SUPERBOWL PROJECT OVERVIEW

Are you ready to explore the world of promotion? Let's have some fun looking at Super Bowl Advertising!

At no time of year is there more focus on advertising than late January when the Super Bowl rolls around. An estimated 90 million viewers in 45 million American households will be tuned to Super Bowl XLI, to be played Feb. 4 in Miami. CBS will air the game, and the network has sold 80 percent of the commercial time, or about 48 of the 59 or 60 scheduled ad units. The network is charging as much as $2.6 million for some spots. Advertisers still appear to be willing to pay top dollar during the Super Bowl since a gigantic audience is virtually guaranteed, regardless of which teams are playing. Even when the Super Bowl is over, the Web provides video, stills photographs and lots of analysis from experts – and viewers, too.

What better place to study the concept of promotional mix, than by looking at the Superbowl?

Objectives
Students will:
1. Research the promotional methods used in promoting the SuperBowl.
2. Prepare a PowerPoint presentation demonstrating their understanding of concepts such as: promotional mix, advertising & market research.
3. Research what experts and viewers thought about the commercials shown during the Super Bowl paying special attention to the reason ads were popular or not.
4. Survey peers to find out most liked and most disliked ads, demonstrating marketing research methods of data collection and analysis.

Resources and materials:Web sites with information:
http://superbowl.com/
http://www.superbowl-ads.com/2007/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertising_in_the_Super_Bowl (history & more)

MARKET RESEARCH
1. Conduct Internet Research (secondary data), in addition to reviewing your Marketing Essentials textbook & notes to include:

• Brief history of Superbowl advertising
• Review of last year’s ads http://www.class5consulting.com/Superbowl%202006%20.pdf (superbowl ’06 commercial review)

2. Conduct a survey (primary data). (Refer to Ch 29.2 in the textbook for help in creating and formatting your survey).

NOTE: Blank survey will be turned in with final project. Survey findings should be included in your Power Point presentation (below). Survey should include:

• What their peers liked and disliked most about the Superbowl ads.
• Explain how these preferences relate to effective advertising techniques.
• Demographic statistics (give a profile of those surveyed)
• Questions - minimally 6 (not to include demographics); should demonstrate at least two different types of questions (rank, scale, grid, etc.) and should include both quantitative and qualitative research.
• Watch at least an half hour of the Superbowl (live or taped) and complete the promotion log (included). Submit an individual log (one per person) with the completed project.
  

PROMOTION
1. Conduct research on the promotional methods used to promote this year’s Super Bowl.
2. Review advertising techniques & ways to measure their effectiveness.
3. Create a promotional mix for the Superbowl to include at least two examples of each of the four types of promotion (Advertising, Personal Selling, Promotion & Publicity)
Students will make an oral presentation to the class utilizing Power Point to include:

• Brief history of Superbowl advertising
• A promotional mix related to the Superbowl (as described above
• Best & Worst Ad (due to market research) & why. Relate back to the concepts of effective advertising
• Survey findings Chart/Graph (to include demographic statistics of persons surveyed, as well as results from each of the 6 questions
• Bibliography (citing at least 2 sources)
  

Presentations should be:

• Informative
• Well-organized
• Creative
• Professional
• Minimally 6 slides
• Include ALL of the above components

Students should come in professional dress on the scheduled day to present. If you have any questions as to what is deemed as appropriate attire, please see your teacher. Students are expected to work cooperatively & efficiently, in teams of no more than four. Use class time wisely. Time management, productivity and teamwork will be factored in to the final grade.