Branded Parties Move Into Private Homes

Today, major brands like Verizon, Nestle, and Ford want a seat alongside the guests at your party – just in time for the Super Bowl.

Verizon is holding parties on Super Bowl Sunday with the help of 1,000 Fios owners. In the coming days, hosts are required to upload plans, videos, and photos on a Fios-branded website.

The site will also provide themed food recipes, fact sheets, and a countdown to the event. Through these events, Verizon can easily take advantage of the gatherings with a “While you're all here, we should talk about...” type of tactic.

Kitty Holding, the CEO of marketing firm House Party, said that the events are comparatively less expensive than a traditional advertising campaign. Total cost runs from a few hundred thousand dollars (to reach a few thousand people) to millions of dollars (for tens of thousands).

Microsoft started its own parties this past October, when the company entered houses in 14 countries to celebrate Windows 7 with the goal of reaching consumers where they are most comfortable. John Dougherty, director of marketing for the brand, said that 60,000 people hosted the parties, reaching nearly 7 million people. For their participation, hosts were given an autographed edition of Windows 7, which costs about $320.

These events cost relatively little for companies and offer a huge payoff in terms of exposure and brand awareness. Also, hosts have proven to be very agreeable to receiving free goodies in exchange for arranging the parties – and the Super Bowl certainly provides a good reason to party.