The Super Bowl is an American tradition, a broadcast phenomenon, and an advertising bonanza. With 106 million pairs of eyes on the screen, the potential to reach consumers is huge. No wonder companies will shell out millions of dollars for thirty seconds of airtime. Nearly as much money goes into making the ads themselves. An entire culture has arisen around ranking ads according to how funny, exciting, or appealing they are. Those who win –win big. Those who fall short face big losses. During this annual affair, the pressure’s on to make a splash with the most memorable, effective, and best-liked ad. If you don’t, you could be out several million dollars. But what qualifies as a good ad? FGI’s SmartPanel gave us some ideas.

Most Likeable Ads
We looked at ten different ad concepts and asked how effective they were, which were most memorable, and which consumers liked the most (or least). Our panelists said they “liked” or “strongly liked” spots from the following sponsors:

By this account, HomeAway, CareerBuilder.Com and Google lost out: fewer than 35% of respondents liked or strongly liked their ads. But being likeable is not the same as being impactful. We also asked which ads had the greatest influence on intent to purchase. As it turns out, the commercials consumers liked weren’t necessarily the ones that made them go out and shop.

Snickers and Doritos Scored a Touchdown
Doritos and Snickers saw some wins. 39% of respondents said they were likely or very likely to purchase products from Doritos after viewing the Super Bowl ad.

Intent to Buy: Doritos

Meanwhile, 36% of respondents said they would be likely or very likely to buy a Snickers bar after watching the Betty White ad that made so many chuckle.

Intent to Buy: Snickers

Some Ads Missed the Mark
Bud Light and Volkswagen did not see the same benefits in terms of intent to purchase, notwithstanding how funny the Bud Light ads were, or how endearing the VW “punchbuggy” concept. Only 17% of respondents were “likely” or “very likely” to buy a Volkswagen after viewing the Super Bowl ad. 24% said they would want to buy a product from Bud Light, compared to 42% who described themselves as “not likely” or “not very likely.” These figures may affect decisions companies make about advertising in the future. They suggest that what’s cute or funny, even when viewers like it, may not always be what convinces them to buy. Moreover, not everyone may use the product advertised to begin with.

Failure to Recall
The SmartPanel study uncovered another blind spot in Super Bowl advertising: whereas viewers remembered some ad concepts better than others, they often failed to link concept to sponsor. One of the more memorable ads was CareerBuilder’s “Casual Friday,” which exactly half of viewers could remember. When asked, however, 56% said they couldn’t recall which brand the ad endorsed. The ad was also one of the least-liked, and only 22% of those surveyed said they were “likely” or “very likely” to use CareerBuilder’s services –as opposed to 38% who were “not” or “not very” likely.

Coca-Cola experienced similar problems. Whereas 46% could remember an ad concept that involved “The Simpsons,” only 25% could remember the ad belonged to Coke –compared to 65% who could not. Coca-Cola also saw losses, although not quite as significant, in intent to buy: 35% “not likely” or “not very likely” compared to 32% “likely” or “very likely” to purchase.

On the other hand, 79% of all surveyed said they could remember an ad involving “Betty White playing football”; this made it the most memorable ad of all. What’s more, 41% could remember the ad belonged to Snickers, versus 41% who could not. That ad was also a favorite among viewers, and Snickers saw the most positive results in terms of intent to buy. In this case, having a memorable ad had definite benefits for Snickers.

Viral Impact
Much as viewers enjoyed the Snickers ad, they still didn’t watch it on YouTube after the game. To get a sense of each ad’s viral impact, we asked viewers how likely they would be to look up ad concepts on that site after the fact. 26% reported they would be “likely” or “very likely” to look up the Betty White ad online, compared to 54% who would not.

Viral Impact: Snickers

Actionable Insights
Overall, our data indicate that the success of an ad depends on more than one variable. Just being memorable, visually stimulating, funny, or likeable is not enough. The ideal Super Bowl ad is all of these things and more. It captures the viewer’s attention, enhances the brand, reminds the viewer who is advertising, and leaves a lasting impression. To accomplish these objectives, companies should test every detail of creative copy, recall, impact, brand fidelity, and investigate the potential for viral sharing. The foremost research methods are imperative to this process. Even then, there’s a certain je ne sais quoi that makes the most dazzling ads so dazzling. A mix of intuition and targeted research is the key to finding that magic mix of elements.

Next Steps You Can Take

Survey Methods
Date of Study: 2/18/2010
Total Responders: 227
Sample Source: FGI SmartPanel

When FGI Research asked women what they thought the most effective message in advertising geared toward them was, the results were quite clear.  33.67% of respondents thought that the most effective advertising showed that the “product or service will save them time and/or money”, and 23.91% thought that “showing the usefulness of the product or service” was the most influencing.  Surprisingly, only 9.43% of respondents thought that “showing how the product or service will benefit their family” would send the most enticing message, and the two least appealing campaigns showed how a product or service would “make life easier” and portrayed the product or service as having “high quality and value”.

Advertisers would be wise to use humor to get through to women, but not at the expense of men.  43.8% of women said that ads that are funny appeals to them most, but only 2.4% of women showed interest in ads that “make fun of men”.  In addition, women were attracted to ads that “empower women” and “trigger an emotional response”; while only a minuscule number of women thought that a “sexy” ad would get their attention.

Actionable Insights
What can we learn from this study? Above all, that men and women respond to different kinds of advertising. Reaching women effectively requires a whole other body of research, preferably one that reflects targeted sampling and comprehensive survey data. Holistic research, customized to fit the requirements of a given situation, can inform our understanding as marketers and help us respond to women’s desires as consumers. The difference between an ad campaign that falls short and one that hits the mark with women can be found in the opinions of women themselves, accessed through the most robust research techniques.

Next Steps You Can Take

Survey Methods
Date of Study: 11/11/2009
Total Responders: 297
Sample Source: FGI SmartPanel

• They will spend more for goods and services of higher quality (65% food, 57% clothing, 56% facial skin care)
• They demand products that deliver: time savings, fulfilling experiences, and emotional benefits
• They give examples of brands that consistently meet their needs: Coach, Crème de la Mer, Adidas, Apple and Nike

Our advice: keep your research sharply focused on the wants and needs of women as they related to your specific products and services. Otherwise, you may find yourself on the outside looking in on the very people who control the majority of every dollar that is spent.

David Wilson
CEO
FGI Research