Kellogg faculty to grade Super Bowl XLVI ads

1/9/2012 - As advertisers seek to bolster their brands around the Super Bowl, faculty from the Kellogg School of Management will discuss the strategies they are employing during this record-setting year.  

The school will conduct its eighth annual Super Bowl Advertising Review on Feb. 5. Marketing faculty and students will convene in Evanston, Ill., to watch the event, rate the advertisers on a set of strategic criteria known as ADPLAN and produce a final ranking of the most — and least — successful advertisers.

Leading up to the game, Kellogg professors Tim Calkins and Derek Rucker will address advertising trends, themes, strategies and predictions, including:

• What qualities are essential to produce an effective Super Bowl ad?
• 2011 was the year of the automobile in Super Bowl ads. What will 2012 bring, and what might it signal for the economy?
• Online views of this year’s Super Bowl ads are expected to nearly double from 2011. How should marketers capitalize on this trend and enhance the value of their investment in the game?
• Why is creating a strong Super Bowl ad so difficult? Why do some advertisers consistently perform well while other regular advertisers struggle to create strong spots?

Calkins, who leads the Review, has been a clinical professor of marketing at the Kellogg School since 1998. He teaches courses in marketing strategy and acts as co-academic director of the school’s branding program.

Rucker, who also leads the Review, is an associate professor of marketing at the Kellogg School. His primary research focuses on the study of attitudes, persuasion and social influence. A Kellogg School faculty member since 2005, Rucker has been published in a number of academic journals and is the academic director of the school’s Center for Global Marketing Practice.

Professors Calkins and Rucker will share insights about this year’s Super Bowl advertising on their blog at http://kelloggsuperbowlreview.wordpress.com.