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The competition for audience attention will reach a fever pitch during Sunday’s Super Bowl showdown between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.
From million-dollar ads to timely tweets, brands will use every means possible to make an impression on consumers — some of whom will watch “just for the commercials.”
Record numbers of viewers will tune in with a smartphone in hand and social feeds refreshing, making the second screen a worthy opponent of TV in this year’s brand battleground. It all adds up to more screens, more brand impressions, and more opportunities for engagement. It’s every marketer’s dream.
Salesforce Marketing Cloud polled more than 400 consumers to learn which social networks and devices they’ll use to check in and sound off during the big game. The results point to touchdowns for Facebook, Twitter, and smartphones, the most popular viewing companions. Snapchat also earned a solid first-down, especially among viewers 18-24.
Take a look at 10 of the most telling stats:
1. 66% of Super Bowl viewers will use Facebook while watching Super Bowl XLIX — making it the #1 social channel for usage during the game.
2. Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, respectively, were the next most-popular social channels to use while watching the Super Bowl.
3. 11% of Super Bowl viewers will use Snapchat while watching Super Bowl XLIX. Given Snapchat’s ranking as the fourth most-popular social channel for Super Bowl use, plus the app’s new Discover feature that lets companies publish their own content, Snapchat emerges as an increasingly appealing option for brands.
4. Expect to see more tweets from male viewers during the Super Bowl and more Facebook posts from female viewers:
5. 43% of Super Bowl viewers aged 18-24 will use Snapchat while viewing — compared to 11% of viewers overall.
6. Younger viewers aged 18-24 prefer Twitter to Facebook for Super Bowl social media check-ins: 83% will use Twitter during the game vs. 66% who will use Facebook.
7. Older viewers prefer Facebook to Twitter while watching the Super Bowl. 76% of viewers aged 35-44 will use Facebook during the game vs. 54% who will use Twitter. Similarly, 71% of those aged 45-54 will use Facebook vs. 54% who will use Twitter.
8. 61% of Super Bowl viewers will use a smartphone while watching the Super Bowl. This stat correlates with data from Salesforce Marketing Cloud’s 2014 Mobile Behavior Report stating that 70% of consumers use a mobile device while watching TV at least once a day. Similarly, Google data shows that 77% of TV viewers now watch with a laptop, phone, or tablet nearby.
9. 24% of Super Bowl viewers will use a tablet as their second screen, while 20% plan to use their laptops.
10. 72% of Super Bowl viewers aged 18-24 will watch the game with a smartphone in hand. 70% of viewers aged 25-34 will use a smartphone, compared to 62% of consumers aged 35-44 and 47% of those aged 45-54.
Other research shows that 65% of Super Bowl viewers are extremely or somewhat likely to interact with brands on social media during the game, and 50% would share Super Bowl ads on social media to support brands they like. The bottom line: Second screens — and the social channels perused on those screens — are a top-priority battleground that brands can’t ignore.
In this social second-screen economy, even the most expensive celebrity-and-puppy-filled commercial isn’t enough. If brands aren’t creating mobile-optimized content that translates to real-time social shares, their Super Bowl efforts will be deflated, indeed.
Want more analysis of the Super Bowl #AdBowl and social media trends? Jeff Rohrs, Salesforce VP of Marketing Insights, will release his yearly analysis on Monday morning after the game. Check out his 2014 and 2013 analyses now.
