Inserting Military Marketing Into the Super Bowl Conversation

To put the size and reach of the Super Bowl into perspective, 23 of the 30 most-watched US television broadcasts are Super Bowls.  The only broadcast capturing more viewers than last year’s game was the Apollo 11 moon landing.  First played in 1967, the game has transcended sport into the public zeitgeist.  Prior to the game, there was as much discussion about whether Taylor Swift could make it to Las Vegas from Tokyo in time for kickoff as there was about on-field Xs and Os.  Brands have long since clamored to get in front of the collection of eyeballs the Super Bowl draws, shelling out millions for in-game ad spots – not to mention production and talent expenses, as well as ancillary surround sound amplification campaigns to support the ad spot(s) through social media and influencer extensions.  Without a multi-million dollar media  spend, how can a brand leverage the power of the Super Bowl to insert a message into the conversation?

USAA did just that.  Leveraging the brand’s NFL sponsorship assets and position as the Official NFL Salute to Service Partner, USAA executed a public relations-led campaign which provided a tangible “thank you” to former military as well as attribution for the brand at scale.  Since 2017, USAA has partnered with notable NFL talent and Veteran Service Organizations to identify and award a Super Bowl experience, inclusive of game tickets and applicable travel.  Star power and a culturally-relevant story collide to draw interest from local and regional media outlets, repeating the recipe to create an expanded coverage area.  The end result is over 2 billion impressions for USAA in strategic markets where the brand has heightened interest.  Going deeper, those impressions are more impactful as the message is contextually relevant, aligning the brand with a major cultural event and passion point of the target audience.  The story of a tangible “thank you” provided to military veterans resonates with USAA’s intended target, the military community.

Let’s look at the blueprint…

• Sponsorship rights/IP.  According to Wakefield Research Partners, leveraging sponsorship marks in brand creative has 3x the effect on brand preference compared to any other sponsorship asset.  USAA leaned into rights, not assets.  
• Distribution.  Leveraging public relations/earned media and social media as the distribution channels is a more economical solution compared to broadcast or other mass-reach mechanisms.  Selecting strategically important markets expanded USAA’s NFL footprint to a new audience.
• Star Power.  Partnering with notable talent personalities increases the likelihood of the story being covered by media outlets as well as catching the interest of the intended audience.  NFL stars added credibility to an NFL-branded effort, creating interest from media and a public audience.
• The Story.  A compelling story is an absolute requirement.  The other points will propel a worthy story.  The experience offered to military veterans is a story the general public as well as a military audience is willing to support.
• Authenticity.  The key element in brand attribution.  USAA is a brand with the stated mission of supporting the military community.  Military support is in the brand’s DNA, making their support of the program a natural and authentic fit.

When a brand is able to align with a compelling story in an authentic manner, there’s an opportunity to not only reach, but to have an impact on the intended audience.  Inserting a military message into the Super Bowl conversation requires resources and budget, but USAA was able to achieve results at a fraction of the cost associated with purchasing the airtime and producing a Super Bowl-worthy ad unit.

A brand doesn’t have to be an NFL sponsor or partner with notable talent to have an authentic, compelling military story to tell.  A brand doesn’t have to send veterans to the Super Bowl in order to catch the eye of the military community.  A brand does need something beyond a military discount offered on Veterans Day to reach a military audience in a manner which moves the needle on awareness, opinion, and consideration.  If a brand has a military story – being authentic to the military, providing VSO support, participating in military hiring, or offering military-specific loyalty programs and/or discounts – there is an opportunity to connect with the military community in a contextually-relevant manner without breaking the budget.

Does your brand have an effective strategy to connect with the military community?  We can help.  Our team designs and executes marketing and sponsorship campaigns targeting the military community.  We deliver results because we know the audience. We know who they are, where they live, and what drives them.  We speak their language. We connect with the military community through authentic messaging in channels where they are, with information relevant to their lives.

We help brands connect with the military community.  Let's talk about how we can help your brand.