This week, Digiday and Marketing Dive featured EGC President and CEO Nicole Penn, who discussed “second screen” interaction among fans and the value and cost of placing an ad for the Super Bowl. Super Bowl and Connection For the last week (if not longer) football fans and even “non-fans” have been waiting in anticipation for Super Bowl Sunday. For many, this night is as much about socializing with family and friends as it is about cheering on their team of choice. It’s about connection. Immediate connection. Today, immediate connection is beyond the thousands of fans who watch the game live and the millions of Super Bowl parties in action. This immediate connection is due to social media. And thanks to social, another kind of interaction as taken shape: “second screen.” What is Second Screen? Through social media, viewers tuning into the Super Bowl engage in “second screen” interaction. This means they alternate between watching the game, reading and offering commentaries, and—significantly—checking ads. This trend is on shaky ground for Super Bowl LIX. With the loss in popularity on Twitter (now X), Nicole pointed out that many advertising clients are now turning to YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels for brand promotion—for television, the second screen, and overall marketing. Read the complete Digiday article. Now, let us look at the cost of Super Bowl ads… Advertising on Super Bowl Advertising on Super Bowl may be the ultimate proof of the phrase: “Time is money.” The cost to run a 30-second spot during the big game is approximately $7 or $8 million. Any brand hoping to have a chance of placing an ad must therefore consider return on investment (ROI) more seriously than ever. As Nicole states: “We have a lot of clients that are very performance marketing-focused. For them, a $7 million spot would have to yield $7 million in revenue that moment.” The article also ties back to “second screen” culture and how, to either justify the hefty price of an ad or ensure visibility, many brands are making this instant connection with fans (read: customers) part of their marketing strategies. Read the complete Marketing Dive article. Enjoy the game!
