Sponsored Post: March Madness On A Budget
Posted by meredith on 02-12-2009
Today we have a sponsored post from Jason Bakker (featured in the photo below). Jason is the Director of Marketing at Campus Media Group, the exclusive sponsor of the Ypulse Campus Channel. This is the second in a monthly series of posts that’s part of Campus Media Group’s site sponsorship. If your company is interested in becoming a Ypulse sponsor, please contact Anne Weiskopf.
March Madness On A Budget
Next month sports fans’ attention turns to the 65 college basketball teams vying for a national title in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. National brands dominate sponsorship in the hope that the tournament’s glow will rub off on their brands. The hope: that the tens of millions of fans will also notice your brand! Indeed, marketing your brand during the tournament means you’re part of something historic — magical– like when a guy named Michael Jordan hit a 17- foot jumper to beat Georgetown in 1982, or when Dwayne Wade’s hit a triple double against Kentucky in 2003.
But sponsoring March Madness, often means dropping a boatload of cash, and that’s where most brands give up. They decide not to play. Here’s the truth: You don’t have to spend millions to be a part of the action. By cherry-picking the right schools and putting your dollars directly into the campus community, your brand can share in the excitement of March Madness and win some fans – while not breaking the bank.
If I’m a decision-maker working for a brand on a tight budget looking to take March Madness marketing goals to campus, here are the schools I would look at first. These schools’ combined enrollments are more than 250,000. They play good hoops, have enthusiastic fans, and boast interesting centers of activity that allow you to reach students in a new way.
1. University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) – A genuine college town known both for its athletics and strong academics. Plus, the campus is surrounded by other well-known universities (Duke is right down the road).
2. Duke – Prestigious and synonymous with college hoops. Look to executive campaigns in the three on-campus coffee houses: Trinity Café, The Perk and Blue Devil Beanery.
3. University of Louisville – While this university has three campuses, it’s the Belknap campus that you want to focus on. That’s the main one. Look for the clock tower, and you’ve found the student activities center.
4. Wake Forest – An athletic victory here means covering the campus with toilet paper. They call it “Rolling the Quad.” How could your brand participate (tastefully)?
5. Purdue – This campus is loaded with centers of activity. Check out Mad Mushroom Pizza, Memorial Mall and students sledding down Slater Hill on lunch trays.
6. University of Connecticut – Frats and sororities abound! Strong Greek system partnerships can provide the connections you’ve always wanted.
7. Michigan State – Look into East Lansing nightlife and great student media coverage of sports. Key spots include Harpers, The Landshark, Rick’s American Café and Buffalo Wild Wings across Grand River Ave.
8. UT Austin – If your brand fits with college nightlife and parties, look no further than 6th St. The bars along this stretch and others nearby are sure to be packed – and conducive to some weekend promotions.
9. University of Kansas – This is a campus that is simply nutty for its basketball team. Students camp out for tickets. They are equally jazzed about student groups; there are more than 400 clubs and organizations.
10. University of Kentucky – A top-notch student newspaper, radio station, student workout facilities and intramural sports circuit provide tons of ways to get the word out.
March Madness opportunities? Stay focused – and targeted!
For more campus coverage, visit the Ypulse Campus Channel.
Categorized under: Collegians