Tag: ads

My favorite commercial this year will have to go to the Marmot spot in the outdoor apparel segment. The emotional tone of this ad (humor) used over a rational appeal creates a fun, friendly, lighthearted identification with the brand. Consumers will hopefully walk away seeing this brand as a “fun product” for the outdoor experience.

Guest Blogger: Carol Johanek, adjunct professor of marketing

For advertisers this “emotional bonding” is important in building strong brand identification especially with the younger audience segments. We have seen companies using more animals over the last few years – bears, puppies, squirrels- to generate emotion for the brand in a very non-threatening fashion.

The goal for advertisers is for consumers to ultimately remember the product… not the commercial.  The super bowl ads play a significant role in spearheading online social media campaigns by engaging consumers in conversation, contests and sharing comments/likes. Today, the buzz on such campaigns which typically takes place 1-2 weeks before and after they air add to the impetus of the commercial in generating awareness.

 Share your favorite 2016 Super Bowl ad or your favorites from the past 50 years @WUSTLbusiness on Twitter.

Before social media, Super Bowl ads had a very short life span. In fact, before DVRs, most consumers only saw the commercials once, during the game. Now, we see them before, during, and after Super Bowl Sunday, 24/7.  Marketing professor Carol Johanek says brands are using social media tools to stretch the life span and impact of ads.

Neil Schoenherr posted this story to WUSTL Newsroom:

Commercials for the commercials? Arnold Schwarzenegger in tennis gear? A Full House reunion? Must be Super Bowl time.

“It’s interesting to see the experience of the Super Bowl ads lasting eight to 13 weeks on average today compared to one day of viewing the ads years ago,” says Carol Johanek, adjunct professor of marketing at Washington University in St. Louis’ Olin Business School.

Carol Johanek

“For the first time, YouTube is actually dedicating a channel for viewers to see the full commercials prior to the game.”

For advertisers, more ads mean more views and hopefully more engagement with potential customers.

“The increased exposure of both the teasers and the full commercials continues to impact the number of average views to the brands’ web sites, allowing the brands to converse with their consumers,” Johanek says. “The ads continue to spearhead social media strategies primarily looking to engage the brand’s segment, adding Instagram to the mix of tools being used.”

Instagram and Twitter hashtags continue to be utilized by brands to engage in conversation about the ads and to measure the level of communication taking place, she says.

The celebrity factor

Celebrities will once again be a strong presence in the spots, Johanek says, with Arnold Schwarzenegger (Bud Light), John Stamos (Chobani) and Scarlett Johansson (Dolce and Gabbana) being some of the new ones this year. A Dannon commercial will bank on the nostalgia factor by reuniting some of the cast from from the 90s hit television show Full House.

“Viewers can also expect to see lots of animals and young kids due to their continued success in evoking emotions and raising overall attention of the brand to the consumer,” Johanek says.

The St. Louis Business Journal reports that Anheuser-Busch is adding another 30 seconds to its total commercial time during Super Bowl XLVIII. Check out the teaser here for the “Hero’s Welcome” ad that will run 60 seconds.

We know, it’s all about the game for football fans, but here at Olin marketing professors and students will be studying the ads between the plays to find out what’s trending in the multi-million dollar 30-second spot ad arena.

Two professors share their criteria for a successful Super Bowl ad below.  Tell us which ads you think scored or fumbled this year.

Carol Johanek,  Adjunct Professor of Marketing

“I like to see Super Bowl ads that deliver a simple message with a humorous tone that not only grabs the attention of the audience but leaves the end-user smiling. Brands often use such ads to launch an integrated social media strategy across all platforms.  Humorous tones provide a non-threatening relationship with a brand; providing more opportunities for brands to continue the conversation with their market past the Super Bowl.”

James Sawhill, visiting Assistant Professor of Marketing

“A superbowl ad, first and foremost, must grab the viewer’s attention.  During the superbowl, the audience is expecting to be entertained, so ads need to be surprising or have some sort of shock value.  An informative ad just won’t stand out among the clutter.  The second thing the ad needs to do is bring up strong brand associations.  The most attention grabbing ad won’t be successful unless the audience remembers the brand it is associated with.

“The eTrade baby ad is a great example of both.

A talking baby grabs your attention, yet the content of the ad is such that the baby is strongly linked to eTrade.  The eTrade baby premiered during the Super Bowl.  The next day eTrade opened more new accounts than in any previous day.  Years later, when you see the baby, the mind instantly associates it with eTrade adding tremendous value to the eTrade brand.”