114.4 million viewers (per minute) watched as the New England Patriots squeaked by the Seattle Seahawks in the final minute of Super Bowl XLVII. I wasn't one of them. I did, however, learn within minutes the final score: Patriots 28 - Seahawks 24. How? An iPad push notification sent by Overstock.com. Yes, you read that right. O.co was the first to alert me to the winner of the most viewed television event in U.S. history. Gone are the days when traditional channels are the only place to catch results.
When I sent my son to college three years ago I knew I'd have to adjust my lifestyle to afford his tuition - cable was the first to go. That meant no more live events or DVR binge watching. But that didn't mean I'd miss a thing. On Super Bowl Sunday I tuned into my go-to media channels to read the play-by-play and watch the much anticipated ads right along with everyone else - almost in real time. Twitter had a plethora of hashtags to follow and Hulu was broadcasting the multi-million dollar ads.
Truth be told, I don't necessarily tune into the Super Bowl for the game - I love the ads. Once again Budweiser had me reaching for the Kleenex box with their story about a horse and his dog. (The cowboy was easy on the eyes, too.) And I may not frequent McDonalds, but I'm all about their Pay with Lovin' campaign! The funniest (for me) goes to Weight Watcher. Maybe because I'm in the throes of it?
As a transmedia storyteller I'm particularly glued to opportunities companies use to further engagement. SuperBowlCommercial2015.com put together a list of companies they felt had the best social campaigns during the Big Game. @budlight's #UpForWhatever hashtag ranks #1. Their ad was a genius idea and it played nicely into a gaming theme. Can you say Pac-man?
I definitely enjoyed running around Twitter to view how each campaign played out, but what I missed were opportunities for self-discovery through the use of breadcrumbs displayed at the end of an ad. Those are fun, little tidbits that allow you to engage at a deeper level and in some cases choose your own adventure - like Reebok's Freak Show ad. That, however, speaks to a campaign's intent and a great topic for another day.
Transmedia channels are important. But do you know what's most important? The audience. Not every channel will work for every campaign.
Points for the transmedia channel touchdown:
- Keeping your focus on where the audience you're trying to reach will most likely be tuned in - some will be non-traditional viewers. Use the channels and the technology that support it.
- Having an understanding of their needs and how they'll want to engage during the action. But don't stop there, build in additional touch points, post campaign - it may require adding channels.
- Using your ability to think outside the locker room, like O.co. Audiences love the unexpected especially when it's worth watching!
So, about those ads, who do you think had the winning touchdown? And who had the best transmedia campaign?