Daytona 500 Ads Provide Brand Boost

February 12, 2010

This article is included in these additional categories:

Analytics, Automated & MarTech | Brand Metrics | Broadcast & Cable | Sports | Television

Despite the significant attention given to the Super Bowl as a top TV advertising opportunity, the annual NASCAR Daytona 500 can also be a highly beneficial telecast for ads, according to The Nielsen Company.

The Daytona 500, being held the weekend of February 13-14, 2010, provides NASCAR with its highest yearly TV ratings. In 2009, traditional ads that aired during the Daytona 500 were 26% more likely to be recalled by race viewers than those who saw the ad run elsewhere.

Home Depot., McDonald’s, State Farm Finish Strong
Spots by NASCAR advertisers Home Depot, McDonald’s and State Farm Insurance particularly enjoyed brand recall levels that were at least twice that of airings outside the race.

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Daytona 500 Increases Likeability
In addition to boosting brand recall among viewers, airing an ad during the Daytona 500 also makes viewers like it more. Ads by Home Depot and McDonald’s once again achieved likeability levels more than twice that of airings outside the race. And ads by Sprint, the namesake of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup, were also twice as likely to be favored by Daytona 500 viewers as all others who saw the same spots outside the race.

“It’s no secret that NASCAR offers one of the most passionate fan bases of any sport, and that passion extends to many of their sponsors and partners,” said Stephen Master, VP for Nielsen Sports. “Successful marketers know that when it comes to effective advertising, events like the Daytona 500 are the checkered flag, and not just a pit stop.”

Super Bowl Ads Have High Recall, Lower Likeability
Ads aired during the Super Bowl, especially early in the game, provide high degrees of recall and brand linkage, but not likeability, according to recent Nielsen research. In terms of general recall, 69% of viewers remember ads aired during the first quarter. This percentage drops to 67% in the second quarter, 65% in the third quarter, and 58% in the fourth quarter.

Brand linkage shows a similar deterioration as the game progresses. Eighty-six percent link ads they see in the first quarter with the corresponding brands. This percentage drops to 79% in the second quarter, 77% in the third quarter, and 75% in the fourth quarter.

Although a slight majority of viewers watch the Super Bowl more for the ads than the game, likeability ratings of ads shown throughout the telecast are surprisingly low. Ads shown in the first quarter have a 40% likeability rating, which drops to 34% in the second quarter, 31% in the third quarter and 25% in the fourth quarter.

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