The publication asked some companies to provide their Return on Investment (ROI) for 2008 Super Bowl ads. Remember… these ads cost around $3 million for a 30 second spot. Here are some examples of their results.

• Audi realized a 200% increase in web traffic in the month after the game;
• E-Trade increased by 12%– in one week– its number of new funded accounts;
• CareerBuilder had a 60% increase in job applications;
• Hyundai drew 300,000 Web site visitors who stayed an average of 5.5 minutes and resulted in 25,000 new leads;
• Cars.com had a 12% increase in brand awareness;
• Anheuser Busch had 21 million online ad views in the week after the game;

We’re not suggesting you should spend $3 million on a Super Bowl ad. However, we are saying you can find ways to quantify the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. This also is a reminder that you should think twice before making your marketing budget your first “cut.” The results could be devastating for your company.