The spectacle of the Super Bowl, synonymous with ad extravaganzas and crowd-pleasing halftime shows, is offering brands the chance to generate significant buzz. This week in Las Vegas, companies are going all in with visible promotional events and behind-the-scenes networking opportunities.
Large ads like a 30-storey, strategically-placed Dorito chip, sponsored events like Super Bowl Opening Night Fueled by Gatorade and The Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show, or unique promotions from companies like Mattel and Marriott are expected to reach the attendance of 125,000 at fan events and the roughly 100 million tuning into the big game on TV.
Brands aren’t limiting efforts to consumers. Rather, they’re targeting a bigger catch: business partners and C-suite executives. The objective? Generating brand awareness, retaining key clients, and building a foundation for potential new business.
The big game is no longer just for consumer promotion, explains David M. Carter, a sports business consultant. Major events like the Super Bowl work both as an industry convention and a corporate offsite, making it the perfect ground to network among sports business parties.
Several brands, including NFL sponsors like Extreme Networks, engage in business-to-business (B2B) marketing efforts throughout the week. The focus is less on reaching day-to-day consumers, but instead on the enterprise customer base. By demonstrating their technological prowess at such a high-profile event, these brands look to entice potential new business partners.
On top of this, brands extend their B2B mindset to ‘corporate hospitality‘; events involving consumer brands but catering specifically to VIPs and influencers. USA Today, TCL, the official TV partner of the NFL, and non-NFL partner Michelob Ultra are among such brands hosting these affairs.
The luxury factor is not lost in the process; brands have planned high-level trips, that include private jets, exquisite food, and luxurious lodging, to entertain and engage existing and potential clients.
Companies such as Toyota are hosting large groups this week, focusing on tailoring high-end experiences according to the requirements of key executives, potential clients, and prospects. The intent is not solely client entertainment, rather an opportunity for business development, explains Deanna Forgione Carey, senior VP of sales and corporate partnerships at On Location.
Measuring the return on investment for these undertakings can prove challenging; they generally involve long-term relationship-building rather than short-term deal courting. Nonetheless, the payoff can take tangible forms such as increased sales volume, an improved client retention percentage, or a more efficient acquisition process for new opportunities.
B2B efforts are increasingly becoming a priority at major events like the Super Bowl. Brands are investing more on B2B marketing, while decreasing spending on TV and streaming ads. On Location, the official hospitality provider of the NFL, reported a 35% increase in all-inclusive hospitality packages sold this year, and a 20% growth in the corporate segment.
Source: Inside The Super Bowl Of Marketing.
