Denny’s Super Bowl Grand Slam

Denny’s Restaurants made quite a splash with its first Super Bowl commercial on February 1. The restaurant chain promised everyone in America a free Grand Slam Breakfast between 6:00 AM and 2:00 PM on February 3. The $3 million outlay for air time and support advertising online, not to mention the cost of the meals given away, would seem to increase the odds that Denny’s Super Bowl marketing effort would not pay off. All indications to this point suggest otherwise.

The promotion itself was a tremendous success, with Denny’s estimating 2 million customers visited its locations on February 3. Denny’s experienced a spike in web site visits, too, following the Super Bowl commercial. A 23% increase in hits was second only to GoDaddy’s 29% increase. Search engine terms related to Denny’s rose following the commercial airing on the Super Bowl. Also, it is estimated that Denny’s received media exposure of the commercial and promotion valued at $50 million.

Denny’s Super Bowl marketing program was a great success in terms of creating awareness and interest in the brand. The ultimate test of the campaign will play out in the future. Will the investment made on Super Bowl advertising lead to more customers patronizing Denny’s more frequently and spending more money? If those outcomes occur, then we can say with certainty that Denny’s hit a grand slam during Super Bowl XLIII.
Link: Marketing Daily – “Denny’s Free-Breakfast Super Bowl Ad Scores”

Author: Don Roy

Don Roy is a marketing educator, blogger, and author. His thirty-year career began with roles in retail management, B2B sales, and franchise management. For the past 27 years, Don has shared his passion for marketing as a marketing professor. Don's teaching and research interests include brands, sports marketing, and social media marketing. Don has authored over 20 articles in scholarly journals, co-authored two textbooks, and self-published three books on personal branding. Don is an avid hockey fan and enjoys running. He and his wife, Sara, have three sons. View all posts by Don Roy