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| Professor Adam Duhachek and Second-year MBA Scott Brown lead the presentation at Crazy Horse. |
By Scott Brown, Matt Giese, and Theresa Muench - Second-year MBAs, Consumer Marketing Academy
The Kelley Marketing Club conducted a comprehensive analysis of this year’s Super Bowl ads to uncover general trends.
The study used a content analysis methodology developed by KMC and Professor Adam Duhachek to examine the set of ads for marketing strategies used this year, such as the focus of the ad, stylistic trends (i.e. use of humor or celebrity endorsers), and key details such as ad length and industries represented.
The content analysis allows for some critical comparisons between this year and 2012 to help foreshadow where marketers are taking their brands in 2013.
What’s Different in 2013:
From an industry standpoint, the most significant change was the reduction in the number of automobile ads, down 25% this year. Food and non-alcoholic beverages jumped by 38%, representing the largest category increase.
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| Professor Adam Duhachek |
A key strategic difference noted this year involves a 50% decrease in brands promoting functional differences in their products, such as calling out specific attributes that dominate their competition. Instead, marketers overwhelmingly (85% of ads) chose to emphasize emotional benefits associated with using the product. Professor Duhachek noted this change potentially reflects how brands are changing their competitive strategies away from direct comparisons with other brands, and focusing on creating an inimitable personality that provides a lasting competitive advantage.
Humor was hot in 2013 as it was identified in 75% of this year’s ads, up 13% from last year. Animals continue to be popular, rising 5% this year to appear in 23% of 2013 ads. Celebrity endorsers were used less, dropping 22% from 2012. Also, the use of comparative advertising where brands mention key competitors was on the decline, decreasing 10% over 2012.
Perhaps reflecting the need for immediacy in today’s fast-paced environment, brands used an early brand name reveal strategy significantly more than in 2012, with 67% of ads mentioning the brand name in the first 15 seconds.
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| There's always a great turnout for Kelley Marketing Club's signature event. |
What Trends Carried Over from 2012:
- Similar to 2012, nearly half of the ads launched a new product (40%).
- The brand personalities that came through the most in 2013 – excitement, competence, and sincerity – were similar to those of 2012 year.
- The majority of ads (71%) continued to focus on the consumer, as opposed to focus on the product within the ads. Also, most ads featured both men and women within the ad, likely reflecting the diverse nature of the Super Bowl audience.