Samsung Electronics America is tapping the social web in its promotions leading up to the Super Bowl on February 1, 2009. The Super Bowl is one of the most watched sporting events in the United States and, it is broadcast globally. Brands pay big bucks (over $2 million is not unusual) for a 30-second advertising spot during the Big Game that is likely to be seen by well over 100 million people around the world. Samsung is counting on it with its new marketing campaign.
Samsung has created an entire campaign around its 30-second ad buy during the 2009 Super Bowl Pregame. The campaign is called “That’s How I See It” and is intended to hype Samsung as the Official HDTV of the NFL – a sponsorship title I’m sure they paid heavily for.
Samsung will leverage the social web and the power of user-generated content in the months leading up to its 30-second investment by asking people to create videos showing how they enjoy preparing for and watching the Super Bowl. Videos can be submitted through the NFL website at NFL.com/SuperAd from November 20 – January 3, 2009, and visitors to the site will have a chance to view a selection of those videos and vote for the best one.
A mobile studio will also visit NFL stadiums beginning on September 4, 2009 to record videos from fans about what they like to do during the pregame (I’m assuming tailgating will be popular) and their best football memories.
To ensure there is no way this campaign goes unnoticed, television commercials will support it, and celebrity endorsements from NFL players, Regis Philbin and Alice Cooper (strange mix of people, I know), recorded videos and messages that will be available on the Samsung website throughout the campaign.
I have to give Samsung credit for utilizing the social web for part of their Super Bowl campaign rather than simply filming an attention-getting commercial to air during the Big Game and leaving it at that, hoping the ad creates a buzz on the Monday morning after the game. Let’s face it. Brands that don’t incorporate social media marketing into their marketing plans will find themselves in trouble in the long-run. Sure, you might not know the best ways to use the social web to grow your business and brands, but no one else does yet either. It’s all about taking risks, experimenting and learning. The worst action is no action when it comes to social media marketing.
What do you think?
Susan Gunelius is the author of 10 marketing, social media, branding, copywriting, and technology books, and she is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She also owns Women on Business, an award-wining blog for business women. She is a featured columnist for Entrepreneur.com and Forbes.com, and her marketing-related articles have appeared on websites such as MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, TodayShow.com, and more.
She has over 20 years of experience in the marketing field having spent the first decade of her career directing marketing programs for some of the largest companies in the world, including divisions of AT&T and HSBC. Today, her clients include large and small companies around the world and household brands like Citigroup, Cox Communications, Intuit, and more. Susan is frequently interviewed about marketing and branding by television, radio, print, and online media organizations, and she speaks about these topics at events around the world. You can connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+.
Great post Susan! That is a wonderful example of how a brand should use social media to market there company! By interacting and engaging with there potential customers they will get a much better response than just a normal TV ad, even more they will build an online social following. Its very smart also that they are intergrating their social media marketing with their traditional marketing methods. Social Media Marketing is only an tool and just one piece of the whole pie!
Richard, your comment is so timely. I was just having a conversation with someone yesterday where I was explaining that businesses have to get onboard the social web if they want to survive and thrive and explained it’s a key tool to success in a user-generated world where consumers want to (and do) take control.