Super Bowl XLVI has come and gone. It featured a close game and a halftime show that may draw an FCC fine. What it didn't have were many ads from tech firms, a staple of the game in recent years. What happened?

One possibility is that more companies are actually consulting their business analytics (BI) solutions--and paying attention to the output. They perhaps compared the huge expense of advertising in the Big Game to the likely ROI--and decided to punt.

Hulu and TiVo Provide Some Numbers

As reported by Rip Empson at TechCrunch, this year's game was not entirely without tech-related activity. Legal streaming video of the game was provided online for the first time. Social networks kicked up a storm; Twitter peaked at more than 10,000 Tweets per second.

While some tech innovators' faces turned up in Best Buy ads, TechCrunch's Empson noted his disappointment at the paucity of tech-industry ads during the game.

We do not know the detailed analytics that firms may have worked out in making the decision whether or not to advertise at the Super Bowl. Companies that generate such models don't make their models, comparisons, predictions, and comparisons public.

But Hulu made some data available that at least provides an interesting glimpse into this year's Super Bowl advertising landscape. Of the 10 most popular ads, no fewer than 6 were from automotive manufacturers. Only one, from E*TRADE, might be characterized as from the tech sector.

TiVo also released a list of most popular ads that was substantially different. More snack foods made the list, and different car ads, but again only E*TRADE turned up from the tech community.

Broadcasting Versus Narrowcasting

Super Bowl ads have become so noteworthy--and expensive--because the game is practically the last remaining TV show that reaches a really large audience. And these ads are not only seen, they are talked about. In recent years this may be what attracted tech firms, looking not so much for direct sales as for buzz.

But both advertising and the tech industry are rapidly evolving. Throwing ads out at everyone is giving way to targeted advertising. This is due in no small part to BI's power to capture and analyze the data that permits precise targeting.

And tech industry firms, especially small and midsize firms (SMBs) may also be evolving. In particular, the business-to-business (B2B) space is growing. Again, BI is playing a large role, allowing SMBs to identify business customers. The BI vendor industry is itself growing rapidly.

Expect the worlds of advertising and marketing to change even more as the power of BI takes hold.

This post was written as part of the IBM for Midsize Business program, which provides midsize businesses with the tools, expertise and solutions they need to become engines of a smarter planet.