How Effective Are Super Bowl Ads?

Mitto, an omnichannel communications solution provider, has released survey findings that explore consumer viewpoints on the effectiveness of Super Bowl advertisements.

The survey found a notable discrepancy in the power a Super Bowl ad has in driving purchases compared to ongoing personalized communications. While many marketers think a Super Bowl ad may increase overall brand awareness, almost half of consumers (41%) said they were more likely to purchase from a brand that communicates with them in an “ongoing and personalized” way.

In other words, the findings suggest the millions of dollars brands spend for a single Super Bowl ad may not be the most effective approach to driving purchasing behavior, according to a Mitto media release.

Survey Results
The study, which surveyed 1,000 Americans ages 18 and up, found that while more than half of consumers (52%) believed a Super Bowl ad would be a successful use of a brand's marketing budget, these ads are still not driving a level of purchasing behavior to warrant the $7 million price tag of a 30-second ad spot for the Feb. 12 Big Game. Moreover, less than a quarter of respondents (23%) said they were likely to make a purchase based on a Super Bowl ad alone.

Additionally, 41% of consumers surveyed said they have only made one-three purchases from these expensive ads over the past five years, while 27% said they have made no purchases at all.

The survey also pointed to a more effective marketing approach than a Super Bowl ad: personalized ongoing communications, which are 17% more likely to drive a purchase than a large brand awareness campaign like a Super Bowl ad, per the release. Forty one percent of respondents said personalized ongoing communications drive them to purchase versus 35% for a large campaign. In fact, more than half of respondents (55%) preferred these regular touchpoints throughout the year over a one-time campaign.

"Brands pull out all the stops and millions of dollars for Super Bowl ads each year, however, the results from our report suggest that, when it comes to driving purchases, brands' marketing spend might be more effective elsewhere," Andrea Giacomini, CEO of Mitto, said in the release. "Personalized, ongoing engagement with customers, which are much more economical, have shown to be a more powerful driver of purchasing behavior and ultimately build more powerful and lasting brand loyalty. In today's tight economic climate, brands should keep this in mind as they re-examine their marketing strategies."

Brand Awareness Campaigns by Gender
These two customer engagement strategies — large campaigns like Super Bowl ads and ongoing personalized communications — were also found to influence genders differently. Female survey respondents said they are 25% more likely to make a purchase based on personalized communications. Men, meanwhile, preferred larger brand awareness campaigns such as a Super Bowl ad.

Men were also found to view these ads as more effective and more likely to elicit a response, such as a purchase. When women were given the choice of which brand communication method would better encourage them to make a purchase, they were 60% more likely to prefer a brand that engaged in personalized communications.

Super Bowl Ad Preferences
When asked what emotions they prefer in a Super Bowl ad, nearly two-thirds (62%) said humor, followed by 25% who like a celebrity appearance, 7% who want an emotional connection and 6% who want relevant brand information.

The study also found that the tone of Super Bowl ads also impacts consumers' views of a brand. The majority of respondents (70%) said funny ads lead them to have a favorable view of a brand. This is followed by thought-provoking (50%), simple ads (41%), those with a celebrity appearance (41%) and sentimental ones (41%).

If brands want to drive consumers to make a purchase, relevant information must be included, a requirement for the majority of those who are somewhat or very likely to make a purchase (71%), per the release.

Survey Methodology: The findings are based on a Pollfish survey administered in January 2023.