I just finished reading an article about how several big name Super Bowl advertisers (Doritos and the NFL) have put their trust in consumer-produced spots. These companies are paying $2.6 million for a 30-second spot during the big game (that's $86,667 a minute!) and they're letting their customers create their commercials. Last year 90.1 million people tuned in to watch the Super Bowl. That's a lot of viewers to take a chance on.
Why are they doing it? It's all based on a movement in the marketing and advertising industry called consumer- or user-generated content. Blogs are one example of user-generated content. You Tube is another. Just check out YouTube and you'll find that consumers are already creating their own ads for the brands they love, or hate. Big brands are simply tapping into what's already occurring as a natural phenomenon. Fearing they've lost touch with their audience, they are turning over the reins to their marketing campaigns to their audience. Their hope? To reconnect. To engage. To build brand loyalty.
Will it work? Or, will it backfire? I guess no one really knows for sure until Super Bowl Sunday comes and goes. And the Monday morning quarterbacks start assessing the success of not only the big game, but the widely anticipated commercials as well.
What do you think? Do you think consumer-generated content is more than a passing fad? Is it the future of marketing and advertising? Post a comment and share your thoughts.