Advertising during State of Origin can drive brand memorability more than ever, says Cint
The State of Origin series is a key opportunity for brand advertising, as one of the most-watched sporting events in Australia, according to digital insights and research technology company, Cint.
Cint’s latest survey, conducted last month, found that 3% more Australians are planning to watch this year’s series (70%), compared to last year (67%).
Cint research found State of Origin advertising is a key opportunity for brand awareness
Last Wednesday’s series opener had close to two million metro viewers, and Nine Network’s coverage broke the record for BVOD viewership. Hamish Turner, director of 9Now and programming, said at the time: “With an audience of more than 3.4 million viewers, State of Origin I was the biggest Total TV audience for an Origin in five years.
“9Now once again broke records, with a BVOD reach of 815,000,” he said.
Vanessa Adams, Cint VP of Measurement, APAC, said: “What this means for advertisers is that they have a highly engaged audience which they can tap into for their advertising campaigns.
“With these factors in mind, while brands may not directly contribute to an increase in viewers, they need to consider the implications such as what a growing audience outside of New South Wales and Queensland means and how can they capitalise on reaching additional consumers,” she added.
61% of those planning to watch the series aim to do so on TV, verses only 6% via a streaming service, giving brands the perfect opportunity to advertise, according to Cint.
Advertising during the series can increase brand awareness and drive memorability, according to Cint, with 40% of consumers somewhat likely to remember an advertisement shown during the State of Origin series, while 27% are very likely. The content of ads are what drive the highest levels of memorability – with 38% of consumers agreeing.
Memorability of advertising in the series. Source: Cint State of Origin Advertising Report [click to enlarge]
“While sponsorship of the series may help with brand recognition, ultimately it’s the content of the advertisement that consumers remember, reinforcing the importance of developing strong creatives and optimising campaigns based on consumer perception,” Adams said.
“Content is a major driver of campaign success and advertisers and marketers need to be mindful of creating content that will resonate with their target audience and leave a lasting impression.”
While only 22% think the brand is the most memorable part, if brands show authentic, relatable content, it can further drive brand awareness, according to Cint.
Meanwhile, 13% of consumers think ads shown during the series are not memorable.
Cint’s research found that recurring NRL sponsors performed the best in brand association to the sport, with 39% of consumers saying they associate Telstra with the games, and 36% saying Harvey Norman. This year’s new NRL sponsors, Westpac and DoorDash, had only 18% and 13% respectively.
Association of brands to the series. Source: Cint State of Origin Advertising Report [click to enlarge]
Adams said: “Big events such as the State of Origin series present a great opportunity for advertisers and marketers to reach a captive audience, but brands do need to consider how such events fit into their overall advertising and marketing strategy.
“For brands like McDonalds and Westpac, premium sporting events are a big drawcard with both companies launching new brand advertising with Rugby League themed creatives this year to celebrate the power of the NRL and State of Origin series.
“While Cint’s research found that ad campaigns shown only during events such as the State of Origin series can change consumers’ perception of a brand which is a positive, ultimately what is more important, is how brands should continuously measure perceptions to be able to improve and optimise their campaigns to ensure maximum reach and efficiency,” she concluded.
The data featured was pulled using the Cint platform and leveraging Cint’s programmatic research tech. Approximately 300 Australian consumers from the general population were surveyed for each question.
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Lauren McNamara is a journalist at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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