A sneak peak at Super Bowl XLV ads

Super Bowl XLV is less than a week away and the buzz is hitting a fever pitch.  And I'm not talking about the action on the field!  The chatter in marketing and pop culture circles is that we may see some fun and creative content in between plays on Sunday.

This year's Super Bowl ads, which will run about $3 million for a :30 second spot, will feature several regulars as well as some newbies.  But all are hoping to make a splash on the world's biggest advertising stage.

Here's a sample of what to expect:

The exotic Kim Kardashian will be selling shoes in a provocative ad for Skechers. Kardashian has a reputation for selling her personal brand to the highest bidder, so I'll be interested to see how this ad plays out. Though I doubt that most men will be spending much time looking at the shoes.

Bridgestone Tires makes light of everyone's worst email fear...unintentionally hitting "reply all"!

Country singer Faith Hill doles out Valentine's Day advice for Teleflora.

Ozzy Osbourne and Justin Bieber shot an ad for Best Buy in early January on a futuristic set at Universal Studios. The rumor mill says the spot is a laugher.  Hard to imagine an ad that places Justin Beiber and the "Prince of Bloody Darkness" on the same set as being anything but!

Audi will showcase an ad that is an extension of its present "Goodnight" campaign with literary inspiration from Goodnight Moon, the 1947 children’s book by Margaret Wise Brown, one of the best-selling children’s books of all time.

Two new movies will be teased during the big game including Paramount's Captain America and Universal's Cowboys and Aliens. 
 
There will also be more of the usuals including Budweiser, Doritos and Pepsi.  Rumor has it that Ted Williams, the homeless man with the golden voice may make an ad cameo.  Hmmm...wonder if it was taped in rehab.
 
Other advertisers include BMW, CareerBuilder and CarMax. 
 
Come back next week and let me know what you thought of the ads - good, bad and ugly!

Will mobile shopping become as big as online shopping?

A recent article by Sarah Kessler, compares mobile shopping today to the early stages of internet shopping back in the '90s; and I think she has hit the nail on the head.

I am extremely excited about the prospects mobile shopping presents. 

Much like internet shopping 15 years ago, mobile shopping is only now beginning to take root.  As Kessler points out in her article, smartphone penetration in the US (in 2009) was just 17%, but sales are soaring!  According to mobilemarketingwatch, in 2010 mobile ad impressions in iPhone shopping apps grew by 249%.

We live in a world of value and convenience.  The easier you can make it for the consumer to purchase from you, the more likely you are to generate a sale.  Consumer focused social media and group discount platforms are on the rise.  Consider Foursquare, Places, Yelp, Groupon, LivingSocial, Wow, etc. 

Whether your goal is prospecting or loyal customer cultivation, your business needs to recognize that consumers are going mobile with greater and greater frequency.  But much like social media cultivation, don't anticipate that a smartphone user will begin immediately purchasing from you just because you've built a mobile portal.  They may first use the site for research and price comparisons, discount offers, brick & mortar street addresses, or Q & A.  However, if their initial "courting" experience is a good one, they'll feel more comfortable making a purchase from you when the time is right. 

Remember, regardless of why they are engaging your business; the simple act of doing so is an indication that the consumer is interested in developing a relationship that could lead to customer conversion.  Then it's up to you provide a positive mobile experience and guide them along the customer lifecycle.

Don't make the mistake with mobile shopping that many businesses made during the dawn of internet shopping by dismissing it as a fad.  Be very aware of the important role mobile communication plays in the lives of consumers worldwide. 

I'm not advocating for jumping on the bandwagon without doing your due diligence; but I am advocating for doing your due diligence.