Super Bowl Advertisers Looking to Time Internet Ads with Game

Advertisers that traditionally buy television time during the Super Bowl are this year looking to place ads on with online media as well, the AP newswire is reporting (via the Detroit Free Press). The new approach comes about as corporations with deep pockets have discovered that many viewers are texting or posting comments about the game while it's in progress. To capture some of those viewers, ads this year will be appearing in Facebook and other social media sites.

According to the newswire, up to a third of smartphone users use them to text, post to social media or send Tweets while watching high stakes games such as the Super Bowl. These so-called "second screens" offer advertisers a way to reach viewers whether watching the game or communicating with the Smartphone, iPad or even regular computer. Many have also rolled out commercials, or teasers, during the week prior to the big game on YouTube, hoping to attract buzz before the game even starts.

Over the years, Super Bowl Sunday has turned into a bonanza for advertisers, as somewhere in the neighborhood of 110 million viewers tune in to the game, or are in the vicinity during both the game and the halftime show. And with television ad costs rising every year (this year its 3.5 million for 30 seconds) some advertisers are hoping to get in on the action using cheaper but still effective methods.

Other advertisers are hoping to catch on with viewers in what amounts to virtual water cooler buzz, US Today newspaper now offers a Facebook ad meter every year to show readers how other readers are rating ads that appear during the show. Those that appear near the top get talked about which the sponsors hope will result in increased sales for the products being advertised.

The newswire notes that this will likely be the first year that viewers who also communicate with their electronic devices find themselves being targeted by adds connected to the game, as the game is in progress. They might see comments about a play, or even vague references to which team is winning. Those that live near cities that have teams in the game this year (New York and Boston) might even see online adds that appear to be rooting for the home team.

It's all new of course, so no one really knows how this new kind of directed marketing will pan out. One thing we can all be sure of though, if sales go up, we'll all be seeing a lot more of them in the future coinciding with all manner of events.