How many at last year’s Super Bowl party gave more attention to the ads than to the game? And how many marketers wondered if it was worth the megabucks being charged for a few seconds of glory during the hype surrounding one football game?
A conversation over at the Marketo blog caught my eye because it was about that very topic. There is definitely change happening with Super Bowl ads, and the mass-marketing blasts of the past have been joined by digital, targeted outreach that tends to be a good bit easier to track. But is that digital marketing actually better than the megabucks mass marketing we see on television?
Who Are You Already Talking To?
I think that it probably is better to have a smaller audience that wants to hear what you have to say and is able to interact. When you have interaction, they have already entered the sales funnel because they have opted into the conversation.
If there is any reason at all to suspect your targeted audience will be watching the Super Bowl, the biggest return on your marketing investment will probably be some sort of social media outreach because the connections you have already made can be enhanced.
This “hyper-personalization” is something we probably will see more often because it’s possible with today’s technology. People who spend a lot of time online are accustomed to being tracked and targeted with ads that are frequently ignored. But people who are part of a social media conversation have opted into the discussion and are strengthening relationships.
Even though you may never meet a customer face-to-face, sharing the Big Game somehow will make them feel like they are watching with friends. There’s an element of trust in friendship, and trust is essential in business/customer relations, too.