As hundreds of brands look to find ways in and arund Super Bowl marketing in Dallas without the NFL license, perhaps the largest gathering of enthusiastic fans in a key male demo has gathered a thousand or so miles northwest in Las Vegas this weekend. In addition to the multiple opportunities to gamble legally, the UFC always holds perhaps its best card of the year before a sellout crowd in the city this weekend, making this (along with the first weekend of the NCAA tournament) one of the busiest times of the year in the city. No one is going to shows, they are going to hang with their friends and spend millions on the hoist of wagers that the Vegas sports books can drum up. Parties go on all weekend, folks enjoy the testosterone driven UFC fight the night before and then hang before Sunday's kickoff in a climate a little better suited for fun than Dallas.
So if you are a brand looking to engage that male demo, especially with product and on a budget that does not afford you the ability to be part of the NFL experience in the host city, why not head to Vegas could be the perfect fit. You have a huge male demo looking for activity, lots of disposable income, a prime sample audience and thousands of first adopters who are more atune to group activity than attendance. While still not being able to use NFL names, rights and marks, the Vegas alternative can offer up a nice litmus test for astute brands to try the waters and see how far their product can go, using street teams, selective party spots, and even traditional advertising that speaks to those coming in just to be part of the game in a city where the game is not taking place. The mix o. MMA fans and football fans give this weekend a very solid jump to try new products and will give some companies an opportunity to get ahead of their competition as all try and figure out the best way to engage those engaged by the biggest weekend in sport. Going to Vegas is not really ambush marketing the Super Bowl, as the biggest brands will find a way to have a presence in that city this weekend as well. What it is is a chance for smaller brands to test, and if the test works with that core audience, to move on up in future years as capital comes ready and the brand grows.
Great way to get a super pop with a super demo, maybe at not super prices.
