Yo! Welcome to the next edition of The Fresh Salmon. 

It's Super Bowl Sunday today. The Super Bowl is one of the most exciting sporting events, but it is more than just football.

Around the world, millions watch the legendary half-time show as part of the spectacle surrounding the event. Advertisers use the Super Bowl as a way to increase awareness of their products because there are so many captive viewers before, during, and after the game. 

1) Super Bowl Ads

A 30-second TV advertisement during Super Bowl has cost advertisers a minimum of five million dollars since 2017 and has risen even further in recent years.

Between 2002 and 2023, the average cost of a 30-second Super Bowl TV commercial in the United States (in millions of dollars):

With social media buzzing with speculation about how big corporations will sell their products during the Super Bowl, the commercials have become a phenomenon in their own right. 

Also, it seems that viewers will go to great lengths to watch these ads after the big game ends – 641 thousand hours were spent watching Super Bowl ads on YouTube during the 2019 Super Bowl, which represents an increase of 58 percent over the previous year.

B2B Example: Gong’s Super Bowl Ads

In 2021, Gong ran a Super Bowl commercial targeting Seattle, San Francisco, and New York. As a result of the ad, the company was able to build its biggest-ever sales pipeline and create strong social media buzz.

In 2022, they again ran in the San Francisco Bay Area and expanded to the Chicago and Boston markets.

Check out the Gong Super Bowl Commercial 2021 here and the 2022 Commercial here. 

2) Post a Picture of the Product Without a Face to Sell More

Your marketing campaigns can be greatly improved by choosing the right photo. 

A recent study found that images of people holding products without showing their faces can increase the likelihood of a purchase by 70-78%. When a viewer sees someone's hand holding a product, they can imagine themselves using it. 

In contrast, selfies that show people with a product and their faces may increase engagement, but the product is seen as belonging to the person in the photo, not to the viewer.

What can you do with this information to make your business more successful?

Choose images that allow the viewer to visualize themselves using the product in your user-generated content campaigns, social media, product pages, and ads. The product could be shown on its own, or a person could hold the product without showing their face.

The key to successful marketing campaigns is using photos effectively. 

When you consider the impact of your images, you can increase the likelihood of a sale and engage your target audience more effectively. 

Take the time to choose the right images and see your sales skyrocket!

3) How to Get More Case Studies and Testimonials for B2B

A case study or testimonial can be the gateway to a successful B2B conversion.

In today's B2B market, buyers are increasingly relying on peer opinions and expertise to make purchases.

Customer testimonials and case studies aren't always welcomed by customers. It's not that they're dissatisfied or unwilling-they just have other priorities.

Try these tactics to get more and better case studies (and prevent ghosting):

Inaction is viewed as approval by customers. 

As an example, "once the draft is ready, we'll send it for approval. You'll have a [timeframe] to review it. We'll follow up, and if we don't hear back by [date], we'll assume your approval." 

Emphasize the promotional benefits. 

Give your customers an opportunity to get in front of more people by presenting a case study. 

For example tell them - if you're down, we'll promote the final piece through our channels - you'll reach #X of people."

In this case, framing is helpful. 

This can be marketed as a "customer spotlight." Let them know that you're looking for their opinions on industry topics and how your company has helped them.

Give something back in return. 

You can offer a discount or exclusive access to product upgrades. Your team can also provide any assets used to create your case studies, such as recordings or graphics.

Interesting Thing That I Read Last Week

Jason Lemkin is an OG SaaS Founder, VC, and the man behind SaaStr (one of the largest B2B software conferences in the world).

This is a 🔥🔥 post from Jason.

Tweet That I Noticed Last Week

You’re winning when your product name is used as a category name. Period.

Meme of The Week

What Do You Think?

This concludes this edition of Fresh Salmon.

I would like to hear what you thought of today's newsletter.

Also, let’s connect on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Cheers,

Vivek

PS. I love you ❤️