Road to The Big Game

ST. JOHN, USVI—Not too many ardent Super Bowl fans have to worry about where to watch the game. This year was different for me as I’ve been on vacation in tropical St. John in the Virgin Islands for a week, spending most days at the beach enjoying the blue waters of the Caribbean and looking at little TV (save for a lively Clinton-Obama debate).

Though we had a TV at our place, my travel partners and I decided to scout some options that would offer some “local party flavor”. Too bad that the likeliest spot, a beach bar called Skinny Legs, was on the farthest side of this extremely hilly island. This dive (complete with menu printed on a surfboard) was recently named one of Esquire’s best bars in America.  It was started by two mainland friends, Moe of Massachusetts and Doug from New Jersey. Clearly, New England fans ruled the joint as Patriot gear sprouted everywhere, from caps and beach towels to a waitress wearing a Brady jersey. Indeed, locals advised that if we wanted to catch the game here, that we grab a table for lunch—and not move. 

In a bid for less driving and more Giant-friendly territory on Sunday night, we decided on choices that were closer to home. For some reason the Balcony Bar here didn’t have a TV and was offering its usual Sunday jazz band. At the Gekko Bar, someone had plugged in a Nintendo Wii to play some baseball instead of the pre-game show (and most folks didn’t seem to mind). We ended up hopping between a few spots with names like Rhum Lines, the Banana Deck and The Quiet Mon bar, which all had sizeable crowds cheering for big plays. This year the tight game was definitely a crowd pleaser.

One big adjustment: the Fox game feed came from a Virgin Islands cable station, so roughly half the advertisements were for local services—from insurance to real estate and office equipment. The state-siders in the audience all began playing a bizarre version of  “Was that a real Super Bowl ad or not?” with some looking to me for guidance (occupational hazard, but I’ve gotten used to it). Most of these ads were real cheesy, with no production values to speak of. Thankfully, by halftime, we headed back home to see Tom Petty and I got extra help by checking into the Adweek live Web chat for tips on the spots we’d missed.

As the game continued, you could hear loud cheers punctuate the tranquil night air normally filled with the sounds of frogs and crickets. And the Giants fans weren’t disappointed. Yep, it was a memorable game in many respects, and one that’ll send me to the Web to see more of the real ads (as soon as I’m back in civilization.)

by Karen Benezra, Nielsen Connect 

Is the strike over? Did the screenwriters go back to work? I only ask because I’m not sure if I saw a football game or a made-for-TV movie last night. Then again, if that was a movie it was completely unrealistic. For a football game, it was simply unbelievable.

What the New York Giants did in knocking off the previously unbeaten New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII was nothing short of amazing. Not to mention the manner in which they pulled it off. That script – if there was one – would get any writer laughed right out of the studio pitch.

Seemingly mediocre football team, led by a supposedly out-of-touch coach, rallies around its high-profile yet unproven quarterback to gain the last playoff seed and begin a momentous post-season run culminating in a thrilling, come-from-behind-in-the-final-minutes championship victory over a team in pursuit of the first undefeated season in more than thirty years.  Yeah, right. Who wants to see that when you see the real deal?

It was the real deal alright - the most-watched Super Bowl ever averaging 97.4 million viewers. More people watched Sunday's game than all but one American television broadcast ever, the "M-A-S-H" finale in 1983, which was seen by 106 million viewers.

This is where people always ask, “Will that 106 million number ever be broken?” I usually tell them that if something is going to do it, it will be a Super Bowl. But if last night’s game couldn’t crack it, maybe nothing ever will.

Still, as a long-suffering Detroit Lions fan, I have to believe to that if an 18-0 Detroit team went up against an 18-0 New York Jets squad in the Big Game that just might be the game to do it.

What? Totally unrealistic you say? Not after last night.

by Tom Ziangas, Nielsen Sports 

Attention Editors, Publishers and Reporters - Miss the Post-Game Analysis?

Click here for the re-cap of CGM expert, Pete Blackshaw, and his Super Bowl XLII analyst team's post-game media call (Monday, February 4th at 12:00pm EST).  Pete and his team higlighted pre-game buzz and provide a quick recap of what took place from the start of the game and thereafter. Other topics to be discussed include top advertisers according to online buzz, key themes identified online and predictions of how things will play out in the coming days. Pete will also tap results from the real-time Hey! Nielsen survey, which was collected throughout the game. For pre- and post-game interviews, contact Pete directly at pete.blackshaw@nielsen.com, or contact Sandra Parrelli at sandra.parrelli@nielsen.com.

http://www.nielsenbuzzmetrics.com/presscall1200pm02042008

If you are interested in the presentation, please contact Sandra Parrelli.

Budweiser ran a record number of spots in yesterday’s Super Bowl, but was it enough to knock troubled Britney Spears (who had nothing to do with yesterday’s game) off the buzz throne?  Barely.  

See the Nielsen chart below which shows Britney's online buzz vs Budweiser's.

by Pete Blackshaw, Nielsen Online 

America’s democracy will be on full display on Super Tuesday, the quadrennial kick-off to the Presidential primaries’ where voters select the finalists for the Political Super Bowl later in November.  Two days earlier, on Super Sunday, the NFL will feature several promotions that call on this same nationwide unalienable rights to vote and influence change.

During the Super Bowl, the NFL will announce (via a commercial spot) the winner of the season-long “Meet the Men Under the Helmet”  contest, where players across the league were filmed telling their stories in front of a camera with nothing but a black backdrop behind them.   The resulting videos were cut into 30 second clips and were posted on NFL.com where fans voted for months in a bracket style tournament to determine which would air on February 3^rd.

It’s ironic because as I wrote in my previous post, the NFL business model is steeped in Socialist tenets of revenue sharing and parity.  But when it comes to fan engagement and media, the NFL has learned from the wildly popular voting shows like American Idol and Dancing with the Stars, and has tailored their content accordingly.

What has always made America great is that we all have a voice, and the power to influence change.  The NFL is taking this ball and running with it to allow fans to be a part of the game and also humanize these modern-day gladiators to show the softer side of the gridiron.

by Tom Ziangas, Nielsen Sports 

Nielsen's social networking site, HeyNielsen.com, is starting to show a lot of buzz about this weekend's Big Game, since we announced our first Hey! Nielsen member poll about the Super Bowl. At first glance HeyNielsen.com members seem more interested in the commercials than the actual game (see results here), but who knows if that might change if the gossip mags catch Tom Brady wearing another boot, or if Belichick decides not to wear his usual hoodie.

Check out Hey! Nielsen's view at why sports aren’t just for jocks anymore….

by Karen Watson, The Nielsen Company 

When football fans yap and scream online, are they fixating on touchdowns, interceptions, fumbles, or the quarterback?  Equally important, does it matter?  Turns out, fans are overwhelmingly fixated on – guess who? – the quarterback.  According to a recent Nielsen survey which analyzed over 300,000 conversations taking place online from January 5^th through January 27, 2008, the term “quarterback” dominated online discussion, with nearly double the mentions compared to “pass,” the second most discussed term in the same period. The term “touchdown” took the third slot.  The chart below outlines how the game vernacular maps out.  At the end of the day, the quarterback not only calls the plays, but also drives the buzz. Football fans are obsessed with critiquing and discussing every aspect of the quarterback role, and we suspect this will hold true in the upcoming Super Bowl.

What does this have to do with Super Bowl ads?  Well, for starters, effective advertising depends in large measure on how well consumers are primed and receptive to key messaging, and we know with little ambiguity that consumers are highly engaged around all dimensions of the “quarterback” as well as the activities the position triggers: pass, interceptions, touchdowns.   An advertiser incorporating football into their copy message may reap higher dividends by anchoring their content to areas where consumers are attentive, engaged, and primed to talk.

Picking the Quarterback:  Analysis of consumer-generated media may also uncover other insights or engagement drivers around a particular quarterback, and this too may figure in advertising or sponsorship decisions.  Tom Brady has a lot of pressure riding on his shoulders and he needs to be in top peak condition. Football fans from all over are coming together to make predictions and watch their loved (or hated) team win or lose the Super Bowl. The Patriots are getting a lot of flack from Miami fans, and from those who are not Brady followers. So in spite, fans are rooting for the opposing team, the New York Giants. In Nielsen Online’s Brand Association Map (BAM), shown below, the term ‘win’ is not as closely related to Tom Brady discussion as one would suspect. With an undefeated season, one would rightfully assume close context with Brady and the term ‘win’ but that does not seem to be the case. More and more fans are hoping to see the Patriots crash and burn at the end which allows the underdog team, the NY Giants, to win the game.

You will also note that key buzz topics highly associated with Brady are other quarterbacks. Online consumers have been sharing their list of the top QB’s during the 2007 NFL football season. Both Brady and Manning reside at the top for most consumers which explains why they are in close proximity to each other. Brady has also brought in discussion surrounding all-time great QB’s such as Marino, Montana, Bradshaw and Elway.  Keep in mind that such associations are not the product of a survey or focus group, but rather, the output of unaided and unsolicited conversations from football’s most outspoken fans.  Once again, in the spirit of understanding where consumers are most engaged and receptive to messaging, mapping the conversation – even the harsh stuff – can get you closer to the answer.

by Pete Blackshaw, Nielsen Online 

It happens every year. No sooner has Championship Sunday ended when the “telly pundits” (as I once overheard a British couple in a bar once call sports commentators) begin spouting off on potential storylines leading up to the Big Game. It all seems so manufactured - so geared towards raising our expectations only to see the reality fall so far short. If this past week was the calm before the storm, look out America, there are so many plots going into this Super Bowl, and yesterday's media day in Glendale resembled the opening of the doors at a Toys-r-Us on Black Friday.  I could just picture Terry Bradshaw vaulting over Stuart Scott to get the first crack at Randy Moss, while Chris Berman and Troy Aikman play tug of war over Plaxico Burress.

Which begs the question – do we need all this hype? Not this year, in this humble blogger’s opinion. This game can sell itself on its own. No, this isn’t the Yankees and Red Sox meeting in the ALCS, but who doesn’t like to see New York and Boston go at it – FOR ANYTHING! – much less the NFL title. You don’t have to be a football fan to know that this has already been a historic year for the Patriots and should the Giants knock them off, it will be the greatest upset in NFL history. 

So why the media hype?  Regardless of “spy-gate,” the “other Manning,” or Brady’s “boot” making a guest appearance in SoHo, this game has the elements of a Super Bowl for the ages.  No matter what the scribes and talking heads conjure up as the “story” behind this year’s game, we’ll watch it because it’s an event:  it’s the Super Bowl.  People will tune in regardless of whether their favorite team is playing or whether there is a feel-good story in the works. 

Now will XLII break the all-time Nielsen rating high of 49.1 set by the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals back in 1982?  Doubtful.  But it has the potential, depending on how the game unfolds, to be the highest viewed in quite some time.  

If the game is 17-3 going in to halftime, we’ll all be disappointed.  But honestly, will we stop watching?  Probably not.  But we won’t be glued to the screen because we’re waiting around to see if Belichick’s hoodie will grow any longer, or if Eli will fall short of expectations. We’ll watch because it’s what we do as sports fans – and as a county – on the first Sunday in February.  It doesn’t need any more hype than that.

by Tom Ziangas, Nielsen Sports 

I imagine it’s eerily quiet in Glendale right now.  The Phoenix suburb, known by the locals as the “Antique Capital of America” (note: USA today will only permit that Glendale Antique Capital of Arizona) has finished rolling out the bubble wrap in preparation for the parties, paparazzi, and press conferences that are embedded into a pastime that is a National Holiday, a Mardi Gras, a rock concert and a football game, all rolled into one.  Take hold Glendalians, because this storm is imminent and it’s heading straight for the desert… the NFL is unleashing a Super Bowl in your China Shop.

This weekend in Sports was also strangely quiet. Not coincidentally it was the first Sunday without NFL games in 21 weeks, and provides a preview of LASB (Life after Super Bowl).   You may have to busy learning about the finer points of walking boots to realize NCAAB, NBA, NHL are about halfway through their seasons.  Or perhaps you were staying up to late to watch Giants’ kicker Lawrence Tynes on Letterman, to mark February 13^th on your calendar, when pitchers and catchers report to spring training, and Roger Clemens to Congress.

Other sports and leagues must relish the upcoming 7 month window where they don’t have to compete with NFL Football for the nation’s consciousness.  And “Non-Sports” content too, like TV shows, movies, books, also have an opportunity where a space in our fandom once occupied by the NFL, is at least temporarily available.  

Of course the NFL isn’t going to loan away fans without a fight. Gone are the days where the NFL rides off into the TV sunset until late summer, the NFL Network, bridges the gap from Tuesday to Sunday in-season, and February to September out of season, with supplementary content such as press conferences, NFL Films, and draft coverage. 

For me, the arrival of Super Bowl week is bittersweet.  Of course I am looking forward to getting together with friends and family for what will hopefully be a spectacular game.  But, and  I think most football fans would agree with me here, Conference Championship Sunday (last week) is my favorite football week of the year.   In the time it takes to watch the Super Bowl, you get 2 games that are usually better played, and without all the hype.  For whatever reason, the Super Bowl is hit or miss.  One theory is that players’ body clocks struggle with longer commercial breaks and a 30 minute Halftime show, and the offense subsequently seem to struggle to find rhythm.   For instance last year, was a Super Sloppy Bowl with 8 turnovers, 6 fumbles, and a missed extra point (albeit the torrential downpour + Rex Grossman had a lot to do with it).   And that mess was nothing compared to all the chips that my neighbors stomped into the carpet. 

This weekend I prepared my system for the calm after the storm that is the NFL. I am open to leasing this space to anything and anyone that can keep me entertained, but the 2007-2008 Season and the Super Bowl will be a tough act to follow.

by Tom Ziangas, Nielsen Sports

Last year, no Super Bowl advertiser generated buzz like Nationwide Insurance when it featured Kevin Federline in its Life Comes at You Fast campaign — see the ad here. The ad built the most buzz of any Super Bowl advertiser in 2007 and earned a place in Super Bowl history as one of the most talked about ads ever. Following is a Q & A with Steven Schreibman, vice president of advertising and brand management for Nationwide, and architect of the company’s 2007 Super Bowl Campaign.

Q. How did you choose Kevin Federline for Nationwide's 2007 Super Bowl ad?

A. We’ve worked with celebrities in the past with great success, including Fabio in 2006 and MC Hammer in 2005. Kevin Federline’s life story was a perfect illustration of a Life Comes at You Fast experience. He went from an unknown back-up dancer to husband of the hottest pop superstar. The Super Bowl came at a time when many people were curious about what would happen next in his life. It was one of the hottest topics in the media, and people were hungry for any information they could get about Kevin Federline. Kevin showed he had a great sense of humor and was perfectly comfortable poking fun of himself. Since then he’s had a number of successes and probably surprised a lot of people with his staying power. He was great to work with. When a celebrity brings built-in buzz value, it’s a great opportunity for an advertiser to capitalize and build buzz about their ad and their company.

Q. Was the buzz about K-Fed more than you ever dreamed of?

A. We felt like we had a real opportunity to build buzz about the ad, but I’d say we surpassed even our own high expectations. When you make an investment like the Super Bowl, if you’re not thinking about building buzz outside of the game, you’re not leveraging the whole opportunity. It was no accident that we were able to build buzz. We were very thoughtful in our strategy to share news about the ad with both traditional and social media in advance of the game. Media estimates placed the cost of a Super Bowl ad in 2007 at approximately $2.5 million. For our investment, Nationwide garnered more than $23 million in value based on earned media. There were more than 3,500 news stories and tons of on-line buzz. We generated more than 757 million media impressions – most of which happened before kick-off. When we posted the ad on nationwide.com before the game we attracted more than 600,000 visitors to our company’s web site, including about half a million who had never visited the site before. It was great to share this success with management who supported our investment on the front-end of the campaign.

Q. How can you top that kind of exposure/reaction in your next ad campaign?

A. It certainly raises the bar. We always aim high, and will continue to do so. We will take what we learned from this campaign, including elements of our PR strategy that generated so much additional value in traditional and social media buzz, and when the right creative concept emerges, we’ll be ready.

Q. Why didn't Nationwide choose to advertise in the upcoming Super Bowl?

A. Nationwide is not advertising in this year’s Super Bowl because we’re focusing on the launch of our new sponsorship of the NASCAR Nationwide Series (formerly NASCAR Busch Series), which happens about the same time as the Super Bowl. In 2008, we’ve decided that our resources are better focused on a season-long sporting event – the NASCAR racing season. The NASCAR Nationwide Series kicks off in Daytona in mid-February, which is the essentially the “Super Bowl” of NASCAR. We’re committed to starting this new sponsorship with a bang and we think it can be as big as the Super Bowl. In the future we will consider doing another Super Bowl ad, because of the huge success of last year’s campaign. However our strategy has always been only to do it if we have an outstanding concept that aligns with our business strategy, not merely to participate because it’s expected. This year, it wasn’t the right fit. Next year, who knows?