Super Bowl Promotion: 9 Ways Small Businesses Can Win the Big Game

Try these suggestions to make your Super Bowl Sunday a winner:

1. A Super Bowl Commercial… On Your Budget
2. Game Day Giveaways
3. Super Bowl Promotion and Sales for Sunday-Only
4. Plan a Game Day Event with Another Local Business
5. Social Media Contests
6. Tweet the Big Plays
7. Pick a Side
8. Target People Who Aren’t Watching
9. #SuperBowl

In February 2021, an estimated 68% of US homes tuned into Super Bowl LV to see Tom Brady’s Buccs raise the Vince Lombardi Trophy. ¹ That translated into a big social media buzz, with brands like Pepsi, State Farm and Paramount+ providing the most talked-about moments on Twitter. (Well, those outside of the game at least.)

According to Talkwalker, State Farm got 49,000 social mentions during the Super Bowl, with 300,000 engagements to boot. ²

But creating buzz around your brand’s Super Bowl promotion isn’t just limited to big-budget companies and Hollywood names. Local businesses can also take advantage of the big game to increase brand visibility and engage with potential customers. Here are 9 Super Bowl ad strategies targeted specifically at small business owners.

1. A Super Bowl Commercial… On Your Budget

Early estimates put a 30-second TV spot for the 2022 Super Bowl at $6.5 million. ³ So, you can see why small businesses don’t often figure in the conversation when it comes to viewers’ favorite TV commercials.

But brilliant ideas don’t have to come with the premium price tag. You can still get into the spirit and create a special Super Bowl commercial to air on your social media accounts or, budget allowing, local airwaves. As past Super Bowl commercials have demonstrated, anything goes – just make sure it’s memorable.

2. Game Day Giveaways

The Championship game can be anything but a predictable affair, as some of the Super Bowl’s most memorable wins have come from an underdog overcoming Vegas odds. 

You can help keep things interesting for football fans by offering a giveaway tied directly to what happens during the game. For example, restaurants can offer a free appetizer to game-day diners if the winning team scores more than 40 points. Or retailers can offer a percentage discount based on the number of a player’s jersey and if they score a touchdown – just make sure the jersey number isn’t too high!

3. Super Bowl Promotion and Sales for Sunday-Only

Data from MiQ based on homes with smart TVs revealed 56% of households were active on mobile phones during Super Bowl LV, with a further 41% using desktop PCs. ⁴

Your business can take advantage of an increased customer presence online by running time-limited sales or giveaways for the duration of the game. That way, you’re not only finding potential new fans during game time, but also incentivizing a sale by ending offers when the game finishes.

4. Plan a Game Day Event with Another Local Business

Restaurants and bars are great venues for Super Bowl parties, but other types of business can get in on the action too by holding an event during the game. Your own space might be big enough to welcome some customers with snacks, themed fun and, of course, an offer or two.

But if you can’t squeeze your regulars in for an evening’s sporting action, use the opportunity to reach out to another business or venue to co-host a Super Bowl promotion party. Offer up a share of the expenses to a local bar, restaurant or community center, and your help organizing the event. In return, see about getting your business name printed on flyers or event branding. 

5. Social Media Contests

Super Bowl LIV brought almost 44 million interactions across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and 144,000 alone on Twitter right after the half-time show. ⁵ So social media is definitely the place to bring your A-game with some creative ideas.

You could engage potential customers on social media by encouraging them to take part in Super Bowl-themed contests and offer prizes for the best entries. For example:

• A clothing retailer can prompt social media followers to submit pictures of their best Super Bowl outfits and then vote on the favorites. 
• Furniture sellers can ask followers to post pictures of their lucky football-watching seats.
• A food brand could share some Super Bowl snack inspiration with user-submitted images.

6. Tweet the Big Plays

Keep your social channels engaged during the game and start conversations to communicate directly with followers so they can see you’re taking an active interest in the contest as it unfolds. Weave in some clever touches to increase humor and connection. 

If someone’s made a big catch, throw in a GIF of a fisherman’s ‘big catch’. If the half-time show gives you serious vibes, share the singer’s best-known song. Ahead of time, plan different ways to tie your business into the highlights, such as big plays, a flashy touchdown dance, or popular commercials.

7. Pick a Side

If your business is based somewhere close to one of the teams involved, why not pledge your support for your local fan base with a few touches both physically and online? Deck your business in the team colors, or even create a banner wishing them luck. Broadcast your support over social media and get customers talking.

Of course, provided you set the tone just right, you could even use proximity to a rival city to get the conversation flowing. If you’re rooting against a side, maybe post a light-hearted good luck message to their opponents based on your team rivalry.

8. Target People Who Aren’t Watching

Extensive market research conducted exclusively by Groupon reveals there are people who… don’t like watching the Super Bowl? No matter. You can still rally some support from this group of mavericks with a few clever communications.

Set your business apart by sponsoring an event during the Super Bowl that isn’t related to football and gives non-football fans a place to get together to enjoy themselves. Try not to make it awkward by relying too heavily on talk about ‘avoiding the football’. Just show your customers that the big game isn’t the be-all, end-all of the weekend.

9. #SuperBowl

Don’t forget, when you’re talking about the game, add some hashtags to increase the visibility of your Super Bowl promotion. 

Remember though that the term ‘Super Bowl’ is a trademark owned by the NFL. That means while you’re allowed to hashtag your conversations and posts, you can’t use these terms directly on marketing or promotional materials without express permission. So, while it’s OK to prompt a new discount using terms like ‘Super Bowl’ on your tweets, you can’t add them to your flyer or website.

Become a Groupon Merchant today to increase your brand awareness and be able to capitalize on peak times of the year and major events.

Sources:

1. https://www.marketingcharts.com/featured-116081
2. https://www.talkwalker.com/case-studies/super-bowl-report
3. https://adage.com/article/special-report-super-bowl/super-bowl-2022-commercials-faq-business-behind-ads/2376976
4. https://www.wearemiq.com/blog/super-bowl-lv/
5. https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/press-releases/2020/super-bowl-liv-draws-nearly-100-million-tv-viewers-44-million-social-media-interactions/