If I were CBS, I would have flipped the game schedules. I believe UNC-Villanova is a much more enticing match-up to lure people in, and then they’re stuck watching UConn bury Michigan State. Maybe I’m wrong. Wouldn’t be the first time…
The schedule is not, however, today’s takeaway marketing nugget. The lesson is in the spirit of the competition itself.
I’m not so naïve to presume that Division I college athletics is not a business on various levels. Advertisers. Sponsors. Boosters. Ratings. NBA Futures on the line for some.
HOWEVER, at the core of the madness is a commitment made in the purest of forms. Most of the kids (for both men’s and women’s tournaments) play to win for the sake of winning. For school pride. For their own pride and legacy. The fans cheer for the very same reason. Like the commercial says – most NCAA student athletes will be going pro in something other than sports.
The genuineness and arguably the “virtuousness” of that sentiment is to me the essence – perhaps the ideal – when it comes to brand loyalty.
Imagine if consumers committed to brands simply for the sake of the brand – for its basic promise and core attributes. Imagine you didn’t have to spend money on CRM.
How can brands commit to a game plan attempting to cultivate and secure brand loyalty from a two-dimensional print advertisement or visual sponsorship? How can brands affect consumers over the cluttered airwaves of radio? How will brands use the power of online ad networks and social media to ensure communities “feel” their pep rally?
I simply don’t see any brand cutting down any nets in the foreseeable future – recession or no recession – without involving experiential X’s and O’s. Brands with no legitimate “foam fingers” or “fight songs” on Facebook, or no cheering section screaming across the airwaves of relevant mobile media platforms will not win the brand loyalty game.
Brands that unite their fans consistently – both in person and online – and that ensure they deliver relevant, personalized and memorable promises and comparable euphorias of victory – will surely position themselves for their own One Shining Moment.
"Throw A Party!" Create and implement experiential marketing solutions (live events and online promotions) that are personal and memorable such that you redirect existing and ongoing consumer traffic, revenues, and loyalties to your business or brand.
