Google may be serious about launching its own retail stores or just feinting in that direction, but one thing is clear: the digital giant isn't through trying to find new areas of the online universe to dominate.

Target No. 1 may well be automotive retailing. There's been lots of attention lately to Google's other significant venture having to do with automobiles—"self-driving" cars—but Google seems far more likely to make big strides in the car-selling process online more quickly than it does in programming your car to drive you to work.

Google is poised to expand its fledlging online car-shopping service to dealers throughout California and also to enter more states, Automotive News reported. Dealers in the San Francisco Bay area have tested the service since last summer; consumers can browse dealers' inventory and check vehicle prices without leaving Google search pages, the magazine reported.

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"Brotherhood," Budweiser's 2013 Super Bowl ad, was among those which stood out among rather routine fare.

Super Bowl ads (the complete list) this year provided few gems, according to an emerging consensus of industry professionals.

Many were deemed lame or even confusing, and generally considered ineffective and off-brand. Several brands seemed to suffer rather than benefit from the frenzy of sneak peeks and full-commercial reveals in this year's rush for pre-Game exposure and social buzz.

Super Bowl XLVII may be unique in that one of the biggest potential branding opportunities has suddenly materialized less than two weeks before the Big Game. And the opportunity is called the Brothers Harbaugh.

It seems unlikely that even the biggest brands would be able to land a deal with Jim or John Harbaugh, or both, this close to the Super Bowl, given that each is now consumed with how to beat the other's team -- and that, for the winner at least, there should be plenty of endorsement opportunities after the game.

But some marketers may be able to figure out how to tie themselves tangentially at least, maybe even convincingly, to what already has become the most intriguing Super Bowl story line perhaps in decades: the mutual success and striving of two accomplished opposing coaches, less than two years apart in age, who happen to be siblings. They're also young for their profession, telegenic, well-spoken and smart.

So we await news on Brother International or some other less obvious brand figuring out how to tap into all of that. In the meantime, there are plenty of other brands gearing up for a Super Bowl lift ahead of Game Day, including Mercedes-Benz.Continue reading...

Mobile was the big winner in the Super Bowl this year, as marketers and consumers seized the second-screen experience.

“Caring about eyeballs was your grandfather’s ad agency,” commented Dan Israel, Atlanta-based strategy lead for the mobile practice at SapientNitro, to Mobile Marketer.  “What matters today is how many people with smartphones can be gathered in one location at one time. The Super Bowl rules in this category.” 

This Super Bowl was a huge coming out party for Shazam, the mobile app that enables audio tagging to link to content and offers, which partnered with almost half of Super Bowl 46 advertisers, representing 1 million giveaways, this year.

Shazam linked to commercials by Acura, Best Buy (which offered $50 gift cards), Cars.com (which donated $1.00 per Shazam tag to charity), Bud Light, Disney (John Carter trailer), Fed Ex, GE, Honda, Pepsi, Teleflora, and Toyota to unlock exclusive content and coupons. Some of the offers:Continue reading...

As the world's biggest stage for marketers, we'd have to give Super Bowl XLVI, generously, a B-minus. While the game was compellingly competitive right until the last play, and Madonna acquitted herself pretty well for a 53-year-old halftime-show attraction, America's brand marketers barely held up their end of the extravaganza.

For one thing, there was no genuine stand-up-and-cheer advertising moment during NBC's telecast as there was last year, in Chrysler's spot featuring Eminem and its new Chrysler 200 "Imported from Detroit," although Clint Eastwood was a worthy successor.

In fact, stand-out moments in the ads were almost non-existent; the humor that carried most of the ads didn't come close to an outbreak of hilarity; and a few spots manifested jump-the-shark syndrome, such as an NBC promo that cameoed Betty White.Continue reading...

The huge pricetag for Super Bowl advertisements keeps all but the biggest and boldest brands away. But with inventiveness, other brands are finding ways to ride the Big Game zeitgeist without having to fork over Big Game prices.

Suzuki, for example, in the past has proven adept at skirting the expensive national spots in the Super Bowl in favor of a regional strategy, and the Japanese auto brand is doing the same thing this year — even bigger.

Instead of joining the cacophony of national car ads at $3.5 million a pop, Suzuki will focus its regional buy in 21 core cold-weather markets for ads to run in locally allocated slots during the game. Suzuki will highlight the all-wheel-drive version of its Kizashi sport sedan in a slush spot (titled "Sled") which you can watch below — along with Super Bowl 46 sneak peeks from Audi, Coca-Cola and Cars.com.Continue reading...

The rules of Super Bowl advertising have changed — it's no longer about the surprise of debuting your spot during the Big Game, but about seeding buzz through viral sneak peeks (or the entire spot) on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

Brands are eager for a "halo effect," adding to a record tide of early "reveals" of Super Bowl ads and related content. So with that in mind, here is the latest crop of sneak peeks at the commercials you'll see on Super Bowl Sunday, starting with CareerBuilder's crazy office chimpanzees at top.

Skechers also released a teaser for its Super Bowl XLVI spot, which will air just before the two-minute warning at the end of the first half and spoofs its underdog status with a dog — a sneaker-wearing French bulldog, to be exact.Continue reading...

Apple tries to leverage lower prices.

Cars.com sets up custom channels on Pandora.

Chipotle finds customers tolerate higher prices.

Dove asks women, "Who inspired you?" in new campaign.

Kia asks NBA star Blake Griffin to soar again.

Kraft keeps investors and advertisers hopping with its "leaping" strategy aimed at hitting home runs.

Mattel to buy preschool brands.Continue reading...