We’ve all fallen prey to the perfectly placed pizza commercial. It appears just as the chips and dip supply starts to dwindle and the third quarter gets underway. Whether you’re celebrating a flawless first half or mourning a missed field goal, nothing soothes the soul like hot cheese and pepperoni.

In addition to those peddling pizzas, the best brands have gotten in on the action, targeting sports fans by purchasing game day airtime. Not every brand can afford to splurge on prime-time placement, but even smaller companies strategically craft content to appeal to armchair quarterbacks.

Last season, Allstate took the top spot during college football season, spending nearly $1.3 million on five TV commercials. These ads aired 419 times overall, seen countless times between plays. Dr Pepper came in second place, with over $1 million in ad spend during college football games.

Curious which brands round out the top 10? Here’s the list:

  1. Allstate
  2. Dr Pepper
  3. AT&T Wireless
  4. Nissan
  5. DirecTV
  6. Verizon
  7. State Farm
  8. T-Mobile
  9. Sling TV
  10. RAM Trucks

The season is just beginning, but you’ve likely already seen ads from at least a few of these brands. Here are some of our football-themed favorites:

What can we learn from these crowd-pleasing commercials and the brands behind them? Quite a few things, as it turns out. The M2 team took a cue from our favorite players, and like a locker room full of sweaty jocks at halftime, we listened in as big name brands revealed their playbooks.

Strategy #1: Master the basics.

No team makes it to the top without first learning the fundamentals. And while top-notch marketing doesn’t require you to master a perfect spiral, it does require that your brand has the basics down pat. For instance, a great digital campaign is worthless if it clicks through to a poorly constructed website. And a fantastic social media presence doesn’t mean much if it doesn’t translate to the customer service you provide. Get the basics down first, then adjust your strategy from there.

Strategy #2: Settle in.

It takes most teams a few plays to calm their nerves and focus in – especially when they’re away from their home turf. The same applies to the marketing world! Here at M2, we remind our clients that an effective campaign may take some time to yield measurable results. Even world-class campaigns don’t often get major results overnight, after all.

Strategy #3: Set goals.

This practice is an important one, encouraged by coaches to ensure their players are constantly improving. Setting measurable goals is important advice for businesses, too! To keep your clients on track toward reaching these goals, M2’s marketing specialists constantly track the effectiveness of an ad campaign and make tweaks when necessary.

To learn more about our game-winning approach, contact Motivated Marketing today at 843-856-7322! Our marketing specialists not only offer the strategy needed to make your name known, but the flawless execution too. Check our website for some of our most recent work, then get in touch!