Compuware Gets a Big Super Bowl Plug
Now, I take issue with calling yesterday's game the Super Bowl given my New England Patriots' absence in Miami, but I must concede that it's the biggest television advertising day of the year. Big companies pull out the stops on creative ads, while smaller companies bet the bank on a spot for big audience exposure. And remember, the average 30-second slot costs $2.4 million.
Compuware snagged a few of those precious seconds because Chevolet used a C6R Corvette in its musical montage of its broad line of cars and trucks. Compuware, a Corvette racing sponsor, was front-and-center on the hood of the bright yellow Corvette for 600 million viewers to see.
How many other people saw Compuware for the one-and-a-half seconds it was visible? (I think I'm being generous on the time, by the way.) It's hard to say, but I'm sure Compuware is thrilled for that bit of exposure. The entire reason companies sponsor cars, stadiums and other forms of outdoor advertising is for the eventual exposure to large audiences.
With more than $500 million in annual revenue, Compuware understands the value of a well-rounded marketing program. Through carefully constructed market-branding initiatives, solution providers can build strong sales and lead generation and customer retention programs. And, by the way, it doesn't take sponsoring Corvette. Marketing scales nicely with the size of every business, and is often limited only by self-imposed budget constraints and unbounded by market goals.
Check out some of VARBusiness' marketing tips at VARBusiness.com. In the meantime, check out some of the other great Super Bowl commercials. My favorite? David Letterman (a Colts fan) sitting with Oprah Winfrey (a fan of da'Bears) watching the game -- classic.