Mark Phillips's Blog - Posts Tagged "superbowl"
On the importance of Bowl Commercials
Today is Sunday. Today is the big game. And while many football fans in Seattle and the New England states are eagerly awaiting the game, millions more are eagerly awaiting the commercials.
This year commercial time during the broadcast is going for over four-million dollars per spot. That's a hefty chunk of change that not many could afford.
Trust me, I would love to get an ad for one of my books on during the game, but that price tag will likely be always beyond my reach.
Companies pay because they know they'll be in front of the largest television audience of the year. And while companies like Budweiser and Coca-cola don't exactly need to spread the word of their existence, they do often compete for the funniest/best commercial.
Talk about all this advertising generates more buzz than the actual game because it appeals to everyone. Women, men, young, old. It doesn't matter, everyone has something to say about those commercials.
Which got me to thinking, would television advertising help indie authors?
If the name of the game is getting noticed (and as an indie author, it most certainly is) then television advertising is a way to spread the word of your book.
The problem, of course, is the cost of the advertisement. Even ads that don't run during the Super Bowl are still costly. A local television spot can run you up to $1500 for a thirty-second spot. And that doesn't count the cost to actually make the spot.
National commercials are a good deal more expensive. The average is around $342,000. That's not feasible for the typical indie author.
Would you see any increase in sales from a television spot? It's difficult to say. Books are rarely marketed on television (I can remember seeing a few from James Patterson, but not any others) and thus there isn't a big sample size to study. I'm fairly certain that it wouldn't make back what it cost.
However, it might lead to other opportunities. Increased awareness and discussion between people.
That is, after all, what the big companies are hoping for with their Super Bowl ads.
The problem is, you would have to create a truly innovative commercial. Something that would cause people to talk. Advertisers get paid very well to do this and it's not as easy as it sounds.
I think that television will always be closed-off to indie authors. There are too many obstacles for it to be worthwhile. But if you have a great idea and some extra cash, maybe you should try it. I hope you prove me wrong.
I hope everyone enjoys the game. I don't have a rooting interest (as a Lions fan I have never had a rooting interest in a Super Bowl) so I'm just hoping for a good game.
Mark Phillips is the author of several novels, including the very popular Bentley series.
This year commercial time during the broadcast is going for over four-million dollars per spot. That's a hefty chunk of change that not many could afford.
Trust me, I would love to get an ad for one of my books on during the game, but that price tag will likely be always beyond my reach.
Companies pay because they know they'll be in front of the largest television audience of the year. And while companies like Budweiser and Coca-cola don't exactly need to spread the word of their existence, they do often compete for the funniest/best commercial.
Talk about all this advertising generates more buzz than the actual game because it appeals to everyone. Women, men, young, old. It doesn't matter, everyone has something to say about those commercials.
Which got me to thinking, would television advertising help indie authors?
If the name of the game is getting noticed (and as an indie author, it most certainly is) then television advertising is a way to spread the word of your book.
The problem, of course, is the cost of the advertisement. Even ads that don't run during the Super Bowl are still costly. A local television spot can run you up to $1500 for a thirty-second spot. And that doesn't count the cost to actually make the spot.
National commercials are a good deal more expensive. The average is around $342,000. That's not feasible for the typical indie author.
Would you see any increase in sales from a television spot? It's difficult to say. Books are rarely marketed on television (I can remember seeing a few from James Patterson, but not any others) and thus there isn't a big sample size to study. I'm fairly certain that it wouldn't make back what it cost.
However, it might lead to other opportunities. Increased awareness and discussion between people.
That is, after all, what the big companies are hoping for with their Super Bowl ads.
The problem is, you would have to create a truly innovative commercial. Something that would cause people to talk. Advertisers get paid very well to do this and it's not as easy as it sounds.
I think that television will always be closed-off to indie authors. There are too many obstacles for it to be worthwhile. But if you have a great idea and some extra cash, maybe you should try it. I hope you prove me wrong.
I hope everyone enjoys the game. I don't have a rooting interest (as a Lions fan I have never had a rooting interest in a Super Bowl) so I'm just hoping for a good game.
Mark Phillips is the author of several novels, including the very popular Bentley series.
