Well, it’s Super Bowl again and this year advertisers are paying more than ever before for the privilege of getting their message across to the viewing public. Indeed, ads have reached new record levels, with some advertisers coughing up more than four million dollars for a single thirty second ad slot.
The event is in danger in some circles as being known just as much for these sky-high advertising rates as it is for the game itself.
This year will see the emphasis of advertisers change a little to try to capture the attention of the growing number of smartphone and tablet users, for whom watching TV is now a much more interactive pastime.
One network, CBS has the game on live stream and has almost completely sold out advertising options, again at record high levels, as marketing departments across the country try to come up with new ways to pique the attention of the traditional TV audience by means of mobile devices.
So how do they hope to achieve this? The traditional TV advert remains the driver, but in this case the response advertisers are looking for is to provoke a spike in viewer numbers to an app or website, where it is hoped they will continue to interact as the game goes on. The benefit for advertisers is that they are able to tailor their message to these visitors and this is expected to become a growing trend.