Last month we alerted you about the impending social media boom and encouraged you to jump on board. We did not, however, expect it to be moving along as quickly as it has been; and only 1 month into the New Year!
One of the biggest ways Americans mark the New Year is the Super Bowl. For 44 years the Super Bowl has been a tradition; changing little from year to year. This year, however, we saw drastic changes in the way that the NFL marketed the big game. They used social media outlets on a large scale to market themselves. Three major elements of their campaign this year were:
1. Using viral video and social media sites to manufacture controversy. 
2. Generating buzz about, not only the Super Bowl, but sports in general with online contests and polls.
3. Taking on advertisers, like Pepsi, who are opting out of televised adverts for alternative online marketing schemes. This year’s was an online charity for positive impact called the “Pepsi Refresh Project.”
If you think the Super Bowl, one of America’s most profitable events, was taking a chance on social media marketing, you’re dreaming! The NFL knew how impactful social media marketing has been and will be in the future. They took advantage of an online phenomenon to power their corporation and lead them to even greater success.
Not convinced? Here are some facts and figures for the near future:
- Money spent on social media marketing expected to reach $3.1 Billion by 2014
- Social media markets expected to rise 34%/year over the next 5 years; faster than any other online media
- Facebook utilization is up 116% this year with over 200 million users
- Below is a chart displaying the forecasted U.S. Marketing Spending up to 2014
*All information gathered from http://www.mashable.com, http://www.clikz.com, http://www.techcrunch.com
