What Franchises, NFL Teams, and Super Bowl Marketers Have in Common

Everyone knows that advertising your brand during the NFL’s annual Super Bowl offers one of the largest captivated audiences for sharing your marketing message, and there’s plenty of empirical evidence to back it up. Last year, an estimated 115 million viewers tuned in, making the game the most-watched television broadcast in history. To put that figure into context, that’s literally one in every three Americans. And that was before this year’s “Taylor Swift” factor, as one of the world’s biggest pop stars is currently dating a member of the winning team, the Kansas City Chiefs. According to Apex Marketing, she alone is responsible for generating some $330 million in brand value to the sport over the past few months.

With brand exposure being of such value to franchises themselves, we’ve taken note of how similar franchisors are to both NFL teams and the brand marketers who support America’s most popular sport. Let’s explore why becoming The Next Big Thing is the name of the game for each of these players - literally.

Note the Similarities

How are franchisors and NFL team properties alike? You may not know it, but each of the 32 teams were established as franchise organizations themselves. All have a storied history, all have grown over the years, and all have to work continuously to appeal to their customer base. A culture of excellence and a corporate vision focused on success is a common trait. The role of management for both NFL teams and franchisors is a vital component, requiring personnel capable of making smart decisions that improve the organization’s chances of success. Lastly, NFL teams, brand marketers, and franchisors all rely heavily on technology and savvy marketing campaigns to broaden their appeal and audience reach. But in the end, the goal for each of these entities is identical – to become a strong and lasting brand that offers value to consumers.

Marketing on the Biggest Stage

The Super Bowl is the penultimate marketing play – a time for brands to showcase themselves with messaging that resonates across both the digital spectrum and the TV screen. The combined advertising for this year’s Super Bowl LVIII was estimated to be north of $615 million – making it the highest spend ever. While $7 million for a 30-second spot may be just outside most franchisor’s budgets, there’s still plenty of other strategies designed to capture the attention of the desired target market. One such factor that’s leveling the playing field is the ever-increasing use of AI in advertising and marketing, which some experts believe is ushering in a new golden age for brand strategists.

Becoming the Next Big Thing

Whether you’re an up-and-coming NFL team or an emerging franchise brand, achieving the appropriate level of growth and market share requires a cerebral approach. Think about the most successful NFL teams. What makes them successful? Is it safe to say that it’s a mix of continual coaching, mentoring, and training? That’s quite true for NFL coaching staff, who spend endless hours in the film room, develop innovative game plans, and rely on their well-trained players to execute. Which, in reality, is very similar to franchisors and their franchisees. New and emerging brands who have to put in the effort to earn a competitive edge in the marketplace. The smartest and most savvy leaders of these franchisors also look for continuous coaching, mentoring, and training – the kind that can be found in innovative proprietary programs like our internal MasterMind and CarPool initiatives.

The digital age has seemingly ushered in a new era for brand marketers. Even the highly expensive Super Bowl ads are backed by carefully choreographed campaigns, designed to echo across multiple social media networks where success is measured in eyeballs, impressions, and audience reach. It’s hard to argue that this isn’t a new golden age for brand marketers. Whether you’re a Super Bowl-winning NFL team or a franchisor who’s earned a spot on Entrepreneur’s prestigious Franchise 500 list, your marketing prowess will likely have played an outsized factor in your success.

Are You Ready to Take Your Brand to the Next Level?

Franchise FastLane is the No. 1 Franchise Sales Organization (FSO) in the country and our mission is to responsibly drive extraordinary growth for the chosen few. If you are interested in learning more about the possibility of joining the FastLane or CarPool, please click here to submit an application. To keep up with all the latest happenings, make sure you follow us on LinkedIn, like us on Facebook, and check out our collection of photos on Instagram.