Last week we looked at predictions for the media and advertising surrounding Super Bowl XLVIII and set a variety of expectations. This week, we have the opportunity reflect upon the commercials and public relations initiatives from the big game to assess what worked well, what needed improvement and obvious lessons from game day advertising. From television commercials to social media, brands showcased creative marketing that can serve as examples for what to do and what not to do in communication industries for the rest of the year.
In this week’s PRSA “Friday Five” post – an analysis of the week’s biggest public relations and business news and commentary – we look at lessons to take away from Super Bowl XLVIII. What PR can learn from Super Bowl advertising, winners of Super Bowl XLVIII social media, takeaways from playoff social media and why JCPenney’s mitten tweets didn’t work are all covered in this week’s post. We also look at brand to brand interactions, halftime related updates and more.
What PR pros can learn from Super Bowl advertisers (PR Daily)
As highlighted in the article, it’s unlikely that many PR pros will ever be involved in a $4 million Super Bowl campaign. However, we can all learn from the large-scale campaigns. PR pros are often faced with the challenge of being in the “valley” of a “peak-and-valley cycle.” After a “peak” of prime time advertisements, events and major product releases and launches, public relations teams are often responsible for creating 
campaigns to address the aftermath once the excitement dies down, known as the “valley.”
The article offers “five ideas to help you sustain momentum” through an integrated campaign. Suggestions include “timely content marketing,” “virtual events” and implementing an “ambassador program.” The ambassador program, for example, “equip[s] ambassadors with tools to share the product and campaign with their personal networks,” which can assist brands in increasing and maintaining brand loyalty after a major surge in a campaign. Visit the article for more recommendations.
14 PR and Social Media Winners from Super Bowl XLVIII (PR Newser)
While none of the social media posts produced during Super Bowl XLVIII were able to outdo the famous real-time Oreo tweet from the 2013 Super Bowl, many brands successfully built hype and gained attention through the event. The article lists the 14 best social media moves from the game and offers details about what made them successful. Kohl’s, Doritos, Oreo and DiGiorno Pizza were among the winners on the list. Surprisingly, the heavily debated– and somewhat disliked – social media campaign by JCPenney won the top spot on the list with an interesting defense.
Article author Patrick Coffee explains: “Did the ‘are they drunk or did they get hacked’ conversation inspire anyone to plan a trip to the nearest J.C. Penney? We doubt it. But we include it at the top of this list because attention=success on social, and this stunt did get people talking more than any other during the first half.” A full breakdown of Super Bowl XLVIII social media and rankings can be read via the article.
5 Social Media Lessons Learned From a Super Bowl Season (Huffington Post)
The playoffs and the lead up to the Super Bowl have a unique social media strategy based on the nature of the games. Fans flock to the media – particularly social media – during the post season to get the most up-to-date information, trends, photos and more. According to the article, “Hungry fans eagerly consume every image and word during the post-season, and team digital strategists and social media managers focus intensely on maximizing that content.”
The article outlines six “playoff lessons learned” that should be taken into account when creating strategy, including “adversary builds character” and “it’s about the emotion, not the opponent.” It also advises to “go short on social” and to “go deep on site.” For the full list of lessons learned, visit the article.
This Is Why JCPenney’s Twitter Stunt Is Not Another ‘Oreo Moment’ (PR Newser)
While a prior article in this week’s post notes that JCPenney’s social media antics during the Super Bowl were noteworthy because they garnered lots of attention, this article explains why their approach doesn’t join the ranks of the “Oreo Moment.” The initial tweet, full of misspellings from the chain’s corporate account, got nearly 20,000 retweets because Twitter users thought it was some kind of embarrassing, drunken mishap. However, the reveal that it was part of a #TweetingWithMittens hashtag campaign received less than 3,900 retweets.
To add to the failure, competitors like Kohl’s took advantage of JCPenney’s mishap by responding with witty messaging about touch screen- friendly gloves. JCPenney wasn’t the only brand to have a real-time marketing fail during the game – many brands vied for creative messaging and opportunities, but their “attempts to be quirky/snarky/sentimental/amusing were so forced they fell flat.” Learn what went wrong via the article.
The 25 Most Fantastic Social Media Updates From Brands During The Super Bowl (Marketing Land)
Super Bowl Sunday was one of the most active social media days of the year, and with the massive influx of activity, it becomes difficult to keep up with all the popular and creative posts. This article highlights the best game related updates, halftime related updates, brand to brand interaction and more that you may have missed. Some of the article’s highlights have been included in other roundups of favorite posts from the game. However, it also includes new, less talked about posts, including NASA’s unexpected participation in the social media frenzy and Butterfinger’s interaction with Turbo Tax.
One of the most retweeted brand to brand interactions was between Victoria’s Secret and Volkswagen. Victoria Secret tweeted at Volkswagen for “imitating” their brand’s trademark wings and received 589 retweets and 1,153 favorites, to which the car maker responded with a witty tweet and an accompanying YouTube clip. Visit the article to view the clip and for the full roundup.
Faith Goumas is the public relations associate at the Public Relations Society of America.
