Super Bowl and Social Media
With the Super Bowl just two weeks away, many advertisers are already deep into executing highly integrated marketing campaigns. Just look at Pepsi, who has been encouraging fans to help make this year’s halftime show — ahem, the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show–one of the most memorable ever.
Since the end of December, Pepsi has been inviting fans to submit photos of specific poses — including head bopping, foot tapping, and yes, even hip shaking — in hopes of being selected to appear in an on-air introduction welcoming Beyoncé to the stage. Hundreds of photos uploaded at www.pepsi.com/halftime will be used. Those who submitted photos by January 11 were also entered into a sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip for two to New Orleans to watch the big game in person and to see Beyoncé perform from the field at halftime.
Pepsi’s biggest competitor, Coca-Cola, intends to expand its Super Bowl social and mobile engagement with a “unique, one-of-a-kind game experience,” according to spokeswoman Lauren Thompson. However, unlike Pepsi, Coca-Cola is keeping the details of this “unique experience” to itself for now.
Not Just Advertising
Super Bowl advertisers like Pepsi and Coca-Cola aren’t so much trying to get more people to buy their products as they are trying to build customer engagement. They understand that an engaged customer builds brand loyalty, recognition, perceived value, and the elusive “cool factor.” Integrating social media builds on the engagement of Super Bowl ads and potentially takes the engaged customer to the next level — an actual advocate for the company brand. Armed with social media tools, advertisers intend for the Super Bowl commercial battle to be just as competitive as the battle on the field.
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