As the saying goes, “Are you ready for some football?”
It’s the famous line from Hank Williams, Jr. that is also symbolic of the sport and the excitement it brings. Football is almost synonymous with fun, team spirit, America, and tradition, and this Sunday, fans will gather in New Orleans as the NFL takes the season’s excitement to a whole ‘nother level. There is nothing like this championship! It’s like America’s annual one-day, one-sport Olympics, drawing millions of viewers. Last year’s event set a record as the most-watched TV program in the history of U.S. television, with an average of 123.7 million viewers tuning in via TV and streaming platforms to watch the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers.
While the excitement centered around it is contagious, this weekend’s Big Game is hands down one of the best marketing teachers any business looking to grow and solidify its brand in the market could ever have. Companies can learn much from this sport and this coveted brand championship game. Since Credico first stepped onto our industry’s field, we have taken a few pages from their playbook. From the importance of teamwork and the value of the on and off seasons to the mental stamina needed to become a champion, we see the Super Bowl as one of the most significant marketing tools out there.
Here are five marketing lessons we’ve learned over the years that have shaped how we show up on and off the field, compete, and celebrate our wins.
Be Consistent.
Originally called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game, this nationwide spectacle has taken place every year since 1967. A Roman numeral marks each championship game and has always been played on Sundays. This year will mark almost six decades of a tradition that grows in popularity and excitement every year.
When businesses are consistent, it shows the value and quality of their brand. Consistency takes discipline, but it also takes an unshakable belief in your product or service, and that belief is experienced every time your customers engage with your brand.
Change is good.
Starting with the very first game in 1967, the culminating event of the football season was played in early to mid-January. Then, it moved to late January in1979. From 2004 until 2021, the championship was played on the first Sunday of February, and as of 2022, we can expect to watch the two best teams in the league battle it out for the coveted trophy on the second Sunday in February.
Over the years, there have also been significant rule changes. From the overtime rule changes in 2022 to the pass-blocking and Mel Blount Rule change of 1978 to the player safety rule changes, this should be seen as an indication that even the most prominent brands are constantly adapting, changing, and making improvements.
While it may seem contradictory to insist on changes while maintaining consistency, understand that changes are made to maintain consistency in the quality of your brand’s output and ensure your brand is growing alongside your growing and changing demographics.
Partnerships are the glue in business.
Did you know this annual showdown originated from a merger between the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL)? In 1967, both leagues decided to play an annual AFL-NFL World Championship Game, a match with each league’s winning team. Now, the long-standing tradition embodied in Sunday’s game is the ultimate display of partnership.
In business, a merger combines two ideas that fill a gap and fulfill a market demand. Both parties in the partnership can be winners and win by joining forces together. In the end, partnerships make the world go ’round and are the glue in business. When we partner or work together, the possibilities are endless… and profitable.
Learn from your losses.
There is more to learn from your losses and failures than your wins and successes. It’s as if to succeed, one must first fail. And there is no better example of this than when the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Baltimore Colts in 1970 only to win the very next year. The same story of taking a loss as the stepping stone to success is with the New England Patriots, who lost in 2017 to the Philadelphia Eagles (one of this year’s competing teams) but came back stronger and better to be named champions in 2018. There are countless other teams who made it to the tip-top tournament and lost, but either won the following year or made it to the playoffs again.
We can’t win in everything we do in life. If we do, we will never learn. Businesses are only as successful as their failures.
Evolve.
When you look at recordings of previous events on television, you can see how far this competition has grown and advanced. During its evolution, there have been noticeable changes and upgrades. The first Super Sunday didn’t sell out and was hardly viewed on TV. From the technology to the star-studded performances, the spectacle we see today is not the same as it was yesterday and will not be the same in the future.
Growing with trends and the times is how businesses stay relevant and profitable in today’s markets.
With a LIX logo created by a fantastic local artist with the spirit of an entire Mardi Gras krewe, the game everyone will be watching takes place this year in New Orleans on Sunday, February 9th. Last year’s champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, will take on the Philadelphia Eagles for their third meeting on the world’s biggest stage (1972, 2023, and today) for the ultimate prize in the sport: to be named the best.
How is your brand the best? Let us help you take it to the next level. Are you ready? We are. Contact us today.