How Ads Impact Super Bowl Sunday
Super Bowl ads will rival the big game on Feb. 3, with 56 percent of U.S. adults who plan to watch Super Bowl XLVII tuning in as much or more for the commercials as for the game, according to the latest Hanon McKendry study conducted online by Harris Interactive among 2,166 U.S. adults ages 18 and older in January.
According to the study, interest in the ads is strongest among women, with 66 percent of female viewers saying they watch as much or more for the ads, compared to 47 percent of male viewers.
The variation is even more significant among those viewers who say they tune in predominantly or exclusively for the ads—28 percent of women in 2013 vs. 12 percent of men.
Americans who plan to watch the big game also weighed in on the importance of various screens—TV, computer, smartphone and tablet— for their overall Super Bowl experience.
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Television still outranks its closest competitor by more than 2:1, with 93 percent of viewers saying the big screen is at least somewhat important in order to have the best pre-game, game-day and post-game experience.
That compares to 41 percent who said computers were at least somewhat important, 28 percent who said smartphones and 25 percent who said tablets are at least somewhat important.
Super Bowl Sunday
However, screen rankings varied significantly among different age groups, with considerably higher percentages of 18-34 year-old viewers saying alternate screens (other than television) are at least somewhat important in order for them to have the best overall Super Bowl experience.
“Ads continue to be an important part of the full Super Bowl entertainment package,” observed Bill McKendry, founder and chief creative officer at Hanon McKendry. “And trends show that entertainment carries over to the other three screens—computers, smartphones and tablets—which give advertisers even more bang for their 3.8 million bucks.”
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According to the latest Hanon McKendry study, 71 percent of U.S. adults plan to watch Super Bowl XLVII, a number that has remained fairly steady since Hanon McKendry began the poll in 2006.
The study also confirmed consistently strong interest in Super Bowl advertising over the past eight years, with a solid 54-57 percent of adult viewers each year saying they tune in as much or more for the ads as for the game.
In 2009, Mindscape, Hanon McKendry’s digital team, launched Super Ad Poll, where visitors can vote for their favorite Super Bowl ads and get real-time results throughout the game.
This year, the poll will not only tally top ad picks, but the polling mechanism will track devices respondents use to login and cast their votes—smartphone, computer or tablet—helping to complete the picture of how people experience the big game.
People can participate in Super Ad Poll 2013 by visiting SuperAdPoll.com on game day. Voting begins at the end of the first quarter.
The Hanon McKendry survey aims to quantify the draw of Super Bowl commercials among the more than 111 million anticipated viewers. Now in its eighth year, the survey has consistently found that over half of U.S. adult viewers planned to watch as much or more for the ads, with numbers ranging from 54 percent in 2009 to 57 percent in 2010 and 2007.
