The MarCom Strategist: A Free B2B Marketing E-Newsletter

February, 2007
Published by Dianna Huff
Volume 7, Number 2

Welcome!

Join me and my fellow marketing experts, Jonathan Kranz and Karen Gedney, at NEDMA's half-day seminar, "The B2B Marketing Workshop: How to get more leads through print, email and Web." Developed specifically for B2B marketers, this workshop will cover collateral and the sales lead process, B2B e-mail campaigns, and how to turn Website visitors into prospects. The workshop is being held at the Microsoft Facility in Waltham, MA, Monday, February 26, 2007 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM. For additional details and registration, visit the NEDMA Website.

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Dianna Huff

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What's the ROI on a Superbowl Ad?

By Dianna Huff

Viewing Super Bowl ads is a time-honored tradition -- whether you're a football fan or not.

Although I don't watch too much football during the season, I make a point to sit through the Super Bowl with my family. We eat tons of chips and dip, my husband cooks a huge dinner and gets excited about the game, and I watch the commercials.

Apparently, I'm pretty normal. According to comScore's research, "watching the advertisements (26%) and spending time with friends and family (18%) are the primary reasons behind many tuning in. Not surprisingly, the survey responses reveal a disparity based on gender, as 63% of men report watching the game as the aspect they enjoy most, while only 37% of women report the same. Conversely, women favor watching the ads (31%) and spending time with family (20%)."

Big name advertisers, such as Ford, Frito-Lay, and Anheuser-Busch, will fork over $2.6 million for each 30-second spot in order to reach the expected 90 million viewers on February 4.

While I love watching the ads, I want to know just what is the ROI -- especially for business-to-business companies?

Yes, Super Bowl ads do drive thousands of viewers to company Websites. ITFacts Advertising reports that in 2005, Super Bowl ads "increased Budweiser Web traffic by 594%." (That's some boost!)

I ask the question about ROI because GoDaddy's CEO, Bob Parsons, was interviewed by The Wall Street Journal January 24, 2007 about his upcoming Super Bowl ad.

(For those of you who don't know, GoDaddy's previous Super Bowl ads have been risqué -- with the GoDaddy spokeswoman, "The GoDaddy Girl," falling out of her top in one spot. You can read the entire saga at GoDaddy's Website.)

In the interview, Parsons stated that the primary purpose of the Super Bowl ads is to build brand awareness -- and that when people think of GoDaddy, he wants them to think of the GoDaddy Girl.

But, when asked specifically about the ROI on his $2+ million annual ad spends, Parsons was cagey. Basically, he skirted the whole issue. Interestingly enough, comScore's research shows GoDaddy registered "brand damage" with women last year.

Given that GoDaddy is a B2B company, I'd love to know how many of the people who visited the GoDaddy site were true prospects that performed some type of action that ultimately resulted in a sale.

I also wonder if Parsons could achieve real ROI if he changed his messaging to appeal to savvy women business owners -- especially since women own over 6.5 million (28.2%) US businesses and employ over 7.1 million people (US SBA 2002 report, Women in Business: A Demographic Review of Women's Business Ownership).

As I stated to Bob Parsons in my blog, I do not think of the "GoDaddy Girl" when I think of GoDaddy. Indeed, the advertising never registered with me -- it was another small business owner who suggested I use them.

Which is why I use GoDaddy for the following smart reasons:

1) I can buy domain names for a good price.

2) The customer service is pretty darn good.

3) The domain manager console is easy to use.

What do you think? Should Super Bowl ads be more than exercises in building brand awareness in 30-seconds? Should GoDaddy risk losing prospects due to its controversial advertising? Is Bob Parsons a savvy marketer? Send your replies to me at info@dhcommunications.com. I'll post them next month.

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What can Dianna Huff do for you?

My goal is to make your job easier -- and to help you succeed with your marketing projects and campaigns.

  • Want your site to rank well in Google through search engine optimization (SEO) copywriting?
  • Responsible for a B2B e-newsletter and need help getting it out the door?
  • Need a complete Website overhaul and don't know where to begin?

If you answered yes, then give me a call at 603-382-8093 or send e-mail to info@dhcommunications.com. I can help you.

Keep up with the latest MarCom news at The MarCom Writer Blog.

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