We were interviewed by James Christie of the Globe and Mail on Sparta Engineering‘s challenge. As a fast-growing company, the founders of Sparta struggle to have consistent business leads when they are busy delivering projects. ’We’re engineers, not marketers,’ says firm in need of sales strategy. Read more…

Jason Thompson, founding partner, vice-president of operations and an engineer at Sparta Engineering. (JEFF MCINTOSH FOR THE GLOBE AND MAIL)

5. Use Timely Messaging: Tide’s “Montana Stain”

With brands and agencies preparing for months leading up to the Super Bowl, incorporating timely messaging can be challenging.

“Tide’s ‘Montana Stain’ was unexpected as it catered specifically to the teams playing,” says Sharma, who named the spot as her favorite. “It was a smart way to grab the attention of both teams’ fans. Most importantly, Tide made it easy to remember it was their ad.”

4. Take Advantage of Every Opportunity: Oreo’s Blackout Tweets

When the power went out during the Super Bowl, Oreo immediately reacted and proved you can get noticed in other mediums, says Sharma.

“Although Oreo did advertise during the Super Bowl and were already top of mind for consumers, they took it one step further with a social media push on Twitter that received over 15,000 retweets,” she says. “This ‘free’ tactic generated more conversations for the brand than its $3.8 million spot. It was all possible because key decision makers were available and ready to turn on a dime when the opportunity arose to extend their brand presence beyond their commercial.”

3. Highlight Your Unique Selling Proposition: Best Buy’s “Asking Amy”

Eventoff says his favorite ad was the Best Buy commercial staring Amy Poehler; it was a good example of how to highlight your unique selling proposition in your marketing.

“The commercial effectively utilized humor to drive one constant point home: Best Buy’s commitment to customer service,” he says. “In a world where Best Buy has to compete with online competitors, the ad effectively reinforced the value of real people helping you.”

2. Be Different: Dodge Ram’s “Farmer”

If your competitors are all using the same marketing tactic, smart business owners take an opposite approach, says Gauri Sharma, CEO of Chicago market research firm Lab42.

“Because it’s the Super Bowl, some brands push the envelope trying to be funny, maybe to the point of absurd,” says Sharma. “As a result, poignant commercials come across in a better light. Not only that, but Dodge Ram’s “Farmer,” ad touched on core American values that resonate with viewers.”

1. Have a Call to Action: Budweiser’s “Brotherhood”

One of the night’s most effective ads was Budweiser’s “Brotherhood,” which featured a horse trainer raising one of Budweiser’s famous Clydesdales, and then reuniting with him three years later. Eventoff says the moving commercial prompted viewers to do what business owners hope they’ll do: remember, share and act.

“The commercial had a direct call to action, using its Twitter campaign with the hashtag #clydesdales to name a baby Clydesdale,” he says. The ad aimed to connect with people emotionally and gave Budweiser a way to connect their customers.

“Lorna Vanderhaeghe spends every other week, nine months of the year, on the road, pitching the Vancouver-based developer, maker and distributor of nutritional health supplements for women that she founded in 2001.

As the face of eponymous Lorna Vanderhaeghe Health Solutions Inc., she spends her time out of the office criss-crossing the country to give lectures, train retailers, conduct media interviews and meet with key accounts.

All of that absence makes it difficult for the president and chief executive officer of the company to manage from a distance.” Read More…

Lorna Vanderhaeghe, founder, president and chief executive officer of Lorna Vanderhaeghe Health Solutions Inc. (Rafal Gerszak FOR THE GLOBE AND MAIL)

At the beginning of each year, we always encourage our clients to review and potentially revamp their marketing strategy for the coming year. What worked well previously may need tuning; what did not work should be addressed before more resources and time are wasted.

For those who are not our clients but have appreciated our advice online, we’d like to offer a free online marketing assessment to hopefully inspire some renewed energy in your marketing department.