Verizon’s Fortnite Virtual Stadium.
Verizon
It’s not a Super Bowl planned by anyone. But Verizon marketing director Diego Scotti said the company approached the game this year with the idea that it would be “the best Super Bowl of the brand ever,” as it tries to reach consumers in new ways this year.
The company will appear around the biggest marketing day of the year in a variety of ways, building on its Super Bowl commercial, with elements such as a Verizon stadium in Fortnite and a Super Bowl night concert to support small businesses. with artists such as Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys. Verizon will also have a large presence with its 5G service at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, where the game will take place on Sunday, with features that it hopes will help manage safety and congestion (despite limited attendance this year). ).
“I personally think the Super Bowl is an excellent platform, no matter the circumstances,” Scotti said. “Because it obviously brings people together, as there can be very few events in the year… creates a platform for great news and engagement”
Some other companies are opting to reduce the efforts of this Super Bowl after an extraordinarily difficult year.
“I kind of approached the opposite,” he said. “It started with a time for us, when two things happen: one is the evolution of our 5G technology, and the second is the work that is so necessary right now to help society move forward.”
Scotti added that many consumers are looking for a little distraction.
“I think one important thing to remember is that even in moments like this, we have to really believe that everyone also wants a little bit of fun, a little bit of entertainment, a little bit of escapism,” he said. he. Let’s not forget all the hard things that happen, [but to have] a sense of hope, too, that we will go through this. And these are ways to come together. “
Verizon says it has spent more than $ 80 million improving the network to support the Super Bowl at Raymond James Stadium and surrounding areas. But whether fans participate in the game or not, the company has also built a “5G SuperStadium” in the NFL mobile app, for certain iPhone users to watch the game from different angles. The company also has a free “Follow Together” app in the Yahoo Sports app so people can watch and chat with friends and family.
Fortnite’s Creative Mode “Verizon 5G Stadium” is another piece of the plan that will allow people to compete for prizes and interact with NFL players and professional football-inspired players.
The company is also starting an effort to help small businesses with the “Big Concert for Small Businesses”. The show begins after the Super Bowl at 23:00 ET and will be hosted by Tiffany Haddish with performances by Alicia Keys, Miley Cyrus, Christina Aguilera, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Jazmine Sullivan, HER and Brittany Howard. The concert will be broadcast online in many places, including YouTube, Twitter and TikTok, and will be broadcast on BET, CBS Sports Network and other channels. The event will lead people to send text messages to donate to a non-profit organization that supports small businesses.
In addition, Verizon will donate $ 10 million to the nonprofit Local Initiatives Support Corporation, which will help provide financial support for companies. It is also committed to helping one million companies by 2030 with digital tools and support.
“We also had to use the Super Bowl as a platform to have a greater impact on the community and society,” Scotti said. “Certainly one of the areas that has been most affected by what is happening is small businesses.”
And then the company will have its place in the game, which my mother still keeps. Scotti would just say “it will be amazing.”
Nominations are open for 2021 CNBC Disruptor 50, a list of private start-ups that use cutting-edge technology to become the next generation of large public companies. send until Friday, February 12, at 15.00 EST.