The Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl for the third time on Sunday night. It goes unnoticed by many Dutch people, but in the US the madness surrounding the Super Bowl has been going on for weeks. The event is best known for the astronomical amounts that brands have to pay for commercials during the broadcast. About 100.000 euros per second. In addition, major artists always perform during the Super Bowl. This year it was the turn of Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Beyonce and Bruno Mars, among others. And who hasn't heard of Janet Jackson's 'nipplegate'. That also took place during the Super Bowl. This event is therefore 'the place to be' for all brands that really want to stand out. There is a lot to learn from the way advertising is used during the Super Bowl. We would like to share those learnings with you in this blog.

Big. Taller. Biggest.

It is applicable to many things and events in America, especially in the eyes of us as Europeans. Whether it concerns cars, amusement parks, food or sporting events. Everything has to be big, bigger, biggest. And that certainly applies to the Super Bowl. American Football is uniquely popular in the US. The Super Bowl is broadcast in 180 countries and in 25 different languages. In the States alone, 114.4 million Americans watched TV during Super Bowl Sunday. So 1 in 3 Americans. There is always a lot to do around the commercials during, before and after the Super Bowl. They are extremely expensive and therefore often require a lot of thought and time. Some of the best commercials come from Super Bowl history. VKmag has listed the best of this year for you.

5 important features for a successful campaign

So we can learn quite a bit from the Super Bowl. We have listed a number of interesting lessons for you, based on successful campaigns of recent years. We can easily apply these lessons in our daily practices, whether you are a sales manager or a marketing manager.

1. Strategy first

Although the creativity of your approach or campaigns is of course decisive, this still appears to be of secondary importance to your underlying approach strategy. After all, a creative concept without a strategy can completely miss the point. What is your sales strategy? Or your marketing strategy? How will you distinguish yourself and make optimal use of your human capital or financial resources? For example, during last year's Super Bowl, Pizza Hut deliberately chose not to advertise in the most expensive part of the evening (the game), but in the cheaper pre-game period. The strategic consideration behind this may not have been complicated, but it was clear: people order their pizza well before the match, so Pizza Hut can make a move and it is also cheaper.

2. Relevance is everything

Context, that's what the modern economy is all about. With the right message in the right place. For the Super Bowl, but also for your department. Presenting a standard sales pitch has little added value. It's about the translation you make towards the context of your lead. This also applies to marketing campaigns. Just look at the advertisement Chrysler during the Super Bowl in Detroit. Fully responsive to the feeling of the city and the role Chrysler plays in it. Of course, completely within context, with local hero Eminem as brand ambassador.

3. Keep it simple, stupid

Simplicity is power! Whether you are presenting your services to a potential customer, or conveying your marketing message to your audience, simplicity creates memories. A good example of this is the Google advertising, in which a life story is depicted with very simple images. Simple but oh so powerful.

4. Provoke the discussion

Discussion and interaction generate attention. And attention, that is exactly what you want as a marketer or salesperson. So make sure that your campaigns or pitches evoke a response. That your target group or lead is heard and that you listen to what they have to say. The faster you can build a relationship of trust and become successful. Monster for example, came up with a fairly confrontational advertisement to make a point.

5. Don't be too forceful

It remains tempting. Wanting to close that deal quickly, more or less pushing your opponent towards a decision. Or convince that customer to buy your product as quickly as possible. And yet it is rarely productive. In any case, a sales conversation or a short commercial, such as during the Super Bowl, is usually too short to really convey your point convincingly. The next phase is at least as important. Make material available that your lead can download, or extend the lines of your commercial to your website. Reebok went for a contextual but above all humorous campaign and attracted millions of visitors to its website. The commercial was only used as a teaser.

So you see, sports and commerce always have some interesting lessons in store for us, which we can apply in practice. Which of the 5 lessons will you apply in your organization starting tomorrow?