You probably don’t have three million dollars to spend on a TV spot at the Super Bowl, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn from the commercials anyway.  This year’s Super Bowl commercial hits and misses provide some valuable insights for small businesses attempting to connect with consumers. Here are a few of the commercials and the marketing lessons learned. What did you think?

Volkswagen Commercial: The Force: Marketing lesson: Inject personality into your promotions. When you’re promoting your products and services, it’s important to strike a chord with consumers.  How does what you do relate to them?  Marketing 101.

 Chrysler Eminem Superbowl Ad: Marketing lesson: Appeal to emotions.  This lesson is similar to the lesson learned in the Volkswagen commercial but operates on a larger scale.  This commercial relates to people, not in a slice-of-life vignette, but rather in a snapshot of Detroit, a city whose troubles serve as a microcosm for the economic hardships all Americans have dealt with in the last few years.

 Groupon-Tibet: Marketing lesson: Don’t be so clever.  In trying to put together a sharp, snappy commercial, Groupon successfully came across as callous and smug.  It’s never a good idea to condescend to your audience.

Godaddy-The Contract: Marketing lesson: A gimmick can only take you so far.  This racy material is part and parcel of Godaddy marketing.  What used to seem cutting edge if not bold now just seems tired and hackneyed.  Sure, sex sells, but the promise of more skin if you log onto Godaddy.com just doesn’t have the same appeal anymore.  At least give them credit for making fun of the gimmick in the commercial.