SUPER BOWL ADVERTISERS RUN THE OPTION PLAY -- Traditionally, the Super Bowl game has 61 commercial slots, almost all of which sell out. Though advertisersare still willing to pay the big bucks for these precious 30-second spots--the average cost of a commercial during this year's championship game is $2.2 million--companies areincreasingly looking for additional assurances that their product will get air time in front of consumers, says Temple advertising professor Michael Maynard. First, look for all ofthe name branding in the stadium. "Advertisers negotiated a deal that, with the 30-second commercial, they also get to have their logo placed somewhere in the stadium--on thefield, in the stands, or perhaps even on the electronic TV board or jumbotron." And this year in particular, Maynard says, viewers won't be able to escape the product pushesbecause the ads are now becoming part of the game. "Look for little animated critters, trucks, players, or whatnot racing across your screen while the game is being broadcast.This very effectively integrates the commercial message with the show. And unlike the 30-second spot, it is not a separate viewing experience," explains Maynard. "You cannothelp but see it. This is an evolving trend--a way to circumvent the remote, TiVo, and an increasingly advertising-averse public."For more Super Bowl experts discussing everything from football food to female fans to the psychology behind jumping on a winning team's bandwagon, go to the NMR web site at http://www.temple.edu/news_media/nmr523.html.
PAYING MORE TO FILL 'ER UP? DON'T BLAME SADDAM -- Cold weather has increased consumption of heating oil and the Venezuelan political problems have cutsupply, leading to low inventories and higher gas prices, says Frederic H. Murphy of Temple's Fox School of Business and Management. "Currently, oil markets are beingdriven by events, not market fundamentals," says Murphy, an expert in the energy industry. "The OPEC announcement of increased production should stabilize the market andeventually bring prices down." However, he warns, if war starts and terrorists blow up a tanker in the Persian Gulf, prices will skyrocket, probably leading to a double-diprecession in the United States. Murphy says almost all increases in the price of crude oil have been associated with declines in the dollar. "The dollar has declined over the pastyear and, given the balance of payments problems in the U.S., the dollar will likely continue to fall over the next several years. This means the very low oil prices of the 1990s areunlikely to reappear and the price of crude oil will stabilize at levels above historical averages," he says. "If Americans had not moved up to larger, faster vehicles, given theimprovements in engine efficiency, they would not be paying any more at the pump now than they did 20 years ago. I have no sympathy for SUV drivers."
FROM ECONOMIC STANDPOINT, BIRDS ARE FLYING HIGH -- The Philadelphia Eagles have made the plays on the field to help them advance through the NFLplayoffs. And from a business perspective, they're also flying high--and could beyond this year, says Temple sports economist Michael Leeds. The Eagles' judicious managementof the money under their salary cap, combined with their ability to sign some important role players, means that the team could also be successful beyond this season, says Leeds."The team's fiscal discipline will be more important for the future. Any team can build a good team for a year or two. It is difficult to have a dominant team for an extendedperiod. And this is what seems to be ahead for the Eagles. They have a nucleus locked in at salaries that are, by NFL standards, pretty reasonable. They're less likely to see anexodus of key players, such as what happened in Baltimore last year and Jacksonville the year before that." The extra cap money allowed the Eagles to sign players such as LevonKirkland, Antonio Freeman and Dorsey Levens, who are no longer huge-money players, but play important roles on the squad, notes Leeds. "I think the main benefit of the extracap money will be felt in the future," he says. "It will enable them to keep the team together longer than would otherwise be the case."
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