9 Ways to Prep for the Super Bowl of Advertising
And some personal news, too
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You are reading Social Signals, Greg’s weekly email about creative, technology, and cultural signals worth noting. Today’s email was written to “About Her” by Malcom McLaren. If you haven’t already subscribed, there’s a big button right there!
hi.
As promised, I’m finally sharing some BIG NEWS this week.
I’m thrilled to share that I’m leading a new role as Chief Creative & Strategy Officer at The Social Lights, building a social-first agency for the future with Emily Pritchard, Stephanie Schafer, and the brilliant TSL team in Minneapolis.
As social media continues to move to the forefront of the modern marketing plan, brands need a social-first partner. TSL has been killing it at social marketing for 10 years. And now we’re assembling a team and new kind of agency model for talent and clients who are ready AND EXCITED for what's next.
So here’s how you can get involved in my big news week…
Celebrate with me on LinkedIn! Here’s my post announcing the news and the press release.
Check out our open positions and refer some great candidates! Current openings include Director of Content, Account Strategists, Paid Social Planners, and more!
Sign up for the TSL newsletter! Do you know what you can’t get enough of? Email. I know it’s true.
Come see me speak!
Feb 18 - AdFed Student Ad Summit Keynote - register here!
Feb 23 - MIMA Mixed Reality Bites: VR & AR in 2022 - register here!
March 17 - IABC Convergence Summit - register here!
Thanks to everyone who reached out already to say congrats, share a new biz lead, or ask if we’re hiring. I absolutely love my network and this community, and I couldn’t be more excited to enter this next phase. There’s a lot more to come. Bring it on, 2022!
The Super Bowl is like the Super Bowl of advertising
Increasingly, watching the Super Bowl has meant having a phone in your hand scrolling social media, live texting with friends, watching hashtags, or just multitasking (like you do anytime the TV is on, frankly). But there’s a reason those commercials cost so much money — people are paying attention and better yet, they look forward with anticipation in being marketed to. The Super Bowl is like the Super Bowl of advertising.
As our bifurcated attention span has leapt from the big screen to the small screen, brands have adapted over the years. First, adding website URLs to the TV spots. Then hashtags. And now an official Super Bowl sponsor or big game advertiser plans a 3-4 week marketing plan leading up to the game, building microsites and social teasers, contests, challenges, influencer engagement, and activation touchpoints that either culminate with an ad during the game or often, no official ad at all.
The press shares it. Consumers engage like crazy. And the best marketers will find ways to earn attention, capture followers/emails/data, and leverage that into measurable results the rest of the year.
A lot has been written about the focus on metaverse, NFTs, and emerging technology we’ll see in this year’s slate of ads. Even if you’re not bullish on these trends or feel behind, it’s important to pay attention and get involved to understand this fulcrum point of massive global awareness prompted by Super Bowl 2022 toward these technologies that may impact marketing the rest of our careers.
Some things to look for and check out this year
Watch all the Super Bowl commercials at USA Today’s Ad Meter. This way you won’t miss anything if someone talks over them during the game. Plus, you’ll be ready to perceive how the rest of your partygoers receive them.
Go play NFL Tycoon in Roblox! What a great opportunity to check out the metaverse world if it’s your first time. Need help? Ask a nearby kid.
Go explore in Meta’s Questy’s, the first Super Bowl ad you can walk into. I’m a big fan of the virtual pizza, myself.
Go explore Miller Lite’s Meta Lite Bar in Decentraland. Watch their community managers have to address that it has nothing to do with Meta.
Check out how Bud Light is using NFTs in its creative (plus its Twitter profile pic!).
Study Alexa’s Hunches, which will be a feature in Amazon’s ads this year.
Study all the crypto and metaverse ads closely. How are they educating on the category while trying to drive trial? How are the people at your party responding to them? What’s the real-time social pushback in regard to environmental impact, the future of Web3, and decentralization?
Check out Twitter’s #BestOfTweets Brand Bowl Champs.
Watch the Foo Fighters free livestream after the game on Facebook, Instagram, or preferably, in Meta’s Horizons VR platform.
There’s only one time a year that every single person in your circle will have opinions about advertising. Let them tell you their thoughts. Ask them why they think that way. Keep that phone out while you watch the spots to track the social signals. And study up! It’s the Super Bowl of advertising, and we all have a lot to learn. That’s what it’s all about. -Greg
🐤 Some Good Socials
🔥 Quick Hits
LinkedIn is testing a new option to switch off political posts in your feed.
Instagram is hiring a live Valentine’s shopping experience.
Pinterest Presents is coming up March 10. RSVP here.
Meta is hosting an event called “Building for the metaverse with AI” that you can RSVP for here.
Nike is bringing the Roblox Nikeland experience to its NYC store.
Good read: Mascots might be the key to a successful TikTok strategy for brands
WTF Deck Building of the Week: Google Slides is actually hilarious.
Podcast of the Week: Being Dallas Taylor, exploring what it’s like to meet people around the country with the same name as you, and discovering surprising similarities.
Literary Concept of the Week: Comparative Illusions, like More people have been to Russia than I have.
Twitter of the Week: @brandsowned
TikTokker of the Week: @planetofthetapes
See you on the internet!
Greg
PS: If you liked this, do me a solid and click and smash that “LIKE” with the little heart. And share it. TYSM 🙏🏻
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