Costing anywhere from $10 million to $13 million in production cost on an annual basis, families have a tradition of remaining glued to the TV as they watch wondrous floats followed by dizzying dancers and famous musical artists take spotlight after spotlight.

However, up until this year — when Peacock officially grabbed at the opportunity to be the one and only streaming platform to feature the parade — the event only aired on broadcast television, leaving marketers wondering whether it was worth the cost of sponsorship in a world that has been increasingly concerned with digital consumerism.

Our take on it? Absolutely, it still pays off. Here’s what to keep in mind:

The “Why”

Let’s face it: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is here to stay.

Most would agree that simply partaking in the parade is an honor, offering companies the opportunity to showcase their commitment to American ideals and unity. And what better way to boost your brand reputation than to contribute to a national sense of holiday joy?

But warm and fuzzy sentiments aside, the reason a company might choose to participate as a sponsor of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is simple: for the sheer amount of views they’ll amass.

This year, “NBC’s coverage of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade drew a total of 25.4 million total viewers and a 6.4 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic on Thursday across the live broadcast and encore immediately after,” according to Deadline.

What’s more, with holiday shopping on the horizon for most households, even an ephemeral appearance of your brand’s logo on a float may be all it takes to plant a spending seed in the mind of your potential customers.

The “How Much”

As large companies generate considerable returns on their investment following the Thanksgiving Day Parade, it makes sense that many would clamor to purchase ad space while the renowned parade airs live.

“In 2019, the network generated an estimated $49.2 million in ad revenue from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, while The National Dog Show brought in $11.7 million and the prime-time NFL game … yielded $72.1 million,” as reported by AdWeek. “That’s close to $133 million in ad revenue for the three events.”

And comparing that to the aforementioned $13 million production price tag? Well, yeah, let’s just say that’s not bad at all.

That being said, for those looking to skip the traditional commercial ads and actually be recognized in one of the nation’s most beloved and non-controversial events of all time, businesses may also opt to sponsor the balloons themselves.

In fact, according to CBS News, brand new parade balloons cost sponsors approximately $200,000 each, or nearly $90,000 should they sponsor a returning balloon.

The Bottom Line

Okay, so maybe your business isn’t quite ready to tackle the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, but that doesn’t mean you can’t hold onto it as a big audacious goal of your own.

And if you’re ready to embark upon the journey that will carry you into the right direction of growth, Mad Men Marketing can help you get there!

After all, here at Mad Men Marketing, we are rooted in the belief that brands should interact with their customers, not interrupt them. And what better way to grow than to have measurable goals and research experts at your fingertips? From traditional marketing expertise to digital strategy, social media engagement and more, our team is ready and waiting to reach new heights of gratitude and success.

So, if you’re ready to learn more, contact Mad Men Marketing today by calling (904) 355-1766!

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Meanwhile, Facebook has gone from cool collegiate exclusivity to the most ubiquitous social channel in the world.  Recently, Facebook revealed that it would amplify its existing e-commerce ads to account for showcase shopping ads.  Just like Google, Facebook is taking advantage of their online resources to help advertisers push more merchandise just in time for holiday shopping.  The new ad format allows advertisers to display one main picture with several product images that would, ostensibly, have their own unique landing pages.  This gives the potential consumer a broader understanding of what the retailer may be selling and what's specially priced.

Pandora's box is open and there's no going back. Linking a bank account to everyone's personal Facebook page isn't far off and this may raise security concerns all over the world, but for now, social media will undoubtedly see a rise in sell-through, especially with reasonably priced impulse buys.  It will continue to command an ever-increasing amount of your advertising budget as their ads evolve in terms of what can be done with them creatively and who can be targeted strategically.  Currently, only a few heavy hitters are testing out the new format, but look for a wider roll-out soon with other companies following suit in 2017.  Admittedly, I laughed derisively when some people claimed that Facebook was coming for Google.  Well, it appears that not only do they want to compete with Google, but with Amazon and Alibaba as well.  What's more is that they seem to have the golden touch right now and I wouldn't put anything past them.

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The rate at which new technology has been introduced to the masses has historically outpaced the rate at which companies can utilize it.

Here we are in 2016, standing at the precipice of another big shift in “tech-tonic” trends and this time, more businesses are preparing to go to war.  The weapon of choice will be the most advanced way to target the masses while still finding ways to target individuals across demographics: mobile advertising.

It’s forecasted that by 2020, mobile advertising will account for nearly 75% of all digital ad spends.  While desktop ads still get their share of the current digital spend, the rate at which companies have been shifting gears to focus more on mobile advertising has grown to the point where 2016 should be the year that mobile surpasses desktop, and once that happens, there will be no looking back.

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     In 2013, the University of Nebraska paid $2.1 million to the University of Southern Mississippi to move their match-up from Hattiesburg to Lincoln.  This move increased the Huskers game day revenue by 14%, and brought an estimated $8 million to the local economy (forbes.com, December 2012).  While Southern Mississippi reaps the benefits of the venue change, the local economy in Hattiesburg will not see any of the influx of revenue that it would have enjoyed from visiting Husker fans. 

      West Virginia paid $20 million to leave the Big East (a conference made up mostly of east coast teams, as the name would suggest) and join the Big-12 (teams based primarily across the central states), which had just secured a lucrative media contract with ESPN and Fox, to the tune of $2.6 billion.  While television deals are a boon to conferences, schools individual earnings remain the driving force behind their overall financial success.

     Teams are willing to eschew decades of tradition to enhance their economic futures.  The opportunity for increased revenue and brand growth outweighed the decades of economic ties between teams and communities that benefited mutually from long-standing, yearly rivalry match-ups. 

     These efforts to expand brand awareness, whether through marketing themselves to recruits in new territories by moving to a more prestigious athletic conference, or expanding their fan base by endeavoring into new territories, shows that teams are willing to embrace non-traditional methods of evolving their business models in an effort to ensure continued fiscal success in the years to come.

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At the end of the day, the name of the game is value, and what you can bring to the table will ultimately determine your level of success.  Offering a superior value guarantees satisfaction which earns loyalty (Day, 1994).  Marketing in contemporary America now favors the cultivation of relationships, proving once and for all that it is, and always has been, all about the people.

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These cost-cutting measures and outsourcing are GOOD.  It allows American entrepreneurs to thrive where they would otherwise flounder by keeping production costs low.  It also allows small businesses and corporations to build international relationships and share their product on a global scale simply by exposing the people who create your product to something that isn't often seen abroad.  If all labor was granted to American employees, we would be hindering market equilibrium and trying to control something that's beyond our means.

 We have become a service industry and a country of innovators.  We're the idea people.  We have reached for the next rung of the ladder of the economic hierarchy, and it's strange to hear people crave regression.  We must not get complacent, and we mustn't falsely assert that protectionist measures will liberate us from the shackles of the free market.  

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You could be strolling down the beach, basking in sunshine while ordering a new grill for Labor Day.  Even GM is rolling out a new application that would allow savvy consumers to trade-in their car, and take delivery or test drive a new car, all without bothering to get dressed in the morning.

 I already order all of my take-out online when I used to phone it in.  Further innovation will herald the dawning of a new Kondratiev Cycle that could yield innovations in every single industry on a global scale, and this would represent a huge boom for the logistics industry, with higher levels of import/export and international shipping business.  It would also mean smaller businesses could level the playing field a bit.  For instance, I love the asadero cheese from the Licon Dairy in San Elizario, Texas.  I encourage everyone to find a niche product that you absolutely love, and see if it's available for international shipping.  What an industrious age in which we live!!!

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In the recent past, Greece was in financial jeopardy and although a relatively insignificant player in the global economy when you consider heavy hitters like the U.S., France, India, Brazil, China, etc…, it had immediate ramifications that resounded across the world due to the interconnectivity of economic interests and Greece's proclivity toward nationalistic pride and threats to break with the Euro.  

I would expect AT LEAST that kind of impact on the world market as resources are re-allocated to quell the disturbance in Syria.  These are uncertain times and uncertainty can lead to panic, especially by those who are expected to lead us economically because they tend to protect their own interests first.  So in the best interest of fear-mongering, strap on your kevlar vest, continue to go to work, and just act like nothing is happening because chances are your day-to-day will not change.  

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Fortunately, Mad Men Marketing is ahead of the curve.  Not only did we become the first in our market to begin using Rentrak, (a wonderful little tool that lets us target the appropriate media buy to your target audience) but we also offer customizable research delivery and custom-tailored case studies.

Why case studies, you may ask?  They explore CAUSATION to underlying principles which allows us to tweek our approach.  It is empirical research that investigates real-life phenomena.  So while every other agency is out there telling you to “trust them”, we do not remain static in our approach like so many others.  We are not so overzealous to think we get it right all the time.  NO!  We are dynamic.  We will get you results, quantify them, and show them to you.  We will constantly refine and improve our approach, guaranteeing the highest level of efficiency possible.  

In 1985 Michael Porter attempted to improve upon Ricardo's comparative advantage and suggested his own theory of competitive advantage.  This emphasizes production, efficiencies, and the acquisition of attributes that can be utilized to outpace the competition.  Think of Mad Men Marketing as your Swiss Army Knife or the ace up your sleeve because we are delivering our clients comparables, measurables, and demonstrating causative reasons for market change utilizing a number of inputs.  

In short, when you perform research, and you can deliver the goods to your client, you're allowing them to track progress….no matter how small it may be.  This keeps clients abreast of changing market conditions and keeps them competitive in their industry.  

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