It is common knowledge that the Super Bowl is the most watched American television broadcast of the year. Last year, in Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, 115.1 million viewers tuned in on Feb. 12, 2023.
The Super Bowl is an event where many celebrities, influencers and athletes come together to support the National Football League and various sponsors that make the entire matchup happen. Social media also plays a huge role in the biggest sports event of the year.
Over the past decade, the relationship between Super Bowl advertising and social media has grown immensely, having become a strategy for brands wanting to make a significant impact. It has become a valuable way for brands to maximize and maintain their social engagement.
In past years, brands would invest large amounts of their budget just for a 30-second commercial slot during the game. They would rely on a small moment of airtime to carry the brand’s name to the public. Nowadays, the pregame to the Super Bowl is just as important for advertisers. The continued conversations and content being pumped out is key to maintaining their audience. Keeping the audience engaged before, during and even after the game is what makes the difference.
Multi-channel marketing strategy and social media has shaped the pregame show in recent years. This happens through trailers, teasing company commercials, getting celebrity or influencer sponsors and being creative, of course. All of this interaction usually occurs on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to build excitement. One of the most popular pregame advertisements for Starry, featured Ice Spice.
However, this also concerns athletes. For instance, consider the Kelce brothers and their podcast called “New Heights.” Launched in September of 2022, “New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce” has quickly grown to become phenomena in sports and pop culture, becoming a top sports podcast on Apple and Spotify. The “New Heights” fan community has grown rapidly. The Kelce brothers have accumulated 2.3 million Instagram followers, 2.18 million Youtube subscribers and 3.9 million TikTok followers with 140.9 million likes on TikTok alone. With Jason and Travis Kelce building themselves a brand on the field, it builds an even bigger brand for them on the field. So when Travis Kelce and the Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens to make the Super Bowl, the marketing aspect became that much bigger. Plus, Kelce being in a public relationship with worldwide popstar Taylor Swift has also grown their popularity.
The halftime show also plays a role in Super Bowl marketing. Last year, Rihanna’s halftime show generated a record 121 million views. Usher is likely looking at a similar viewership this year which will translate to increased streams. Usher’s role as the halftime show performer could also boost the sales of his new album that was released on Friday. Usher will follow his album release with a tour starting in August.
Other artists who have performed in past halftime shows like Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Shakira and Bruno Mars have seen boosts in either their music streams or sales as a whole. The way they are advertised on social media is another way for them to gain more exposure, as the Super Bowl Halftime show is one of the most hyped-up and anticipated performances of the year. It will be talked about long after the event and will be compared to past performances by some of the biggest names in music.
Another factor to Super Bowl marketing is real-time analytics. Brands get to measure the impact of their Super Bowl campaign on social media, which quickly provides them feedback and insights on their audience engagement and outreach. Analytical tools allow brands to refine their strategies and adjust their content on real-time data. There are a lot of factors that allow brands to adopt the best approach possible for the maximum impact.
The Super Bowl is so much more than just a football game. Social media has become an enormous part of the event where brands can also score big by engaging with their audiences. As a result, Super Bowl marketing strategies will only grow larger in coming years.