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Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
IMC PERSPECTIVE 11-1
354
V. Developing the
Integrated Marketing
Communications Program
11. Evaluation of Broadcast
Media
The Super Bowl Is Not the Only Big Advertising
Game in Town
The Super Bowl has long been considered
the premier event for television
advertising. Despite the
high costs of advertising on the
Super Bowl, many companies
think it is well worth the money.
They point out that the big game
is usually the most watched program
of the year and delivers
more than 100 million viewers.
Advertisers also note that the
Super Bowl is one occasion where
as much attention is paid to the
commercials as to the program.
Many consumers actually wait to
see the new ads that often debut
during the telecast, and the spots
often receive a considerable
amount of hype and publicity
prior to as well as after the game.
While the Super Bowl remains the showcase for
advertising, many companies are opting for other
alternatives rather than paying more than $2 million to
run a 30-second ad on the big game. Marketing executives
are running the numbers and concluding that
there are more cost-effective alternatives to television’s
highest-rated, but also highest-priced, event.
Some of the largest advertisers are opting for other
major telecasts such as the Academy Awards, the
Grammies, the Golden Globes, and other events that
deliver younger, more sophisticated viewers for less
money. Others are choosing to spread their media budgets
over long-term commitments instead of spending
them on an expensive one-night stand. For example,
Electronic Data Systems (EDS) launched its popular
“Cat Herder” commercial on the 2000 Super Bowl and
followed with the “Running of the Squirrels” spot on
the 2001 game. However, EDS decided to pass on the
2002 Super Bowl and directed its agency to create a
series of commercials that aired 58 times over the 17
days of the Winter Olympics. An EDS executive noted:
“The Olympic Games provide 17 days to sell the EDS
story, and give us a better chance to make an impact.”
There is also a growing sentiment that the Super
Bowl has turned into an expensive beauty pageant for
big agencies that want to see their creative work on
display rather than being a bona fide opportunity for
launching new products. The chairman of Sterling
Group, an independent branding firm, notes: “The
Super Bowl has been the altar of branding and every-
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
body prayed to the Super Bowl
god.” However, many companies
are cutting back on their new
product launches or are not
launching them during the time
period that coincides with the
game. In addition, some companies
that have long been Super
Bowl advertisers are being run by
new CEOs or marketing executives
who are less interested than their
predecessors in advertising on the
big game and are looking at other
high-profile media events.
The annual event that has
become one of the most popular
alternatives to the Super Bowl
among major advertisers is the
Academy Awards show, which airs
in late March or early April. The show is traditionally
among the most watched events on television, attracting
more than 40 million viewers, and the going rate
for a 30-second spot has been around $1.1 million to
$1.4 million in recent years. Media buyers point out
that the Academy Awards program is a good opportunity
to attract women viewers, which has earned it the
sobriquet “Super Bowl for Women.” Many marketers
also like to be a part of the excitement and pageantry
that surrounds the event. For example, JCPenney’s
director of strategic marketing has stated that the
Academy Awards event “is a place where fashion, culture
and style converge and we want to be part of
that.” The Grammy Awards program is another annual
event that has become popular among advertisers, particularly
those trying to reach a younger audience.
While a number of marketers are opting for these
alternative events to showcase their ads, others are
investing their marketing budgets in events that give
them several weeks or even months of exposure. For
example, Cingular Wireless gained nationwide recognition
by running four spots on the 2001 Super Bowl but
passed on the 2002 game in favor of events that would
give it exposure and impact over a longer term, such as
NASCAR racing and tie-ins with movies such as Spider
Man. The company’s vice president of advertising and
communications noted: “We are trying to invest our
money in those things that give us several weeks—if
not months—of mileage.”
The Super Bowl is likely to remain advertising’s premier
event, particularly for companies with large bud-