As the NFL playoffs head to the Super Bowl in a couple of weeks, major advertisers around the world are preparing for the launch of their commercial marketing efforts. In fact, early estimates have the price for a 30 second TV spot in the $4 million range, indicating that advertisers are more willing to pay a premium for the prime exposure associated with such a global event. Of course, advertising during such an event without any prior promotion may hurt retention rates. Ipsos partnered with Youtube to discover whether or not running YouTube ads leading up to the even made a strong impressions on the audience.

Recall Rates the same between YouTube and TV

Despite paying an arm and a leg for a prime TV spot, results indicate that recall rates for both YouTube and TV ads are very similar. For smaller advertisers without a significant budget, investing in interactive media will prove to not only be cost effective, but can provide similar results to advertising on TV. Businesses with larger budgets can achieve significantly higher recall rates by combining traditional TV commercials with YouTube videos, reinforcing their message across multiple platforms.

Power of Social Media

YouTube makes it extremely simple for users to share exciting video content with their respective networks. Advertisers need to leverage the viral impact of YouTube and other social media sites to increase the reach of their message and ensure that recall rates for commercials will meet objectives. A key example of a commercial becoming a viral hit was The Force: Volkswagen commercial, which was shared over 5.7 million times according to the Mashable Global Ads Chart.

Lessons from the Super Bowl

Even though Super Bowl commercial spots are purchased by advertisers with deep pockets, numerous lessons can be learned from the strategies applied by marketing professionals. For example, Unruly Media compiled some stats that exhibit the power of intergrating the online channels to complement traditional TV spots:

• 75% of the top 20 most shared commercials from the 2012 Super Bowl were published on YouTube prior to the event.
• Shares of Super Bowl ads on Youtube increased by 129% between 2011 and 2012.
• Volkswagen’s teaser video on YouTube received 3 times as many shares as it’s TV commercial counterpart in 2012.

Expect the YouTube marketing efforts to ramp up among advertisers leading up to the 49ers-Raverns Super Bowl. Advertisers are beginning to gravitate towards integrated marketing plans that include online components because of the vast potential available with sharing on social media sites. While your brand may not have the budget to invest in Super Bowl commercials, planning a strategy leveraging YouTube can help you grow your business online.