Katy Perry to Super Bowl fans: Buy my stuff, now
Those of you watching Sunday's half-time show will be able to buy Perry paraphernalia in the moment across social media and connected devices.
Are you ready for some shopping?
That could be the subtext of Katy Perry's half-time show during Sunday's Super Bowl, as she pitches a range of merchandise over social media.
The singer, partnering with Universal Music Group and half-time sponsor Pepsi, will promote and sell Perry-branded items on Twitter, YouTube, Shazam, and Internet-linked devices from Roku, Samsung and LG Electronics, according to a report from Variety.
Twitter users who include @Visa and @Pepsi in their tweets will be able to buy Perry's merchandise by clicking on the social media network's Buy Now function.
Perry fans jonesing for Perry paraphernalia can also buy her whatnots by turning to the singer's Vevo channel on YouTube or using the Shazam smartphone app to track her songs during the live half-time performance. Beyond that, shoppers can press the remotes for their Roku set-top boxes and "certain" Internet-connected TVs from Samsung and LG, according to Variety.
Advertisers and marketers are looking for new and potentially better ways to tap into the Super Bowl's enormous viewership -- the game is expected to be watched by 184 million Americans on Sunday -- while also skirting the huge costs of advertising. Social media campaigns have the potential of generating massive buzz for substantially less money than TV ads costing $4.5 million for 30-second slots. Marketing campaigns that revolve around social media have the added benefit of ramping up viewer engagement with tweets, posts and -- now -- the chance to buy merchandise tied to the game's half-time performance.
Last year, advertisers got six times the social mentions on the day of the game. Facebook reported 50 million people posted about the event on its social network, Twitter reported more than 24.1 million tweets about the game, the ads and the halftime show.
Super Bowl fans also tend watch the game using both their big-screen TVs and their mobile devices. Almost half of smartphone and tablet owners are likely to use apps while they are watching the game. And a third of those will be posting or reading their social media feeds, according to a survey conducted by analytics company Soasta.
Universal Media Group and Pepsi did not immediately respond to an email and phone call sent after business hours asking to confirm the half-time arrangements.