A growing number of marketers are piggybacking on another brand?s advertisements during live events, a strategy that can link brands together in consumers? minds and potentially drive awareness, although not all such tie-ups are created equal.

During Sunday?s game, several top brands remained active on Twitter on Facebook, calling out their favorite television spots by tagging the other brand in a Tweet or post, or attempting to prompt celebrities to join the social media conversation. Experts believe that piggybacking on advertisements during live events is a clever way of linking brands together in consumers? minds and potentially gaining more attention, although the context and sectors of the marketers must be taken into consideration.

?Formal or informal cross-marketing via social media can work if the brands are complementary,? said Neil Mawston, executive director of global wireless practice at Strategy Analytics, Milton Keynes, Britain.

?For example, a burger restaurant can tweet about a credit card company, but it would look odd tweeting about an industrial chemicals manufacturer.?

Leveraging live events
Live events with millions of spectators, such as the Super Bowl, also come with digital spills into social media and mobile that have massive potential for brands ? if used optimally.

The Super Bowl?s famous television spots provided a great opportunity for marketers to call out their favorites and therefore draw attention to their own brands. After Discover?s ad aired during the game, McDonald?s Tweeted out a message praising the spot and asking users to Retweet for the chance to win a $1,500 Discover gift card.

?This was an extremely successful for McDonald's, but the Super Bowl is such an unique event,? said  Declan Carney, chairman of BlueLink Marketing, New York. ?At the Super Bowl, the TV ads themselves have become part of the show.?

McDonald?s also offered followers the opportunity to win a 2015 Toyota Camry after the car manufacturer?s heartwarming ad aired.

?Brands borrow positive equity by positioning themselves alongside other brands,? said Chris Mellow, director of digital and engagement at Grupo Gallegos, Huntington Beach, CA. ?For this reason, in the online space, social media managers are very fond of creating conversations with other brands.

?When it aligns with a campaign idea such as McDonald?s ?Give Lovin?, Get Lovin,? it can work well. In other cases, it can end up looking like two brands having a conversation that nobody cares about.?

Other examples include software brand Lenovo calling out Budweiser?s advertisement featuring its well-known puppy, and saying the puppy in Lenovo?s ad would like to befriend Budweiser?s furry friend. Examples such as this tend to come across well to users, because of the relevant content and clever way of linking a software brand to beverage brand without making it seem far-fetched.

Doritos also engaged in heavy piggybacking during the game, with Tweets and videos posted referring to ads from Victoria?s Secret and Budweiser.

?Cross-marketing or co-Tweeting during popular live events is a useful way to increase brand awareness among new audiences,? Mr. Mawston said.

?Cross-marketing should usually be done in moderation, because it may cause brand confusion or brand dilution in the long-term.?

Maintaining trending topics
If marketers are not comfortable drawing attention to themselves thanks to other brands? advertisements or social media posts, they should still take advantage of conversation surrounding live events and find relevant ways of inserting themselves into the buzz.

?Advertising light-hearted ?predictions? of upcoming sporting events is another way to engage or interact with customers,? Mr. Mawston said. ?For example, using a scientific formula to predict the total number of touchdowns at the next Super Bowl.?

However, marketers must ensure not to overdo it, and keep the message light and fun.

 ?We have seen examples during the Oscars, the Olympics, and Super Bowl, where brands are just trying to jump on another brand?s momentum and get a little too cute,? Mr. Mellow said. ?They forget that consumers don?t care about what they have to say unless you give them a reason to care.

?Provide value, share interesting content, make our day a little brighter and we?ll appreciate the effort.?

If a brand?s Tweet, post or television ad has opened a prime opportunity for marketers to respond and begin a conversation, or relate the product or service to their own, piggybacking may be a viable option. It also increases the post?s chances of going viral and becoming even more talked about by consumers.

?Make sure that you?ve figured out your brand?s purpose in the conversation,? Mr. Mellow said. ?During live sporting events, it probably doesn?t make a lot of sense for a fashion retailer to Tweet out the score.

?The magic happens when your brand, your campaign, and something significant is happening in a live event all align. Don?t try to force those moments. Just be ready to pounce when they happen,? he said.

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York