Every Year, Digital Marketers See More Of An Opportunity To Step Up Their Super Bowl Marketing Game

Television ads during one of America's most-watched events have always been a great way to make a huge advertising splash. But they certainly aren't cheap. The rise of social media and mobile devices have given brands a cheaper avenue to market through and they have also changed the way the biggest brands are marketed during the Super Bowl.

Statistics from last year show that brands are seeing a more fruitful ROI from their Super Bowl ads than ever before. "Overall visits to advertisers' websites rose 15 percent above 2013, while the average increase in typical daily Web traffic soared 163 percent," reported the Adobe Digital Index (ADI) last year.

The main reason for this? Mobile! Consumers are more attached to their phones than ever as total smartphone visits to advertisers' websites increased by more than 110 percent from 2013 to 2014.

[caption id="attachment_705" align="alignleft" width="750"] Image via Adobe Digital Index[/caption]

Who Is Winning In 2015 So Far?

While the outcome of the big game won't be decided until late Sunday evening, we can already see which brands have the lead in terms of marketing and brand awareness.

Candy brands, such as Snickers, M&M's and Skittles are devouring impressions with ads on Google for Super Bowl-related searches. M&M's, in particular, isn't even running a TV ad during this year's game, but instead using Google to promote. Skittles, has already achieved trending status by teaming up with Marshawn Lynch.

Newcastle launched its Battle of Brands campaign over a week ago. It's a very unique idea that will feature, "37 of the universe's best brands…and a dental office in Pittsburgh," according to their website, all in one commercial. Their YouTube video already has over 2 million views.

It wouldn't be a big event if Facebook didn't find a way to promote their platform. Similar to their World Cup marketing, Facebook will launch a Super Bowl hub page where live commentary and related posts will all be found in one place. It will also show the score and play-by-play updates. Were you up getting a drink and missed that touchdown catch? Better check Facebook for the replay! Genius.

What Can You Do To Compete?

Is it realistic for your local business to compete with national advertisers that will spend up to 4.5 million dollars on a TV ad? Of course not. But those brands aren't your direct competition, like the local businesses on the other side of town are. The Adobe Digital Index (ADI) also reported, not surprisingly, that brands who advertise during the Super Bowl will see 6.5 times the amount of mentions as their competitors online. So it's essential that you do something.

Posting images and video on social media are important, but posts that include a link are being increasingly shared.

[caption id="attachment_706" align="alignleft" width="640"] Image via Adobe Digital Index[/caption]

If you want to have an impact, don't necessarily think you can escape without forking over any money. Organic impressions are down on social media, specifically Facebook, and paid advertising is often a better way to reach your audience.

If your website isn't mobile-friendly and your content isn't tailored to a mobile audience, you might as well not even bother! As emphasized at the beginning of this article, a majority of the people seeing your ad or content are viewing from a smartphone or tablet. TV and mobile really do work well together.

Make sure your mobile-site is running at full speed, direct consumers toward your new mobile app, and post on mobile-intensive social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Vine.

Happy Marketing!

For more marketing tips and to keep up with the latest trends, subscribe to our newsletter, keep up with our blogs, and contact us to see how we can help promote your business online.