Kellogg MBA Students Complete Super Bowl Advertising Review: MBA News

By Tim Dhoul Updated Aug 14, 2024

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Microsoft tops Kellogg MBA panel review

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Super Bowl advertising certainly doesn’t come cheap, with Fox reportedly charging US$4 million for a 30-second slot. But, in terms of audience, the marketing opportunity provided by the centerpiece in the American football calendar is immense. This year’s game is thought to have attracted the US’ largest ever viewing figures of 111.5 million, with even more tuning in for the half-time show.

That’s why MBA students in the marketing club at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management are tasked each year with assessing the impact of Super Bowl advertising. For 2014, almost 60 Kellogg MBA students took part in rating each advert across six areas - attention, distinction, positioning, linkage, amplification and net equity (neatly abbreviated to ‘ADPLAN’).

Microsoft tops Kellogg MBA panel review

Among the companies falling under the watchful gaze of the Kellogg MBA panel were Volkswagen, Hyundai, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, Heinz and T-Mobile. But, it was Microsoft who came out on top when the Kellogg Super Bowl Advertising Review results were announced.

Microsoft’s effort in celebrating the power of modern technology impressed Kellogg MBA students for the way in which it stepped aside from the Apple brand to showcase Microsoft’s contribution to, for example, healthcare technology.

“It suggested that while Apple is a cute brand that is good for music and design, Microsoft technology is serious and important,” wrote Tim Calkins, one of two Kellogg MBA marketing professors leading the Super Bowl advertising review this year, on the school’s official blog.

Audi suffered the ignominy of ending up at the bottom of the pile, with reviewers taking the opinion that its message of refusing to compromise was lost through the use of rather disturbing-looking dogs.

In analyzing several strategic factors, the Super Bowl advertising review isn’t intended to place the adverts merely for their potential popularity with an audience. It shouldn’t be a surprise, therefore, that the consumers’ favorite advert, according to Adbowl, came from Budweiser and differed from the choice of the Kellogg MBA students.

In the game itself, the Seattle Seahawks ran out comfortable winners by beating the Denver Broncos 43-8.

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Tim Dhoul

Tim is a writer with a background in consumer journalism and charity communications. He trained as a journalist in the UK and holds degrees in history (BA) and Latin American studies (MA).