Google’s role in the upcoming season of the National Football League (NFL) beginning Thursday will not just be sitting on the sidelines. Google has built a new tool for its search products to help advertisers capture the attention of millions of sport fans by placing ads alongside the scores related to football, says a report from New York Times.
Advertisers more interested in live events
At the top of the Google’s search page, a box will show the official NFL video clips. This box is placed next to scores and news items, and will run the ads before the clips.
Several websites and social networks have introduced football-related marketing programs to woo advertisers, and Google’s NFL offering is just one of several new approaches. Advertisers want to capitalize on live events and discussions on the social media, and, therefore, are always on the hunt for new ways to do so.
A number of reasons have been cited by the brands and agency executives for wanting to advertise online during live events. A prominent reason is the number of people who use their mobile devices while watching television has risen substantially. Nielsen, the television research firm, notes that nearly 88% of tablet owners and 86% of the smartphone owners prefer to watch television while using their devices simultaneously.
Jill Sherman, senior vice president for social strategy at the digital agency DigitasLBi, told the NY Times, “We’re entering a time when there are going to be a phenomenal number of opportunities for brands. The opportunities that we’re seeing this year are really about wrapping brands more tightly around the real-time conversation.”
Google not alone in attracting ad dollars
Apart from Google, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat are other major digital players eyeing ad dollars. The competition is further heating up as advertisers want to move beyond television commercials to participate in the conversation around football games, and are seeking new ways to do so.
In addition to the ad program from Google, advertisers will now be able to target football fans and run NFL campaigns with the help of the marketing products from Facebook. A live event tool for brands to sponsor clips related to the NFL is also being offered by Twitter. Separately, Snapchat has come up with an idea of pushing out football-related video stories with spots for ads on a weekly basis, and is trying to secure a partnership with the league. A website centered on fantasy football is also being created by Vox Media for the technology company Lenovo.
