Controversy-Fueled Marketing: Tim Tebow Grabs the Super Bowl Spotlight

Posted by: Chris Lester, Principal Jan 29, 2010 0 Comments

Yesterday morning, I had the opportunity to discuss the marketing implications of the Tim Tebow Super Bowl ad controversy with Fox News.

The controversy, if you haven’t already heard, is that CBS has approved a 30-second ad paid for by Focus on the Family, a conservative Christian group, that recounts Tebow’s mother’s decision not to have an abortion while pregnant with Tim, against her doctor’s recommendations. CBS’s decision to accept the ad has brought the pro-life/pro-choice controversy to the surface, and some advocacy groups have called for CBS to reject the ad.

What’s motivating CBS to air the spot? Is this a smart business decision?

While the financial incentive is certainly there, most likely this isn’t just about the $2.5 million this specific ad will bring CBS. They may be taking a calculated risk and hoping for a huge payoff.

With every Super Bowl, there is controversy surrounding ads that have been submitted with the intention of being banned. Once rejected, the ads hit the Internet, where they get a great deal of visibility due to the buzz surrounding them—it’s a great deal for the advertisers who get tremendous media attention without having to invest in Super Bowl placements. CBS may see this ad as an opportunity to reverse that trend and leverage a controversy to benefit the network.

Super Bowl viewership will certainly increase due to the media attention, and viewers will focus on the ads more intensely. This will, in turn, create greater interest among potential advertisers.

From a marketing perspective, it’s a risky proposition. Certainly it’s going to benefit CBS in the short term, but in the long run, it has the potential to damage their brand and alienate viewers.

Potential Outcomes: What does CBS have to gain?

• The controversy blows over and the CBS brand benefits from increased awareness brought on by the intense media attention—not to mention a healthy revenue boost.
• In the future, advocacy ads may become more prevalent, and CBS will be better positioned to take advantage of them. The Supreme Court ruling reversing corporate campaign finance restrictions may play a role in changing the political and issue-based advertising landscape.

Potential Outcomes: What does CBS have to lose?

• A backlash and call to boycott CBS, which could get momentum through blogs, Twitter, and social networks, where issues can be easily magnified.
• They may be perceived as aligning themselves with highly controversial Focus on the Family, which could impact their brand and narrow their audience.

CBS will certainly have to stay on top of damage control and do everything in their power to demonstrate that their recently changed policy on advocacy/issue advertising had nothing to do with these particular politics, and that their willingness to air highly controversial ads will be extended to all perspectives on an issue.

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Chris Lester

Principal

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