Super Bowl Advertisers Shoot Mobile Blanks

If things hadn’t been following the same tired, now decade-old script, my face would’ve matched the 30 seconds of air during the second quarter of Super Bowl LII—blank.

Just how many of the more than 100 million in the U.S. watching the game had a mobile device either in hand or within four feet? My bet would’ve been at least 80 percent.

And just how many times did advertisers paying up to $5 million for a 30-second spot ask viewers to do something with their phones? Even by giving a few of the brands the benefit of the doubt, the percentage was less than 5 percent.

It again was as if we were looking at a telecast from 1975.

Among the misses on not-so-Super Sunday:

If Wendy’s fresh hamburgers are really better than those frozen at McDonald’s, the spot was a perfect opportunity to give folks the incentive to try them with a mobile call to action for a discount, a free one or buy-one, get-one offer. One way would’ve been through a call to action to text in for a coupon. Then Wendy’s could’ve asked for an opt-in for future offers.

In 2009, Arby’s did so with a product introduction on Jimmy Kimmel Live. More than 100,000 people responded. Approximately 65,000 then opted-in to join the mobile loyalty club. The restaurant created 172 local databases. There was nothing sexy about it, but the buy paid off for months, if not years.

For what it’s worth, Wendy’s did engage effectively in social, for example, tweeting, “If you’re frozen, you’re gonna get burned.”

I’ll remember Super Bowl LII as the time when several advertisers championed the good in humanity. MassMutual kicked off this effort in the pregame show by highlighting positivity, courage and kindness. While it inspired and brought goose bumps to the three of us in my viewing area, it did not offer up a way for us to engage and participate in future efforts beyond attempting to send us to unsung.com which was part education on the program and part education (sales effort) on the company’s financial products.

Mobile is for action. except, obviously, during Super Bowl telecasts.

Kia’s “Dream On” ad with Steven Tyler was an ideal springboard to push the Stinger with mobile. It’s common for automakers to enable consumers to customize a vehicle in an app. Augmented reality could’ve put the Stinger in one’s driveway. But none of this came to be on Sunday. Only a #kiastinger hashtag that had to be searched for.

The movie houses collectively spent tens of millions of dollars, yet their trailer-type ads for films due out months from now built fleeting excitement but no meaningful way for those interested to stay engaged. How about driving people to an app or mobile site for behind-the-scenes footage, a message from a movie star or a sweepstakes to win premiere passes?

On the plus side, Kraft did encourage viewers to create and upload family photos taken during the game. The creation of content certainly wasn’t a stretch given the fact that selfies are now as part of Super Sunday as dip and chips. But the effort was primarily promoted way before the kickoff on Twitter and Instagram, leaving most in the audience unaware that there was a user-generated effort going on.

The Kraft spot with the UGC late in the game was memorable, but not more than the selfie during halftime that featured Justin Timberlake and a young fan.

Also, while not the call to action I’ve been waiting for, the fact that TurboTax showed the ease of paying taxes on a mobile screen felt like some progress in moving the spots into the wireless era. And it was busy in social channels.

So it’s wait ‘til next year.

Will anything change? It’s been said that Super Bowl ads are for brand anthems, not for calls to act. But there are other reasons for noninviting, vintage-type efforts – many brands aren’t all in on mobile, silos frequently prevent “what’s best for the customer” initiatives, and, in many marketing organizations, creativity still sits as the top objective, not sales.

But Nick Foles did best Tom Brady, so anything is possible.

(first appeared on adweek.com - http://www.adweek.com/digital/in-mobile-super-bowl-marketers-still-struggle-to-think-beyond-the-hashtag/)

Unlimited Moves? Nah, Super Bowl Advertisers Stand Still

Justin Bieber and T-Mobile asked Super Bowl viewers to show their “unlimited moves”. Brands did the opposite, following the same tired plan of ignoring the fact that more than 100 million people had a mobile device in hand or close nearby and were open to engagement.

Let me list just some of the fumbles:

- Exclusivity is a key driver for those joining mobile loyalty clubs, yet for the 51st year in a row, we saw what felt like generic movie trailers that were without mobile calls to action. What about asking viewers to opt in to see more, enter for a chance to go to the premiere, or get a personalized call or ringtone from the film’s stars? Nothing of the kind was included.

- Every pizza company is trying to drive mobile ordering, yet Pizza Hut’s spot missed on the chance to invite viewers to download the app, enter to win a year’s worth of pizza, or to go to the mobile web for discounts and ability to sign on for personalized ordering? The brand wouldn’t even have had to ask us to say “Cheese”. Instead, it ran a spot vintage 1985 (except for the quick look at the app in the closing frame).

- I tweeted about the lack of a mobile call to action in the avocados spot, then received this response from Avocados From Mexico on Twitter (@AvosfromMexico): “Since you like secrets, join our Secret Society as a VIP member & win! http://sot.ag/t/2ht#AvoSecrets #SB51”. Two problems here – why wasn’t the CTA part of the TV ad? And was the account sending automated tweets rather than having real-time interaction that would’ve been more personal and meaningful?

- Alfa Romeo introduced new beautiful automobiles, but put aside the fact that mobile and car buying are intertwined. Why not ask viewers to download an app, customize their dream car with color and features, put the vehicle on a virtual track, or have a chance to win one? Apple’s Sean Bartlett, one of mobile’s pioneers, says the lack of calls to action is because advertisers use the Super Bowl to run brand anthems. This was a case of that, for sure.

In my mind, the No. 1 big Super Bowl miss was in 2009 when Denny’s offered viewers free Grand Slam breakfasts, but failed to ask patrons to opt in to receive the free food. While more than two million showed up for free eggs and hash browns or grits, Denny’s had no way of knowing who came in or how to remarket to them.

Contrast that with an Arby’s product introduction on Jimmy Kimmel’s show just a few months later that called for a text response for a free Roastburger. More than 65,000 opted in for on-going offers and enagement, and Arby’s built 172 local databases to further cater to its mobile-carrying customers.

Why isn’t something like that happening in 2017?

During last year’s Super Bowl telecast, NO MORE, an advocacy group that works to combat domestic violence and sexual assault, maximized the moment by building a mobile database.

People who opted into the text program received action-oriented messages educating them on common signs of abuse and steps that they can take to help victims of domestic violence or sexual assault.

There was no more of that or anything similar this year despite the airing of messages that asked viewers to get involved in making the world a better and more forgiving place.

In summation, Tom Brady and the Patriots made history Sunday. Advertisers made those of us in mobile hope again for a more engaging day. And for truly unlimited moves.

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article first appeared on Mobile Marketer - http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/opinion/columns/24443.html

Notes From A Mobilized Marketer - Another Reason To Smile At The Selfie

Despite its negative reputation in some circles, I will argue that the selfie has done more to drive smartphone adoption and bring people closer than any other recent product enhancement. I came across another reason to smile:

Until March 14, Disney Parks will donate $5 to Make-A-Wish – up to $1 million – for every “ear photo” shared on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #ShareYourEars. What kind of ears? “Cool ears. Funny ears. Mickey Mouse ears. We want to see them all!”

So show ‘em.

Customizing vehicles and watching a video on a manufacturer’s website are the most common activities on desktops for vehicle-shopping individuals, per Ipsos. On mobile, Nos. 1 and 2 are reaching out to family and friends and reaching out to a dealership or salesperson.

Ninety percent of smartphone users have used their devices to find a location, per Pew. The activity upended the free-standing and pricey navigation units that we no longer use or want.

Gizmodo reported the availability of the first smartphone with built-in FLIR thermal vision that can also survive a hurricane. The line of people is short for such a “need”.

Yahoo's Simon Khalaf says that we're at the end of Mobile 1.0 and we're entering Mobile 2.0. Let’s commit to punching anyone who calls 2016 The Year of Mobile 2.0.

More from Khalaf: time in the mobile browser decreased from 20% to 9% since 2013.

Emergency room visits by distracted walkers are up 124% in five years, reported The Wall Street Journal.

LinkedIn should block users from sending generic invites to connect. Someone needs to save these dolts from being stupid and lazy.

An Adweek infographic showed that 32% use tech or an app to track exercise. But left unanswered is whether others don’t exercise or just not track.

After all these years and successes, do we still need stories about the importance of building a mobile loyalty club though SMS opt-in? It isn't that I question the notion that these clubs are valuable. But are we still at such elementary how-to stage?

Eighty-two percent of TV ad-driven searches during Super Bowl were done on smartphones, vs. 70% in 2015: Google. But only 7% on tablets as smartphones continue to eat into the use of those devices.

Notes From A Mobilized Marketer - In Wireless Era, Banks Come To Us

We used to go to banks. Now, more and more, those institutions are coming to us. Or more specifically to our mobile devices.

imaginBank is the first mobile-only bank in Spain and the first in the world which is operated exclusively on cell phone and social network apps, according to the GSMA, which represents mobile operators worldwide. It also has an ATM search application for smartwatches and a service to check bank accounts, transactions and bills without having to leave Facebook.

69% of shoppers who use high-tech research products on a mobile device during a store visit vs. 54% of non-high-tech shoppers, comScore reported. Also, 76% of high-tech shoppers tracked delivery on a mobile device vs. 65% of non-high-tech shoppers.

Mobile spend is now 37% of all SEM spend (up 23% YoY), per Adobe.

In 2015, only 32% of email was opened on PCs, while 68% was opened on mobile devices, Movable Ink reported.

U.S. Hispanic and African-American voters are more likely than whites to get political news via mobile: Pew

A sanctioned Ted Cruz app enables the politician to capture individuals'  location, contact list, email addresses, AP reported.

Mobile was 86% of Twitter's $641 million in Q4 ad revenue (up 48% YoY).

Mobile games reached $34.8 billion in 2015, captured 85% of all app revenues, according to App Annie.

2016 will be the first year where more than half of the US population uses Facebook, eMarketer predicted.

In an international ranking of LTE download speeds, the U.S. came in 55th place, OpenSignal said.

By 2020, more people will own a mobile phone than have electricity, Cisco said in a forecast.

While lack of lots of mobile in Super Bowl ads was a missed opportunity, it didn’t take the cake on a week when a $63 million lottery ticket went unclaimed.

I came across what was billed as a mobile strategy blog with the last post 856 days ago? Nothing has changed since then, huh?

Super Bowl Advertisers Move The Ball With Mobile

The milestone that was the 50th Super Bowl will be remembered, too, for the advancements that advertisers made by including meaningful calls to action for mobile device owners.

But much like the spotty play on the field, there were clear missed opportunities and disappointments that not more was done to make the day all that it could be.

If we were to do a SportsCenter-like show highlighting the mobile wins, these would be included:

NO MORE, an advocacy group that works to combat domestic violence and sexual assault, maximized the moment by building a mobile database with a powerful commercial that follows a text message conversation between two friends. A woman’s reluctance to come to a Super Bowl party at a friend’s house, after missing a few social occasions, coupled with her silence when questioned about her well-being, raises concern for her safety. Texting was used to point out one of the many signs of domestic violence, namely her inability to talk about an abusive relationship.

The spot ends by calling on viewers to “TEXT ‘NO MORE’ TO 94543.”

For a limited time beyond Super Bowl 50, people who opted into the text program will receive action-oriented messages educating them on common signs of abuse and steps they can take to help victims of domestic violence and/or sexual assault. The texts will also reinforce the message that “you don’t need be an expert to get involved, you just need to be a friend.”

Why was this message so, pardon the pun, spot on?

NO MORE has found that 64% of Americans say that simply starting a conversation about domestic violence and sexual assault would make it easier to help someone.

Also, as we know, Gallup and others report that texting is a dominant way of communicating for Americans under 50.

Interestingly, the cost of the airtime and production was covered by the National Football League.

Elsewhere during the telecast, just before the game began, Esurance launched a contest where every retweet of a specified hashtag was entered into a sweepstakes. It was a good start in asking viewers to do something with their mobile phones. Later, it was reported that the ad generated 9,000 tweets a minute.

Separately, Quicken Loans encouraged viewers to get a mortgage via a mobile app. There was immediate backlash from The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and others urging people to take their time with such an important process, but the availability of such an option is surely welcome to some who will want the convenience after doing their research on their phone or computer.

Finally, developer Machine Zone pushed mobile app downloads of Mobile Strike with Arnold Schwarzenegger starring in the spot.

The “misses” list was just as noteworthy:

Apartments.com had a Jefferson’s parody to encourage watchers to “move on up”, but its tagline Change your apartment. Change the world dropped the ball on the biggest change in the category, namely the fact that large numbers of apartment hunters use their mobile phones to research, view and sign leases to new places to live.

Also, viewers were entertained by wiener dogs racing to condiment bottles, but it was learned on Twitter that MeetTheKetchups had a longer director's cut. Why didn’t Heinz use television to drive traffic to a mobile web site or produce and promote a mobile app to take advantage of the buzz?

Elsewhere, we were asked to "go online to view the new Jungle Book (Disney movie) trailer". But there was no app or call to action for viewers to see more footage via opt-in. The call to action used was disappointing because it was vintage 1997.

Overall, I’d say that advertisers moved the ball in 2016. But to fully score next year and beyond, marketers must more fully acknowledge and cater to the mobile generation of viewers.

(article first appeared on Mobile Marketer - http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/opinion/columns/22225.html)

Will Super Bowl Advertisers Take Another Pass On Mobile?

In the X’s and O’s game of Super Bowl advertising, marketers have consistently taken a pass on mobile.

Sure, we’ve seen spots with Shazam calls to action and others that have asked viewers to download a mobile app, but I can’t point to one meaningful attempt to engage tens of millions or more after the Big Game is done.

The missed opportunities have been many, including this one that goes back seven years:

Some, probably many, may have had too good a time to remember, but a great deal of us among the 95 million who watched the Super Bowl in February 2009 remember the television spots run by restaurant chain Denny’s to promote free Grand Slam breakfasts. The campaign’s elements were easy to follow—all viewers needed to do was to go to a Denny’s the following Tuesday for free eggs along with toast with hash browns or grits.

Denny’s reported that approximately 2 million took advantage of the offer. Although many might view that as a success, Denny’s was left with egg on its face when quick service restaurant Arby’s did it one better two months later by building in a way to remarket to patrons through a high-profile, national television campaign.

Here’s how it worked:

To start out, for the launch of its Roastburger product, Arby’s had comedian/entertainer Jimmy Kimmel create, eat, and promote the new sandwich on Jimmy Kimmel Live, a late-night nationally broadcast TV program airing on ABC.

Viewers were urged to text the word Roastburger to short code 27297 to receive a free sandwich with the purchase of any drink. After texting, customers were asked to respond with their zip code to be entered into a local database and to receive additional offers from Arby’s. By doing this, the restaurant gained a valuable remarketable database.

As a result of the one segment:

- Arby’s received 177,745 total entries from 152,280 unique participants

- Approximately 65,000 people opted in to join the mobile loyalty club

- The restaurant created 172 local databases to cater to the opted-in customers on a hyperlocal level

Two years ago, I asked Sean Bartlett, then director of mobile strategy and platforms at Lowe's, for some perspective on the lack of mobile calls to action on Super Bowl telecasts.

“I'm going with preserving creative integrity,” Bartlett, now Worldwide Industry Lead for Retail at Apple, told me.

But can we not have “creative integrity” that includes a mobile call to action?

“Yes, though most are brand anthems, not direct response,” he said.

Last year, on a scale of 1-100, the risk that the Seattle Seahawks took at the end of Super Bowl XLIX by throwing instead of giving the ball to Marshawn Lynch at the 1 sat at 379. And we know how that turned out (the New England Patriots intercepted a pass and won the championship).

On the same scale, on the risk that the telecast advertisers chose when it comes to mobilizing their marketing messages, the number rested squarely at 0.

My belief is that with the right trigger, a Super Bowl spot lives on well beyond the stench of putrid play-calling and uneaten nachos.

It is not hard to imagine some of that from many of the commercials.

What if last year in the last seconds of an ad that was instantly beloved, Budweiser urged touched viewers to save a dog and provided a keyword and short code to be contacted after the game? Do you not think the emotional string pulled would have resulted in pet adoptions?

To me, it gets back to the question of risk.

Just what would advertisers lose if they took the last three seconds of a commercial to add a call to action for viewers to use their phones? What is the worst that could happen? No one would respond.

Will the Super Bowl 50 telecast mark a mobile milestone? On a day when more money will be wagered than any other in 2016, I’m not betting on it.

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(article first appeared on imediaconnection.com - http://blogs.imediaconnection.com/blog/2016/01/31/will-super-bowl-advertisers-take-another-pass-on-mobile/)

The Super Bowl Risk-Taking Was Limited To The Field

From the land of rain and coffee, where the caffeine was never more welcome following a sleepless night, I can think of nothing other than risk-taking.

On Sunday, the hometown Seattle Seahawks took a huge chance and committed one of the biggest sins in sports history by going away from what got them to the Super Bowl. The results, by now, are well-known and causing angst in the Emerald City.

Conversely, Super Bowl telecast advertisers took no chance and presented spots as if it was 1977, showing us puppies and Snickers transformations while ignoring the fact that more than 100 million had a mobile phone in their hand.

Seek out sports radio or the newspaper columnists for more on the unforgiveable play call that cost the Seahawks the championship.

This space is to consider why advertisers paying $4.5 million for 30 seconds again ran commercials that lacked mobile calls to action.

Yes there were messages that were mobile-related – save your data, power your phone, buy the coolest mobile game, for example.

But these were not interactive. We weren’t asked to do anything. It was as if advertisers believed that we were asked to check our wireless devices at the door.

And, while not on par with the Seahawks’ decision to throw the ball from the 1-yard line, the thinking by brands is flawed.

I’ve waited for eight years to see an advertiser build an opt-in database through a call-to-action that need only be a small part of a commercial. On single days other than Super Sunday, we have seen more than 100,000 respond to a TV pitch and opt-in for ongoing communication with brands.

My belief is that with the right trigger, a Super Bowl spot lives on well beyond the stench of uneaten wings and putrid play-calling.

It isn’t hard to imagine some of that off of this set of commercials.

What if in the last seconds of the ad that was instantly beloved, Budweiser urged touched viewers to save a dog and provided a keyword and shortcode to be contacted after the game? Don’t you think the emotional string pulled would’ve resulted in pet adoptions?

And through the voice of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Carnival inspired us to go to sea on one of its cruises. How about getting us to our mobile devices to see more or to obtain an offer?

I didn't expect to see a mobile phone in the TurboTax commercial with the Tea Party content, but we would've remembered it. In 2015, you can file your taxes via mobile, no?

Other commercials, including one for Snickers that featured 1970s characters from the Brady Bunch, disappointed for no other reason that they were as predictable as a Bill Belichick scowl at a news conference.

From Richard Ting, EVP, Global Chief Experience Officer, of R/GA, who tweeted via @flytip: “Snickers ad was clearly byproduct of ‘old advertising folks. The multi-culti 15-24 y.o. demographic just completely missed that reference.”

So, what, if anything, will make Super Bowl advertisers get more progressive? Leading marketers have told me not to hold my breath. Super Sunday is a day for “brand anthems”, not mobile calls to action, they say.

To me, it gets back to the question of risk.

The Seahawks have justifiably been excoriated for taking too much of a goal-line chance and blowing the chance for a title. 

Just what would advertisers lose if they took the last three seconds of a commercial to add a call to action for viewers to use their phones? What’s the worst that could happen? No one would respond.

These are questions that I have been asking for what is nearing a decade. To those of us who believe in mobilized marketing, there’s more left to ponder than whether Marshawn Lynch should’ve had the ball in the decisive moment of Super Bowl XLIX.

(article first appeared here - http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/242939/the-super-bowl-risk-taking-was-limited-to-the-fiel.html?edition=79831)

Super Bowl Advertisers Entertained But Failed To Engage

Butterfingers were all over Super Bowl XLVIII, starting when Peyton Manning let the first snap go through his hands, continuing with a spot for the aforementioned candy, and capped by the group of high-spending advertisers that let another one get away.

Yes, you’ve heard this one before. Heck, if you’re a regular reader, you’ve seen me write this disappointment-laden piece in Mobile Marketer for six straight years.

This was going to be the year of the meaningful mobile call to action extension of a TV ad. Ummm, no.

Long before the fourth quarter, I had lost hope. No, not for the Broncos – afterall, the Seahawks are my championship-starved hometown’s.  I was Hopeless in Seattle that anything had changed.

Advertisers came to entertain, not engage. The second screen and willingness by tens of millions or more to act on mobile were totally ignored.

I asked Sean Bartlett, Director of Mobile Strategy & Platforms at Lowe's, for some perspective.

“I'm going with preserving creative integrity,” Sean told me.

But can’t we have “creative integrity” that includes a mobile call to action?

“Yes, though most are brand anthems, not direct response,” he said.

Ironically, the closest we came to an ad with 2014 behavior in mind was after the game when few outside Seattle were watching.

Playing on its supposed ability to save us 30 percent, esurance invited viewers to tweet #esuranceSave30 to enter a contest to win the $1.5 million the brand saved by having the ad run once the “contest” on the field was over.

It was reported that the esurance ad generated over 1.2 million tweets, impressive given the late hour, lopsided score, and the fact that only 22 percent of smartphones owners have the Twitter app. Contrast that with what could have been a text message call to action that could be responded to by all – and followed up with a request for mobile users to join a loyalty club. Hundreds of thousands, if not more, could’ve been there for ongoing dialogue with the brand.

The only SMS call to action came in a familiar way – viewers were asked to vote for the game’s MVP.

Surprisingly, Fox didn’t augment its coverage with mobile content during the game. Given the fact that we had to endure hours and hours of numbing babble leading up to kickoff, one would think the network would use its Fox Sports Go iPad app to show us different angles, engage with analysts, and be involved in a mini Fantasy Football contest that would’ve kept interest despite the lopsided score.

Yes, there were Shazam prompts, but there was nothing new there. I still question whether Shazam is the right vehicle on the loudest of days of television watching.

Looking at a few of the spots:

-- Ford failed to "double down" with back-to-back commercials without extending the new Fusion intro to mobile

-- At the top of the telecast, Mountain Dew’s Kickstart commercial was so 1975. It was good creative with no hint of mobile.

When the game ended, and the fireworks went off around me in Seattle, all I could think of was the Radio Shack ad that said ‘The 80’s called and wants its store back.”

Well, it’s 2014 and I want my second-screen experience – and the untapped engagement possibilities that come with it – to come to Super Sunday. Without it, the only thing super are the Seahawks.

(first appeared on Mobile Marketer - http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/opinion/columns/17109.html)

Notes From A Mobilized Marketer - The "Leaky" Apps Edition

There’s a new term - "leaky” mobile apps, meaning ones that could compromise privacy. Reminds me of the joke of the guy who calls downstairs in the motel – “I have a leak in my sink.” The response: “You gotta do what you gotta do.”

Headline: Swallowing This Tiny Pill Will Let You Unlock All Your Password-Protected Devices. Reaction: gulp.

The Super Bowl live stream via Fox's app & Web site averaged 528,000 viewers without counting Verizon phone streams.

Microsoft’s Super Bowl ad on the empowerment from technology was powerful, but it was a surprise that the company didn’t push its mobile products and call for the same experience across all Microsoft devices.

55 percent of U.S. ebook readers have used a tablet to read digital books in the past year--up from 23 percent in Dec 2011.

Another “smartphone caught fire in the pocket” story. They almost always are hoaxes. News organizations are the ones burned.

CNN expects to see half its online traffic come from mobile this year.

In general, do marketers not ask consumers for permission because they are lazy or because they believe people aren't interested?

T-Mobile's attempts are admirable, but it was always going to get to carriers needing to be competitive on pricing when phones are similar.

Headline: New Payments Startups Face An Uphill Battle To Disrupt The Credit Card Processing Industry. So do old payments startups.

There’s a big boost in global smartphone shipments, but that metric has always been unsatisfactory. It’s about sales, not units sent from factories.

1,539 hours of NBC programming from Sochi and we can't see the Opening Ceremonies live on any platform, including mobile. What is this, 1964?

Facebook has passed 1.23 billion monthly active users with 945 million mobile users and 757 million daily users.

Also, Facebook’s mobile revenue is up four times year over year.

App downloads will double in the next four years, according to eMarketer.