THE HARKEY GROUP’s Post

Smart read on how organizations like Disney approach branding from within.

The Super Bowl has become a marketing phenomenon thanks to the NFL’s exceptional brand-building strategies. Regardless of the teams playing, the event guarantees marketers a high ROI on their Super Bowl advertising due to the massive viewership despite the seven-figure price tag.    This is a narrative that Level5 Strategy and David Kincaid are very familiar with:   💡 For over a decade, David led the development of Labatt’s marketing strategy in partnership with the NFL and Super Bowl. 📈 David pioneered the first integrated Super Bowl marketing campaign in Canada for Budweiser, setting the stage for the marketing value we see today. 🏈 Most notably, the NFL was a client of Level5 for nearly five years!   Recently, David shared his insights with the Toronto Star, discussing the transformative impact of real-time feedback on marketing strategies and campaign ROI. If you’re interested in learning more about the power of Super Bowl ads and David’s insights, you can read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gye8rTYt #SuperBowlLVIII #BrandStrategy

I don't have any Super Bowl advertising hot takes. Let's be honest. If you're in or around the industry, it gets a little tired to talk, think, read, analyze and pontificate about it all. That said, I was trying to reconcile what it was about this year's slate that was rattling around in my head. Specifically, how come some of the spots I had previewed pre-game and thought were SO clever, didn't even register with the typical viewer. Well, then I caught this quote from Mekanism's Jason Harris and it hit in its straightforward articulation. “The Super Bowl this year was the Kitchen Sink Bowl....Advertisers tried too hard. Instead of one celebrity, they put in 5 or 6. Instead of one clear joke, they aimed for several. It was overly complex and hard to even remember the brand for many of them.” Yup. That's it. It reminded me of the old K.I.S.S. design principle (keep it simple, stupid). It's just as applicable to brand marketing communications, particularly on a mass platform like the Super Bowl. Look at this year's commercial slate through that lens, and you'll find the brands who followed that adage at the top of the list. #advertising #brandmarketing #brandcommunications

Which Super Bowl commercial did the most people like?  53% chose Dunkin’. While consumer products often try for catchy tunes and funny lines – perhaps because a consumer is constantly bombarded with competitors – they still seek to occupy a top of mind position.  A high level of top of mind positioning has measurable benefits, including positive association, increased sales and repeat buying. We can apply this top of mind principle to our world of commercial real estate brokerage by striving to have our clients associate us with key attributes including insight, expertise, performance, and trust. Since we are essentially a collection of small, regional businesses, Super Bowl advertising isn’t a top of mind tool for us.  In fact, many of us have already proven to ourselves that advertising, in general, doesn’t work.  Nonetheless, many agents have extremely strong brand equity (high levels of top of mind positioning). How have they done it?  How could you do it? Share in the comments how you are building brand equity.

"Get On Board!" Check out the link below for a really great, quick read on OOH industry trends. Especially for Local Advertisers. #OOH #digitalbillboards #elevateyourads #getonboard #billboards #signalOOH #marketing #advertising #local #smallbusiness

For this week’s AdMiration feature, we researched Malibu’s “Don’t Drink and Dive” ad. The ad is part of their campaign with Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) to raise awareness of the risk of drowning when drinking near water. What can we learn from it? There’s more than one way to land a serious or shocking message.  Even here humour can work as part of a narrative arc. - The ad scores in the top 5% of all UK ads in potential to drive immediate sales and top 15% in potential to build brand equity in the long-term.  - It delivers an important message in a significantly distinctive way that is unique and true to the brand’s tone of voice. - Despite not using a typical shocking approach to raise awareness on the topic of drinking-related drowning incidents, the ad still manages to evoke a feeling of surprise in the audience significantly beyond that of the average UK ad (surprise response: 9% vs 3% norm). When the message of “1 in 4 UK drownings involve alcohol” appears on screen we see a huge spike in the surprise emotion, but this is followed by a peak of laughter and love as Tom Daley turns around to reveal the call to action of “Don’t Drink and Dive” on his knitted briefs in a tongue in cheek way.  - There is a great story arc. From upbeat, positive holiday vibes, to a sudden switch in the music and pause in action to ending back on a high. The change in tone with a switch in the upbeat music of the ad preceding the message reveal allows for the moment of surprise to be even more impactful and for the message to truly stick. It’s a real masterclass in landing an important message without dampening the mood of the ad and ending on a positive note. Huge kudos to the whole team on this entire campaign (Brendan Madden Spencer Llewellyn Philippa Beaumont Freddy Taylor Matt Croxall and Pernod Ricard Wieden+Kennedy London)! They delivered a highly captivating, but most importantly, lifesaving message in a truly impactful and unique way. #advertising #AdMiration #creativeandeffective #consumerinsights #marketresearch

In close to 20 years of going to Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, I've never seen such a difference between what was happening inside the Palais and out. This year Retail Media activations popped up like California wildflowers in Spring. What might we learn from past waves? My thoughts below. #RetailMedia #CommerceMedia

🏈 Exciting Opportunity for Local Businesses in the New Orleans DMA! 🌟 As we gear up for the big game, I wanted to shed some light on why advertising during the Super Bowl this year could be a game-changer for local businesses in the New Orleans DMA. 🏆 1️⃣ Unrivaled Reach: The Super Bowl is one of the most-watched events on television, drawing millions of viewers from all walks of life. Broadcasting your message during this high-stakes game ensures your business reaches a vast and diverse audience, maximizing your brand exposure. 📺 2️⃣ Local Pride: New Orleans has a unique and passionate community, and the Super Bowl provides an opportunity to connect with your local audience on a whole new level. By aligning your brand with this iconic event, you tap into the collective pride and enthusiasm of your community. 🎭 3️⃣ Memorable Moments: Super Bowl commercials are known for creating lasting impressions. This is your chance to craft a message that resonates, captivates, and stays with your audience long after the final whistle. Make your business the talk of the town! 🗣️ 4️⃣ Boosting Brand Credibility: Associating your brand with the excitement and prestige of the Super Bowl can elevate your business's credibility. Showcasing your products or services during this prime time demonstrates confidence and positions your brand as a leader in your local market. 🌐 5️⃣ Strategic Timing: With the Super Bowl being a cultural phenomenon, your advertisement becomes part of the conversation during and after the game. This strategic timing allows you to leverage the momentum and keep your business top of mind in the days and weeks that follow. ⏰ 🚀 Ready to Score Big? I'm here to help your business make the most of this incredible opportunity. Let's discuss how we can tailor a Super Bowl advertising strategy that aligns perfectly with your goals. Drop me a message if you're interested in elevating your brand's presence during the Super Bowl! 🚀🏈 #SuperBowlAdvertising #LocalBusinessSuccess #WWLTV #NewOrleansDMA #GameOn 🎉

Here’s an article about famous ad campaigns published by a famous university written by a less famous guy.

In 2009, Miller High Life showed us you don’t need to invest $3 million in a 30s Super Bowl spot to gain visibility for your brand. Instead you can just buy 1 second. In the video there’s a collection of one second ads, one of which they ran in the Super Bowl. They also produced a hilarious longer ad which ran in the weeks before with the main character ranting about the ridiculous cost of advertising at the Super Bowl, which introduced the angle used for the superb PR campaign. Now here are four reasons why I bloody love this… - They didn’t decide between PR or advertising, they used advertising for PR, achieving additional reach into the millions and millions - As Bob Hoffman articulates better than me, advertising works best when it reaches a lot of people in unison, not individually, to create a shared moment we can talk about on the bus or at the school gates. - They understood that visibility is only worthwhile when it leads to attention, meaning the whole campaign (the teaser campaign, primetime interviews, the spot itself) was incredibly entertaining. - It shows the power of #creative and #media working together, not in isolation. MillerCoors Molson Coors Beverage Company #advertising