Is the Super Bowl Right for You?
By Jon Lumerman
Super Bowl XLII will be played on February 3, 2008 in Glendale, Arizona. This year’s game will be televised on FOX.
TV - Usage
The Super Bowl reaches over 90 million people or 35% of the entire US population in one shot.
The Super Bowl is unique for a few reasons. First, it’s the closest thing we have to a shared moment in the mass media these days. Second, the Super Bowl marks a temporary shift in attitudes toward advertising in general. People actually look forward to the commercials, and even though this shift is temporary, it’s still an opportunity. When else will so many people be receptive to commercial messaging at the same time? It is the one place where the viewing public wants the advertiser to do well. They come to the game waiting and anticipating your commercials. You are part of their Super Bowl experience!
There are two major factors that contribute to how well the game performs. The first is the perceived competitiveness of the game. This will affect how many people are watching at the beginning of the game. The second is the actual competitiveness of the game. This affects audience flow throughout the broadcast.
Internet – Usage
Comscore released an analysis of online usage related to Super Bowl XLI. According to their study, 72% of Super Bowl watchers accessed the internet on the day of the big game. Although few advertisers used their game day ads to explicitly direct viewers online, consumers have been conditioned to use the web as a complementary resource – and they did so on Super Bowl Sunday. Several sponsors saw traffic to their website spike within minutes of their TV spot airing. This is an added benefit of Super Bowl advertising.
Is the Super Bowl for Every Advertiser?
ABSOLUTELY NOT! The types of ads that create the biggest splash are those aimed at creating brand awareness, introducing a new product or repositioning a company. For advertisers that want to reach a mass audience very quickly, the Super Bowl remains the best vehicle to deliver your message.
Ratings and Trends
RTG = Rating. The audience of a particular program, expressed as a percentage of the relevant population.
Share = The percentage of total television viewing audience tuned in to a program at a specific time
Imps = Impressions. Otherwise known as ‘eyeballs’. The number of people watching at a specific time.
SUPER BOWL TRENDS - HOUSEHOLD
|
SUPER BOWL |
Winner | Opponent | Score | HH RTG | HH Share | HH Imps (000) |
|
XXXIV (2000) |
St. Loius Rams | Tennessee Titans | 23-16 | 43.3 | 63 | 43618 |
|
XXXV (2001) |
Baltimore Ravens | New York Giants | 34-7 | 40.4 | 61 | 41270 |
|
XXXVI (2002) |
New England Patriots | St. Loius Rams | 20-17 | 40.4 | 61 | 42664 |
|
XXXVII (2003) |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Oakland Raiders | 48-21 | 40.7 | 61 | 43433 |
|
XXXVIII (2004) |
New England Patriots | Carolina Panthers | 32-29 | 41.4 | 63 | 44908 |
|
XXXIX (2005) |
New England Patriots | Philadelphia Eagles | 24-21 | 41.1 | 62 | 45081 |
|
XL (2006) |
Pittsburgh Steelers | Seatle Seahawks | 21-10 | 41.6 | 62 | 45869 |
|
XLI (2007) |
Indianapolis Colts | Chicago Bears | 29-17 | 42.7 | 64 | 47535 |