“IT WILL TAKE MORE THAN A HISTORIC RECESSION AND A
PLAYER LOCKOUT TO SACK THE BUSINESS OF FOOTBALL.” (FORBES, 2011)
Last night’s Super Bowl XLVII between the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens is the biggest party in American sports. The business of football has strong cultural and commercial roots manifested in the American society. As a host city of this year’s ‘party’, New Orleans expects a major economic boost of approximately $432 mio. as a result of more than 150,000 people visiting the city in relation to the event (according to USA Today). The Super Bowl is a ‘high-end’ mega-event in high demand, which reflects in the audience. There are numerous corporate parties and events, which encircle Super Bowl, and the audience entails many celebrities and people with substantial private or corporate expense accounts. According to New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau, the visitors occupy nearly every one of the 38,000 rooms in and around New Orleans.
New Orleans was damaged considerable by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 but hosting this event is a ‘tipping point’ for the city in terms of re-building infrastructure and city facilities while drawing on the massive media attention tied to the many media members, which cover Super Bowl. So this event gives New Orleans a chance to rise again and to show the world what the city has to offer and that it has come far since the devastating catastrophe in 2005. On top of the economic impact, New Orleans can reap the benefits from an event, which is highlighted in front of millions of TV-viewers worldwide – the Super Bowl also accounts for the most-viewed television program in the US. The event is a premium ’made for television’ event, which blends sports and entertainment while captivating viewing audiences. Thus, it is difficult and extremely expensive for any city to buy this amount of ‘branding impact’. Revenue streams for restaurants, hotels and other businesses in the New Orleans area have grown significantly during Super Bowl weekend. The impact of the Super Bowl is enormous and beats the impact of other big events (Mardi Gras) in the city.
Studies show that there often is a positive connection between Super Bowl promotion and market value of advertisers when stressing factors such as likeable characters and emotional appeals – an indicator why it may be so attractive for corporations to be part of Super Bowl commercialization and to do business with the NFL. The ability to integrate events and event marketing into a strong business model distinguishes the NFL from most other sports organizations, especially as it relates to the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is an event appealing to major corporations and brands exemplified by how Pepsi, Visa and other major brands invest highly in the event through advertising, sponsorship and events leading up to and during the Super Bowl.
Click here to watch the Super Bowl commercial spots of 2013.
See also this link for information about the economic impact.
COMMENTS
No comments yet.