This evening (US Time), companies are investing 6.5 million USD for a 30-second Super Bowl commercial, per ESPN.com. Come Monday morning, you'll hear a bunch of people pontificate about the "best" or "funniest" Super Bowl commercials. Let us not forget all the "viewer's choice" awards.
It's worth paying attention to all the noise! That said, I'm going to challenge you to dig a little deeper into Super Bowl commercials. At worst, it's an excellent edutainment (educational entertainment) opportunity.
My challenge to you is to cut through all the noise about "best, funniest, viewer's choice, etc."
I admit it, some of the commercials are hilarious and entertaining. But, if funny doesn't put money in your bank account, is it worth $6.5 million USD?
After all the "votes" have been tallied, keep an eye on those companies in the news. A great place to do this is by using the Google Search box, run a search on "Super Bowl commercials", and then select the "News" tab. This allows you to sort all the recent news stories.
In the coming days and weeks, keep an eye on the news stories regarding companies that advertised during the Super Bowl.
The question you need to ask, "did a given Super Bowl commercial drive revenue (or a measurable result) with their advertisement?"
Is the funniest or most entertaining commercial the most profitable?
Did those companies who advertised during the Super Bowl make their money back?
Google News can often provide you with the answers.
If history is any indicator, the most entertaining commercials are rarely the most profitable. Not to say that never happens.
You should keep an eye on what happens. Anyone can be a savvy marketer, by merely asking smart questions. More importantly, a little digging can give you a good indication of what might work in your advertising in the future.
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