On February 7, 2010 millions of eyes will be on the creative ads that typically accompany each Super Bowl. However, the real winners around this year’s mega sporting event will be the marketers who effectively engage their audiences online before, during and after the big event -- whether or not they are using TV.

“The ads that run during the Super Bowl have become almost as big of a draw as the game itself,” said Blaine Mathieu, CMO, Lyris. “However, for most companies, the cost and ROI of TV advertising has them sitting on the sidelines. Companies are realizing that online marketing is a more effective way to build long-term relationships and engagement with customers. Pepsi’s decision to pull its Super Bowl ad spot for the first time in 23 years and put more money towards its social media initiative, The Pepsi Refresh Project, is indicative of where marketing is going.”

The 2010 Super Bowl is a whole new ball game for online marketing. As consumers' exposure to brands via social media continues to increase, the marketers that are going to win are those who understand and take advantage of this changing dynamic. Today, smart marketers are leveraging email marketing, conversing on Twitter, tweaking search marketing campaigns and covering a lot of ground in their quest to drive engagement. Here are some supporting statistics to consider:

While engagement with traditional advertising has declined, the price of TV airtime during the Super Bowl has gradually increased. The 2009 Super Bowl broadcaster said it charged an average of $3 million for 30-second spots in 2009. This is an increase from $2.7 million in 2008 and $2.385 million in 2007, according to TNS Media Intelligence.

According to a recent survey conducted by Forrester, more than 50 percent of marketers are increasing spending on social media marketing. Advertisers view social media as important because online they can seek out people who have an affinity for the brand and engage them in meaningful interaction that lasts longer than 30 seconds.

According to Sergio Balegno, senior analyst with MarketingSherpa, “An overwhelming 97 percent of marketers agree that social media will complement other marketing tactics, such as email.”

Last year, the ads from the big game racked up 99.5 million collective online views, according to Visible Measures, which tallies viral-video data. Compared to that, 98.7 million people watched the 2009 Super Bowl game on TV, per Nielsen, showing the value of online to maximize exposure.

In the spirit of entertainment, we decided to poke a little fun at Super Bowl mania with a ~30 second video from this blog’s sponsor; enjoy!

Also read the official press release, Online Marketing Leader Lyris Declines Opportunity to Run Super Bowl Commercial in 2010. 

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About the Author

Erick Mott is the community practice leader at Lyris. Connect and collaborate with him on http://twitter.com/lyris and www.linkedin.com/in/erickmott.

Related Resources:

• Subscribe to Inside Lyris HQ our monthly online-marketing newsletter.
• Download free online-marketing guides, tools and webinars in the Lyris Online-Marketing Resource Center.

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