Professor and Department Chair Catherine Coleman
Call it a tailgate party. This year, by the time the commercials aired during the Super Bowl, many of them had already been viewed. Catherine Coleman, professor and chair of strategic communication, offered insight into the new trend and the timeless big game.
With all the changes in media and television viewing habits, what keeps the Super Bowl strong?
We are in an evolving media landscape, yet the Super Bowl remains one of the few
opportunities for appointment viewing. In other words, everyone is tuning into the same broadcast at the same time, which is rarer in our current digitally driven media environment. This collective experience contributes to the excitement, appeal and tradition of it all.
Many companies released their advertisements ahead of the game. What is behind this new trend?
In releasing the commercials in advance, advertisers can generate buzz, start and extend the conversation and life of the campaign, and increase the earned value of the investment. With Super Bowl ads reportedly costing $8 million and up, you can bet advertisers want to ensure a strong return on that investment.
Students in the Ad Meter Class
How have our viewing habits contributed to this?
I imagine advertisers are also trying to leverage multiscreen viewing. If not considered, this media multitasking could be a distraction from a commercial during the Super Bowl. Leveraged properly, advertisers can meet consumers across multiple channels to tell a cohesive, compelling story.
It sounds like the game of Super Bowl commercials is as strong as ever.
Definitely. In fact, TCU and the Bob Schieffer College of Communication expanded its participation in the USA TODAY Super Bowl Ad Meter. As part of the Ad Meter, students at select universities evaluate advertisements. This year, various classes across our Strategic Communication major, from introductory advertising to our capstone campaigns classes, participated to varying degrees alongside classes in the Neeley School of Business and Fashion Merchandising. Some classes will complete the
Ad Meter and discuss as a class. Others will complete the Ad Meter and discuss with a representative from USA TODAY. Still others participated in an advanced screening.
Read more about Schieffer College’s and TCU’s participation in the USA TODAY Ad Meter.