Super Bowl Ads Take Equal Billing to Game in 2008 According to Hanon McKendry Survey

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- A newly released Hanon McKendry poll conducted by Harris Interactive shows that 57 percent of U.S. adults who plan to watch Super Bowl XLII will tune in as much or more for the commercials as for the game.

The survey aims to quantify the draw of Super Bowl commercials among the more than 90 million viewers expected to watch the Super Bowl this year(1). Commissioned for the third consecutive year by Hanon McKendry/The Brand Consultants, the poll indicates that 19 percent of viewers will watch the Super Bowl mainly for the commercials, while 38 percent will tune in as much for the commercials as for the game. The results mirror those in 2007 when 56 percent of U.S. adult viewers planned to watch as much or more for the ads.

Survey Confirms Super Bowl is More than a Sporting Event

The 2008 Hanon McKendry Super Bowl Survey found that 68 percent of U.S. adults plan to watch Super Bowl XLII. The 2007 survey, picked up by the Wall Street Journal, reported similar results with 70 percent of U.S. adults planning to tune in. Super Bowl XLI drew an estimated 93.2 million viewers, making it the third most watched program in television history.

"Super Bowl advertising has become big entertainment," said Hanon McKendry founder and principal Bill McKendry. "With nearly 7 in 10 adults planning to watch the game, and over half of those doing so as much for the ads as for the action on the field, this survey confirms that the Super Bowl is the perfect place for marketers to broaden their appeal. And trends show they're getting smarter about maximizing their Super Bowl investments, mostly through Internet activities before and after the game."

The 2008 survey confirms consistently high interest in the ads among women.

    -- While the overall percentage of women who plan to watch the Super Bowl
       has dropped slightly from 64% in 2007 to 60% in 2008, the percentage of
       female viewers who will tune in as much or more for the ads rose from
       61% to 65%.

    -- At 40% (male) and 35% (female), a consistently high percentage of men
       and women who plan to watch say they'll do so equally for the game and
       the commercials.

    -- Female viewers are three times as likely as male viewers to watch
       primarily for the commercials (30% women vs. 10% men).

The survey did not bear out any statistically significant regional differences in expected viewership.

"With two Northeast powerhouses in this year's match up, we expected viewership to vary somewhat regionally. That doesn't seem to be the case," observed McKendry. "What is clear is that no matter who's on the field, the ads continue to generate strong interest, particularly among women."

The Survey

Harris Interactive conducted this online survey on behalf of Hanon McKendry between January 22 and January 24, 2008 among 2,056 adults ages 18+, of whom, 876 are men and 1,180 are women. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical estimates of sampling error can be calculated. For complete methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Amy LeFebre.

The Firms

Hanon McKendry is a national brand consulting, advertising and marketing firm that excels at helping corporate and nonprofit clients shift perceptions beyond what their brand offers to what their brand means. Nearly 80 percent of the firm's annual revenues are derived from major initiatives to launch, re-launch or restage brands. Hanon McKendry has worked extensively with high- profile corporate clients including Consumers Energy, Furniture Row Shopping Centers, Rayovac Batteries, Rubbermaid Home Products, Target Stores and Zondervan (a division of Harper/Collins Publishing). The firm has also earned national recognition for its cause and issue-based campaigns and brand development for clients such as the Alliance Defense Fund, Salvation Army, the National Arbor Day Foundation, World Vision, Young Life, Focus on the Family and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum. Hanon McKendry is based in West Michigan and is a Gravity Six Alliance partner.

hanon-mckendry.com / gravitysix.com

Harris Interactive is one of the largest and fastest-growing market research firms in the world. The company provides innovative research, insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll(R), one of the longest running, independent opinion polls, and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what it believes to be the world's largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its North American, European and Asian offices, and through a global network of independent market research firms. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at www.harrisinteractive.com.

To become a member of the Harris Poll Online and be invited to participate in online surveys, register at www.harrispollonline.com.

    (1) Nielsen Media Research, as reported by the Associated Press on
        January 30, 2008, estimates that Super Bowl XLI drew 93.2 million
        viewers in 2007.  The largest estimated Super Bowl audience according
        to Nielsen Media Research was 94.08 million in 1996.