Marketing to "The Rest of Us" on Super Bowl Sunday

Photo by: hecknokitty via instagram

In his article for the Wall Street Journal, Matthew Futterman attempts to slot an estimated 111 million Super Bowl XLVI viewers into three, easy to understand categories: Novice, Casual, and Expert Fans. If you watched the game, you already know where you fall on this continuum. It may be more interesting to segment Americans actively avoiding the game, in other words, the rest of us. 

To explore this idea, I left my house about an hour before kick off to take a walk on Chicago’s north side. I was determined to understand the neighborhood conversation, to listen for common concerns that bind the community together, like a market of sorts. Since a third of the population was supposed to be huddled in their homes around TVs, it surprised me that the city wasn’t a ghost town; things appeared normal. The park was full of children and dogs; Starbucks was packed with bookish types, and a young woman was carrying a case of Coors Light that looked much too heavy. Let’s count her as a “viewer” and move on to highlights from the “non-viewer” camp. 

Hi-Tops Sporting Nightlife

The Community: Like “Cheers”, the bar from television where everybody knows your name. For insiders if anybody forgets your name they can look down at the engraved name plaque screwed to the bar, in front of your stool. When your name is physically part of the bar, you've truly come to a place where everyone knows your name. 

The Conversation: “Hi, are you a Michigan fan?” I meant to avoid the sports crowd, but Hi-Tops is on a corner so its storefront sign and customer entrance aren’t on the same street. The question was odd; Michigan isn’t in New York or New England.

The Technology: Twelve extra large flat screen TVs.

Roscoe's Tavern and Cafe

The Community: Gay in Boystown. I was one of three females in this sprawling, crowded for a Sunday night bar.

The Conversation: Not surprisingly, Madonna. Her Super Bowl half-time show was turned on as I arrived. All in attendance were enraptured with her performance but as soon as the opulent spectacle was finished, the TVs were turned off and the dance tracks back on.  A young man spoke a little too loudly, “I love her even more now!” 

The Technology: Great TV system for videos, and a great sound system for music.  There wasn’t a bad view in the place.

Millie's Tavern

The Community: Down and out in Roscoe Village which might as well be “Down and Out in Beverly Hills” without the swimming pools in which to drown. 

The Conversation: Beer, money, the game, gambling, the 1970s, the 1980s, and the proliferation of teardowns and new home constructions in the neighborhood, in that order.  Yeah, I was getting chatty.

The Technology:  A paper-covered pool table that doubled as a Tombstone Pizza buffet, a flat screen TV or two, and chalkboard signs that said “Spend Super Bowl Sunday With Us” and “Juniper Winter Ale $6.50”.

Home

The Community: Restrained hoarder.   

The Conversation: “Oh, Animal Planet is repeating the Puppy Bowl!” Also, ye olde debate about which is cuter, puppies or kittens. 

The Technology: Regarding ye olde debate, an iPhone for furious keyword searches on Instagram to find photographic evidence to finally answer the question, once and for all, are puppies or kittens cuter?