Article by: Mike York, COO
Every year, roughly 100 million people gather around their TVs to watch the Super Bowl.
About 40 million of them are there for football. About 60 million are there for commercials. And all of them are ready to absolutely destroy your brand online if you mess this up.
Welcome to the Super Bowl ad economy, where one bad joke costs more than most people’s houses and “we thought it was funny” is not a legal defense.
Enter: market research, the unsung hero standing between your brand and nationwide (and perhaps, international) embarrassment.
First, Let’s Talk About the Stakes (a.k.a. Why Guessing Is Illegal Here)
A 30-second Super Bowl spot now costs between $8-$10 million. And that’s just airtime. Add production, celebrities, CGI animals, licensed music, and the emotional damage to your CMO if it flops, and suddenly this ad costs more than the GDP of Tuvalu.
At this level, “going with your gut” isn’t brave. It’s financially reckless.
Market research exists because no one wants to explain to the board why the ad everyone hated featured:
- A talking condiment
- A career influencer nobody recognizes
- A joke that only makes sense if you went to the same improv class as the creative director
What Market Research Actually Does (Besides Ruin One Guy’s Favorite Joke)
1. It Separates “Funny” from “HR Will See You First Thing Monday”
Every ad is funny in the room where it’s created. That room is full of people who:
- Know the brand
- Know the brief
- Know what the joke is supposed to be
The public lacks this context. Market research is how you find out whether your joke:
- Makes people laugh
- Makes people confused
- Makes people angrily Google your CEO
Testing humor ahead of time is the difference between “That was clever” and “Why is my mom texting me asking what this ad means?”
2. It Tells You Who You’re Actually Talking To
The Super Bowl audience is everyone. Which means it’s also no one, unless you’re careful.
Market research helps answer questions like:
- Is this ad landing with real humans or just marketing Twitter?
- Does this celebrity actually resonate, or are we paying $5M for “Oh yeah, that guy”?
- Are we aiming for nostalgia, absurdity, emotional warmth, or controlled chaos?
Without research, brands accidentally target:
- Gen Z with jokes from 2007
- Boomers with slang that scares them
- Everyone with messaging that feels… weirdly hollow
And that means that you’ve just paid millions to be politely ignored.
3. It Lets You Test the Risky Stuff Before It’s Too Late
Want to be edgy? Cool. Test it.
Want to be weird? Fantastic. Test it.
Want to make a bold cultural statement during the most-watched event in America? You should absolutely test that.
Market research lets brands push boundaries without accidentally face-planting into a week(s)-long PR crisis. It’s how you find the line before Twitter does.
The Big Secret: Research Doesn’t Kill Creativity, It Saves It
There’s a myth that data “ruins” creative ideas.
In reality, research:
- Protects the best ideas from bad execution
- Helps creatives fight for the jokes that actually land
- Gives teams confidence to go bigger, not safer
Data doesn’t say “don’t be creative.” It says, “Be creative in the direction people will actually enjoy.”
And really, that’s the whole point!
Why the Best Super Bowl Ads Feel Effortless
The ads we remember, the ones people talk about for years, didn’t happen by accident. Staring at you Bud-Weis-Er frogs, circa 1995!
They feel spontaneous, emotional, ridiculous, or brilliant because:
- The concept was tested
- The tone was refined
- The message was sharpened
- The risk was calculated, not random
Market research is the invisible scaffolding holding up what looks like magic.
Final Whistle: Market Research Is the Real MVP
Super Bowl ads aren’t just commercials anymore. They’re cultural moments, internet content, brand statements, and group chat fuel, all rolled into 30 seconds.
And when the entire country is watching, guessing is not a strategy.
So yes, creativity wins attention. But market research makes sure that attention is:
- Positive
- Memorable
- Not followed by an apology tour
If your brand is going to spend millions to say something during the Super Bowl, market research makes sure you’re saying the right thing, to the right people, in a way that doesn’t haunt you forever.
That’s a touchdown worth celebrating.
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SMARI is an award-winning Indiana-based market research consultancy that was founded in 1983 with the idea of guiding change and inspiring confidence. We are proud to work with both SMEs and a variety of Fortune 500 brands. We are powered by our core values: integrity, community, perseverance, trust, passion, curiosity, and innovation. SMARI’s expertise spans full project scopes, including instrument design, sampling & fielding services, and reporting & analysis across Healthcare, CPG, Retail, Food & Beverage, Manufacturing, and Financial Services industries, and beyond. Much has changed in our 40+ years, but our tagline and overarching mission remain the same—to guide change and inspire confidence. Start a conversation with us at www.SMARI.com.
