Pepsi, Doritos, Others Tap into Boost in Super Bowl Spending on Food
People planning to watch the Super Bowl may not be buying as many new flat screen TVs or comfortable couches, but they are planning to load up the buffet table.
In fact, the food and beverage category is expected to see a noticeable hike in spending this year around the Big Game, according to a recent BIGresearch survey, conducted for the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents (72.4%) will buy food and beverages for the event, compared to 67.4% last year.
A number of major consumer packaged goods companies are running promotions.
Beverage brand SoBe is teaming up with NBC Universal and DreamWorks Animation to air a trailer of the upcoming film 3-D film “Monsters vs. Aliens” and a SoBe Lifewater TV spot during the Super Bowl. SoBe is handing out more than 125 million pairs of free 3-D glasses through 25,000 displays nationwide in various retail outlets. A list of stores participating in the giveaway is available.
Meanwhile, Pepsi-Cola is boosting its national Football League sponsorship with a “Let Pepsi Rock Your Super Bowl” sweepstakes. Visitors can enter to win a trip for four to the 2010 Super Bowl in Miami and VIP tickets to the Pepsi Super Bowl Bash. The sweeps runs through Jan. 29. In-store banners help market the promotion.
Frito-Lay’s Doritos is wrapping up final voting for its “Crash the Super Bowl” contest, which asked people to submit homemade commercials for the brand. The five finalists are featured online. Each spot is up for a public vote through Jan. 25. Doritos will air the winning entry as a 30-second spot during the Big Game. The top winner will receive $1 million if that ad gets the top rating from USA Today’s post-game Ad Meter rankings.
And Papa John’s is once again rolling out a promotion tied to the Big Game. Only this time, it’s giving customers an added incentive to watch the Super Bowl through its “The Countdown to Kickoff” promotion.
People who register before 6 p.m. Feb. 1 will be eligible to receive a large, one-topping pizza for 25 cents. But there’s a catch. Registrants will only receive the deal if the opening kickoff is returned for a touchdown. Visitors can also watch videos from former NFL star Desmond Howard and find other offers from Papa John’s. The promotion is tied to the firm’s 25th anniversary. Online marketing supports the promotion.
“With the economy on everyone’s mind, most Super Bowl viewers will tone down their plans this year,” RAMA Executive Director Mike Gatti said in a statement. “Retailers will be featuring promotions on everything from televisions to potato chips with the hopes of bringing in sales in the midst of a difficult environment.”
Overall, consumers are expected to spend an average of $57.27 on food, merchandise, team apparel and furniture, a bit less than the $59.90 last year, the survey found. In total, shoppers will spend $9.6 billion for the game.
