The Olympics have come a long way since they began in 776 B.C., and with current mobile advertising technology, the games will continue to expand and reach new audiences. During the Beijing Summer Olympics, NBC executives were shocked to see that 6.5 million viewers visited their mobile website during the games. This is the inspiration that caused NBC to add two applications, a smartphone version of the NBC Olympics mobile site, and new social media features to its mobile offerings. In addition, NBC said they have been “able to attract advertisers to mobile—not because it was part of a large media TV or online buy—but because of the strong performance numbers from Beijing.” The applications offer news results, videos and the opportunity for viewers to follow athletes’ Twitter feeds and Facebook; however, there are no live coverage links of the events. With changing technology, many fear that such an ancient tradition that has contributed so much to our world history may be lost. However, with advances such as smartphone applications and mobile coverage, the games will be further preserved.
Can’t get enough of social media? Well neither can major companies such as Pepsi, HBO, and BravoTV. Foursquare, an application for mobile phones has quickly made its way into the social media scene and continues to add companies to its long list of members.
A little background on Foursquare: It allows people to “check-in” to wherever they are located. For instance, when visiting a cafe, bar, or restaurant, you simply “check-in” via the Foursquare application on your phone. It then notifies your “friends” of your whereabouts. Foursquare keeps track of how many times you’ve “checked-in” to the places you are visiting and compares your visits with how many times other people visit the same place. If you frequent the spot more than others, then you become the “Mayor” of the restaurant, cafe, bar, etc.
How do businesses incorporate this “geolocation” social media? Businesses have begun to utilize Foursquare as a way to offer rewards for people who become the “Mayor” of their establishment—a free coffee, free appetizer, etc. Many of the television stations are now using Foursquare to send “pings” about certain TV shows. When a user “checks-in” at a venue, they are then able to view tips, which “friends” leave about the particular venue. Recently, stations such as BravoTV and HBO leave “tips” at select locations, which are usually related to TV show characters or themes. Users who add the stations/shows as friends can view the “tips” at the locations, which then allows them to unlock “badges. “Badges” are tied to items such as real-life awards, sweepstakes, and coupons.
Will Foursquare catch on as a successful promotional tool, just as Twitter and Facebook have? The platform is still in the experimental phase, but already has the backing of big-name advertisers. It is also rumored that the developers at Facebook are creating a “check-in” feature. It will be interesting to follow Foursquare’s expansion as they have already begun discussing new campaigns with The History Channel, and a partnership with Zagat, a restaurant review guide that also allows users to publish tips about restaurants in New York, Los Angeles, San Fransisco, and Philadelphia.
How do you analyze the popularity of Super Bowl commercials and the companies that produced them? One way is to check the fans and followers that each company has on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. That is exactly what Clickz ,an internet resource for interactive marketing news and information, did to interpret the success of individual commercials and how they relate to brands that own them.
The Super Bowl isn’t just a platform for NFL superstars to show they are the best; it also represents the top competition among brands and their advertisements. Clickz recorded the number of Facebook “fans” and Twitter “followers” for each of the advertisers on February 2, Super Bowl Sunday. Then the site collected data a week later to see what kind of increases took place. Evidence from the research reveals that the Super Bowl ads actually boosted some advertisers’ social media accounts considerably.
According to the research analysis some of the big hitters in the big media dance include HomeAway, Volkswagen, E*Trade and Monster.com. These companies were among half of the Super Bowl advertisers that mentioned their commercials on either their Facebook pages or through their Twitter accounts prior to the game.
“”By incorporating a dedicated Facebook page, Twitter account, and micro-site as part of the ‘Fiddling Beaver’ campaign,” according to Kathy O’Reilly, director of social media for Monster.com, “we were able to engage with folks before Super Bowl Sunday.”
Social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter have been great building blocks to cultivate a larger fan base among the consumers. These websites have built a bridge over the gap that once existed between companies and their consumers. However, what is the return of investment? What kind of sales come out it? This question will be asked until there is a legitimate connection between ‘fans’ of the brand and the purchasing consumers of brand products and services.
Coca-Cola’s launch of their “Open Happiness” social media campaign has successfully raised over $64,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America by allowing users of the social network, Facebook, to send virtual gifts through the site. For every gift sent, Coca-Cola donates $1 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Coca-Cola hopes to raise $250,000 with this campaign. Once the Facebook gift is given, the gift giver receives a 20-second sneak preview of one of the two Coca-Cola Super Bowl advertisements. The gift is also posted on the receiver’s profile, and provides a link to the Coca-Cola fan page where others can send gifts. One of the Super Bowl advertisements features characters from The Simpsons while the features actor Denzel Washington. “Open Happiness” is a part of Live Positively.
In January, Coca-Cola released a viral video on Youtube.com titled “Happiness Machine.” The video now has over 1,000,000 views, and they continue to rise as word spreads globally. The “Happiness Machine” is a Coca-Cola vending machine that delivers anything from multiple coke bottles to a colossal sub sandwich! This “Happiness Machine” dovetails perfectly with their “Open Happiness” campaign, which they have launched globally.
Shortly after the Super Bowl, Coca-Cola is expected to sweep headlines with their sustainability plans for the winter Olympics in Vancouver. Coke will aim to make everything eco-friendly and produce “zero waste.” For example, the coolers they use will run on eKOfresh technology, which nearly eliminates direct greenhouse gas emissions. The vehicles they use to deliver beverages from their facilities will run on diesel-electric hybrid energy. Electric carts will be used within the venue. The tables and chairs will be made from wood salvaged from the pine-beetle epidemic in British Columbia, menu boards will be made of recycled materials, and the list continues.
With Coca-Cola leading the “beverage battle,” Pepsi will have a challenge with its new “Pepsi Refresh Project” campaign.
This year’s recipe for Super Bowl Sunday: the Colts versus the Saints, chicken wings, Carrie Underwood and Bud Light. Good football, good food, good lookin’ women and booze—perfection—until Tim Tebow and his mother grace the presence of your 52 inch, high definition flat screen talking about anti-abortion and the importance of family values. Needless to say, the irony of it all will leave you…well, it may be a buzz kill.
Despite the current economic state, CBS has sold out of commercial advertisement airtime for Super Bowl XLIV. However, there are a number of big name corporations such as Pespi, General Motors and Fedex who’ve decided against dropping $2 million and some change for a 30-second ad during America’s most watched sporting event of the year. Yet many are questioning the motives behind CBS’s approval of the Tebow’s anti-abortion ad.
Is the network just in it for the money, or are they simply embracing their conservatism? Either way, CBS is getting sacked left and right from pro-choice organizations whom are not at all pleased the decision. Regardless of the network’s motives, the real threat to these disgruntled pro-choice groups is not that Tim Tebow, the youngest Heisman Trophy winner ever, is endorsing pro-life and family values. It is that Tim Tebow, the youngest Heisman Trophy winner ever, is endorsing pro-life and family values with more than a slew of stats to back him up.
The conservative christian group, Focus on the Family, is sponsoring the ad in hopes to spread the message, “Celebrate family, Celebrate life.” The Tebows are the perfect poster family for this message seeing as Tim Tebow would not be here today if his mother, Pam, had followed doctor recommendations and gotten an abortion because her pregnancy with Tim was high-risk. The ad does not mention abortion, although the underlying message is obvious; however, the persuasion tactics used in this ad are, hypothetically speaking, money.
Tebow’s endorsement of this message is powerful and frankly, is very threatening to those who support women having the right to choose. On Sunday, for those 30 seconds that this ad airs, audiences nationwide are going to stop, put down their beers and listen to what this well-respected and talented athlete has to say. People trust Tim Tebow. He is a credible source, with a logical message and an emotional appeal that will more than likely bring tears to hundreds of eyes.
However, the bottom line here is not pro-life, pro-choice or even family values. It is the strength of the strategy behind this advertisement. The message is controversial and will grab the audiences’ attention. The ad is airing during the Super Bowl, so there is no doubt viewership will be in the millions. And the message is convincing because it is an outline of the art of persuasion with an emphasis on emotion, but does not lack in credibility and logic. So screw the football, chicken, babes and beer. Tim Tebow’s endorsement may be the closest thing to perfection we may find this Sunday.
A Sold Out Super Bowl With the National Football League’s 2010 Super Bowl coming up this Sunday and the hype around the Colts vs. the Saints, the anticipation around this year’s commercials are in full swing. It comes as no surprise that this game draws around 95 million viewers and is obviously one of the biggest advertising events of the year. The ad agency, Venables Bell & Partners, conducted a study and found that 66 viewers remember their favorite advertiser in the 2009 Super Bowl, but only 49 percent remember which team won.
In 2009, the influence of the recession caused past advertisers to scale back or even not participate in last years Super Bowl causing sales to slow in the weeks prior to the game.
This seems to no longer be a negating factor for this season because as of yesterday CBS ( New York Times) has sold all of the advertising spots for this Sunday’s game. In the beginning of December the company had already sold almost 90 percent of its available commercial time with prices reaching as high as $3 million for a 30-second spot with the game averaging around 50 to 60 spots.
The top advertisers for this year include Anheuser-Busch InBev Budweiser and Bud Light beers. One advertisement which has caused some criticism is by Focus on the Family featuring Tim Tebow, which has women’s groups claiming it sends an anti-abortion rights message.
Never before have such controversial advertisements run during the spectacle. We shall see how the public responds to these provoking messages this Sunday night.
Last week, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled their latest creation: the iPad. With laptops and smart phones belonging to so many people these days, Apple managed to develop a third device that fits neatly in between the two. Available in both Wi-Fi and 3G, the iPad includes features such as Safari, mail, photos, movies, iPod, iTunes, iBooks and several more.
Although the iPad does include many useful and fun features, it is also missing a few that some people consider a weak point for the product. It does not have simple features like phone capabilities, a camera or even a USB port. But Apple usually knows what they’re doing. Is the iPad intended for just a very specific audience? Is it geared toward people who may not be very “computer savvy” but still want to enjoy the perks of being linked in? Or was this new device created for the people who hate multitasking?
Another issue that many people have with this new product is its name: iPad. Many people online are comparing the name to feminine hygiene products. Not a flattering start for Apple’s latest venture.
But while there is much speculation and buzz on the internet surrounding the iPad, The New York Times’ David Pogue has an interesting take on consumer criticism of Apple products. He has a theory that all Apple products are put through the same cycle of phases, beginning with pre-announcement speculation and hype, to online bashing, to buyers giving it positive reviews and eventually everyone falling in love with it.
Aside from the jokes about the name and the criticism over the features not available, there was some initial controversy surrounding the iPad regarding Adobe Flash. Apparently the demo video that was originally posted on Apple’s web site to promote the iPad showed web pages, specifically The New York Times, working as though the device were supported by Flash, which was incorrect. This raised suspicion because during the first iPad demonstration, when Jobs pulled up a NY Times page, a “broken plug-in” icon appeared because it needed Adobe Flash to display properly. So when the demo on Apple’s web site showed the web pages working perfectly, people began to ask questions. It became evident that The NY Times’ web pages were duplicates of the real pages, supposedly generated by The NY Times for Apple. But thanks to the internet’s capability of spreading news such as this like wildfire, Apple has now corrected the promo video, replacing it with a more accurate version.
As with each new product entering the market, there will be criticism and controversy, as well as enthusiasm and excitement. Most likely, this device isn’t meant for everyone, but instead it is probably intended for a niche audience that wants exactly what the iPad offers. It is expected to become available by early April, and during the next couple months, much more will be said about the product. To read what people are saying now, check out the Twitter feed.
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