Digital Lab

Let me guess.

You’re already planning your Super Bowl Sunday.

Wings? Check. Dip? Check. Friends coming over? Check.

But here’s what’s probably NOT on your list:

Taking notes.

Because while everyone else is rating commercials and arguing about halftime performances, there’s a massive marketing goldmine happening right in front of you.

And most people are going to miss it completely.

The Real Opportunity Everyone Ignores

The Super Bowl isn’t just the biggest advertising event of the year.

It’s the biggest CONVERSATION of the year.

Think about it…

When else do you have 100+ million people simultaneously reacting to the same content, the same brands, the same cultural moments?

When else do nationwide conversations about beer, cars, AI, crypto, fast food, music, and healthcare all happen in the same 4-hour window?

Never.

This is your annual opportunity to get inside your audience’s head. To understand what makes them laugh, what makes them angry, what they care about, and what they’re willing to spend money on.

But only if you’re actually listening.

What Social Listening During The Super Bowl Will Tell You

Here’s what happens during the Super Bowl that doesn’t happen any other time:

Your customers drop their guard.

They’re not in “professional mode” or “polite mode.” They’re reacting in real-time, unfiltered, and emotionally charged.

They’re telling you exactly:

• What messaging resonates (and what falls flat)
• What values they actually care about (versus what they pretend they care about)
• What tone lands (Funny? Serious? Nostalgic? Irreverent?)
• What problems are top of mind
• What they’re willing to spend money on
• What makes them roll their eyes

And they’re doing it publicly, en masse, across every platform.

How to Actually Use This Information

So what do you DO with all of this?

Here’s the framework:

1. Listen with intention

Don’t just scroll. Actually take notes.

Set up searches for:

• Your industry keywords
• Your competitors
• Common pain points in your space
• Trending topics that intersect with your business

Watch what people are saying about ads in your industry. What worked? What didn’t? Why are people praising or roasting certain brands?

2. Map it to your strategy

Ask yourself:

If your customers are using casual language and you’re using corporate jargon; there’s your problem.

If they’re making jokes about your industry and you’re being overly serious; there’s your opportunity.

If they’re frustrated about something your competitor just advertised; there’s your positioning.

3. Adjust your communication style

This is where most companies fail.

They do the research, gather the insights, and then… keep communicating exactly the same way.

Don’t be that company.

Take what you learned and immediately implement it:

• Update your messaging to match their language
• Address the pain points they’re actually talking about
• Adjust your tone to match the cultural moment
• Reference the inside jokes (when appropriate)
• Acknowledge the economic or political realities they’re experiencing

4. Create your differentiation

Here’s the secret:

While your competitors are trying to recreate the “best” Super Bowl ad, you’re going to understand WHY it worked.

And that’s infinitely more valuable.

Less focus on tactics & more on buyer psychology.

The Questions You Should Be Answering

During and immediately after the Super Bowl, dig into these:

About your industry:

• How do people really feel about companies in your space?
• What assumptions or stereotypes exist?
• What would surprise them?

About your customers:

• What are they celebrating?
• What are they complaining about?
• What makes them laugh?
• What do they think is BS?

About the broader landscape:

• What economic concerns are showing up?
• What cultural shifts are happening?
• What values are people defending?

The answers to these questions should fuel your content, your campaigns, your positioning, and your strategy for the next 12 months.

While Everyone Else Is Debating Ads…

You’ll be doing something smarter. You’ll be listening.

Not to other marketers. Not to advertising critics. Not to industry experts.

To your actual customers.

And when you start speaking THEIR language, addressing THEIR concerns, and showing up in THEIR conversations the way THEY want you to?

That’s when everything changes.

So yes, enjoy the game. Eat the wings. Watch the halftime show.

But keep your notebook handy.

Because the real marketing lesson isn’t in the commercials.

It’s in the comments.

Are you listening to your market? Studying buyer psychology?

We are obsessed with this stuff. If you need a marketing partner to help you understand your audience, and execute a marketing strategy for 2026 that actually works… hit the button.