Everyone watches the Super Bowl for different reasons. Some watch for the game, others tune in for the halftime show. Regardless of why you’re watching, the commercials will flash across your screen whether you like it or not.
As a marketer, the commercials make the game worth watching for me.
While some of them are laugh-out-loud funny and others are clear flops, there’s something to glean from each 30- to 60-second clip.
B2B marketers can learn plenty from each brand’s Super Bowl marketing strategy: what worked, what didn’t, and which companies should plan a rebrand only two months into the year.
Lesson 1: Brand Awareness
With more than 125 million people watching the Super Bowl this year, it was a prime time for brands to get their name out there. The sales cycle might be longer in B2B than B2C, but these brands still gave themselves more exposure to C-level executives who may not encounter their products regularly.
Take AI tools, for example. Up until Sunday, I didn’t know that many existed beyond ChatGPT and Claude. But now that I know more AI tools are out there, I’m more likely to check them out. Even if it’s a quick Google search.
This underscores the significance of brand recognition. By getting more people to know about your brand, the more likely you are to get engagement and impressions.
Lesson 2: Creative Inspiration
If you attended a Super Bowl party, it’s pretty easy to tell what landed and what didn’t.
Everyone either laughed, “awed” in unison, or swapped confused glances.
Make a mental note of these things for your brand’s next video series or blog post. More often than not, the commercials that didn’t hit were blatantly trying to sell you something or too focused on making a splash that they lost the plot.
This serves a lesson for you and your brand: Pick one message you want to send, and stick to it. Whether you want to point out a feature that sets your brand apart or an impact it makes, take all the necessary steps to deliver on that.
But it’s important not to be too sales-y. Educate your audience about your product and how it can help them rather than highlight the high-tech features that justify the cost.
Lesson 3: Staying Culturally Relevant
B2B companies are often associated with corporate jargon and being disconnected from real issues happening in the world. But that doesn’t have to be the case.
By joining in on the conversation, like many companies do during the Super Bowl, you’re more likely to reach young corporate decision-makers while showing that you can do more than “talking shop.” This can be as simple as posting on LinkedIn or your company blog.
Not to mention, content that’s connected to trending cultural moments (like the Super Bowl) is more likely to get engagement on social media. And while engagement is important, being authentic in your posts is critical and cannot be forced.
B2B brands that try too hard to get a laugh or be trendy in their marketing approach often don’t succeed—especially when their content doesn’t align with their values.
Add to the conversation in a way that makes sense for your brand, whether it’s through a thoughtful article or simply acknowledging the event in a LinkedIn post.
Lesson 4: Planting the Seed Early
Let’s say a B2B company is ready to invest in outside marketing services. Rather than starting their search from scratch, they typically have a list of companies or brands they’re debating between, otherwise known as a “consideration list.”
If your brand appears in front of a large audience (such as the Super Bowl) or repeatedly on social media, your brand will probably take the first place spot.
Getting your brand on a consideration list is essential for B2B brands. You’re at a major disadvantage if your brand didn’t make this list, and you’ll have to work even harder to schedule a sales meeting.
The purpose of B2B content marketing is to move the needle from brand awareness to sales consideration. For large-scale brands, a Super Bowl commercial is extremely valuable for brand-building and being taken seriously by the big guys.
But even small brands can learn a lesson here. The more eyes on your content, the better it is for your brand as a whole.
Lesson 5: Storytelling in Seconds
Short-form video is one of the easiest ways to connect with your audience, and Super Bowl commercials exemplify that.
In just 30 seconds, companies can get the whole world talking about their brand. Whether that conversation is good or bad, however, depends on how the commercial landed.
Analyze how the successful commercials told their story: When did they hook you in? Why did their message resonate so strongly? How did they make an emotional impact in such a short amount of time?
Small-scale B2B marketers can take what made a Super Bowl commercial successful and apply it to their own LinkedIn videos, Instagram reels, and TikTok clips.
What This Means for Your Brand
While Super Bowl commercials are typically reserved for large-scale brands with bigger budgets, smaller companies can still learn from them.
Next time you sit down with your marketing team, apply these lessons to your upcoming campaign.
You’ll help your brand create short content that packs a punch, join in on a trending conversation, and build trust with your audience.