SO OUR MORSEL QUESTION IS:
What can we as, largely, small business owners learn from the big time marketing strategists responsible for shelling out $5 million plus to expose their products and services for a mere 30 seconds?
LET’S SEE.
1. Aggressive brand building – one shot at a big audience, sure. But it’s part of a multi-faceted strategy that generates exposure before, during and after the event itself (Lesson: Be visible, sustainable, and know your audience)
2. Leverage partnerships – find logical non-competitive partners to get on board with your strategy and plan (I once got McDonald’s and Gillette to partner (buy a McDonald’s breakfast entrée and gets a FREE Gillette Good News disposable razor. Both companies targeted men 18-34)
3. Create and sustain a PR story – If you have a campaign that provides a benefit to a target audience, make a “splash of advertising”, but tell the story in news releases, interviews, etc. PR and advertising and promotion can work hand in hand for maximum effectiveness. (the Mail Boxes Etc. “See your small business on the Super Bowl” contest generated over $3 million in publicity values for the then “paltry” $1.2 spot cost)
So enjoy the game, but pay close attention to the commercials. As you watch them, role play as the Chief Marketing Officer … ask why you made this huge investment, who is the target audience, did the message resonate, and what would you do before and after the event to get the most bang for your really big buck?
View previous monthly morsels on our Free Marketing Advice page.
