The Week Ahead: Surging Viewers Draw Super Bowl Ads

The Wall Street Journal

JANUARY 31, 2011

By SAM SCHECHNER And EMILY STEEL

I thought it would be fitting that the first entry into this marketing journal would be about one of the most talked about and expensive advertising efforts every year: Super Bowl commercials.  Advertisers will sure get their money's ($3 million) worth this year.  The game features Green Bay and Pittsburgh, two teams with huge followings - which, according to the article, is more important than the size of their home city in predicting ratings.  Several marketers, such as CareerBuilder, will include digital extensions of their campaigns.  CareerBuilder, who has seen great return in revenue and traffic, will be advertising on the last Sunday of the football season for its seventh consecutive year.  This reminded me what I read in Chapter 2; marketing must be looked at as an investment, not an expense.