and the end goal producing Super Bowl commercials, placing all too much emphasis on the need to be funny and creative.
In the 2013 Super Bowl, I still believe the Dodge Truck commercial, a tribute to the American Farmer voiced by the late Paul Harvey was a powerful commercial. It was recently judged by some as one of the best ads of 2013. It was not witty or funny, but still generated great emotion.
The bigger concern for me on Super Bowl ads is the memorability of the ads. Every year, I review the commercials with my sales staff to discuss the good content and the bad. It is always amazing to me how many don't register with the staff 12 hours later.
Let's hope that 2014 offers a good crop of creative, funny and memorable marketing messages.
Pete Van Baalen is a dynamic marketing professional specializing in traditional and digital marketing platforms with over 25 years in media and marketing experience. From Central Indiana (Indianapolis), you can reach Pete at pete.vanbaalen@gmail.com.
Monday, January 6, 2014
71% of adults are on Facebook, with 60% visiting at least once per day according to latest survey
There have been some mentions about the slowly (very slowly) eroding audience for Facebook. I've mentioned it before as well, as more of the younger audience leaves Facebook for other social media options.
Facebook's initial appeal was to attract the younger audience. Expose those 18 to 24 year olds to your brand and try to develop lifelong brand loyalty. Younger audiences are less loyal to brands than ever before, but there is still great value of going after that group.
Younger Facebook users are spending less time on the site, and there have even been some recent studies showing audience declines in Facebook usage in the younger demographics. But the latest Pew Research information is still very positive for Facebook, as well as for businesses looking to market through the social media outlet.
The Facebook audience continues to grow, and they are very much engaged in use of the social media site. A staggering 71% of adults use Facebook, up from 67% last year. Another staggering number, 60% of users visit Facebook at least once per day.
With that kind of market penetration and active engagement, Facebook stands to attract more and more advertising dollars.
The full story can be found at: http://smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com/marketing-sales/2014/01/06/facebook-still-ripe-for-small-business-marketers/
Facebook's initial appeal was to attract the younger audience. Expose those 18 to 24 year olds to your brand and try to develop lifelong brand loyalty. Younger audiences are less loyal to brands than ever before, but there is still great value of going after that group.
Younger Facebook users are spending less time on the site, and there have even been some recent studies showing audience declines in Facebook usage in the younger demographics. But the latest Pew Research information is still very positive for Facebook, as well as for businesses looking to market through the social media outlet.
The Facebook audience continues to grow, and they are very much engaged in use of the social media site. A staggering 71% of adults use Facebook, up from 67% last year. Another staggering number, 60% of users visit Facebook at least once per day.
With that kind of market penetration and active engagement, Facebook stands to attract more and more advertising dollars.
The full story can be found at: http://smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com/marketing-sales/2014/01/06/facebook-still-ripe-for-small-business-marketers/
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