Fill out your bracket, set your phone to “do not disturb,” and settle in on the couch with some good snacks! It’s time for March Madness, and a quick conversation about how success in marketing mirrors success in the tournament.
But first, let’s jump in for some fun facts about March Madness. Did you know…
- The term March Madness didn’t start with college hoops; it was first used by Henry V. Porter, a high school official in Illinois, in 1939. Broadcaster Brent Musberger later used it to describe the NCAA tournament in 1982, and it’s been associated with college basketball ever since.
- The first NCAA tournament goes all the way back to 1939, but it started with only eight teams. In 1951, it grew to 16 teams, and then expanded again in 1975 and 1985.
- The first tournament title went to the Oregon Ducks, who won 46-33 over Ohio State.
Now that you know a few things to impress your friends during commercial breaks, take some time to see how March Madness and your marketing strategy have some of the same pitfalls and techniques.
“It’s a Sure Thing.”
When someone tells you that a team is the #1 seed, you know this may not have a whole lot to do with their tournament success. Nothing is a sure thing in March Madness and the same is true in marketing.
If you hear someone on your team say that a campaign can’t miss or that the sales are about to increase, be suspicious. Your marketing strategy may be about to experience a humiliating blowout.
Confidence? Great. Overconfidence? That’s the team that’s going home.
Cinderella Should Scare You
Cinderella stories happen in March Madness. The little school with an athletics budget so small that it rattles may topple a huge contender in the tournament. That’s what makes it impossible to stop watching.
Cinderella stories happen in marketing all the time. Some small, scrappy brand with a great vision and message starts gobbling up market share as the big dogs watch helplessly (or sometimes don’t watch at all until it’s too late).
Your marketing strategy needs to prioritize creativity and agility. When you get a big idea, take the shot. Otherwise, someone with a lot of creativity and speed will beat you there.
Discipline Pays Off
The success of any basketball team competing in March Madness doesn’t just come down to their performance on game day. It’s the days, weeks and months leading up to the game that prepare them for success. It’s the shooting drills, weight room hours and carefully planned nutrition that get them to the tournament.
Don’t attempt to execute your marketing techniques without the appropriate planning. Developing your marketing strategy requires you to think through your company’s values and message and discuss what differentiates you from other brands.
Sure, you could just hop on social media and see what happens. But it’s much more effective when you prepare well for your campaign.
Don’t Squander Momentum
When a player gets hot, everyone on the team knows to keep feeding him the ball. Sometimes, it’s not clear in the moment what’s causing a guard to get on a hot streak, but this is not the time to question it.
If you hit a streak on a particular channel, make the most of it. Maybe you tried geofencing and it worked incredibly well. Or, you may have decided to try some short-form video and found that your humor connects well with your audience. Great! Keep it going.
Stats are Helpful, but They Aren’t Everything
Knowing what a team can do and what they will do are completely different. Your strategy of watching footage and knowing a team’s tendencies is reliable, but only to a point.
Marketing is the same way. You can have a deep understanding of your target audience, know every pain point they experience and be able to detail the buying cycle, but every now and then, those pieces of data will need to defer to your gut.
Stats are incredibly helpful, but your instincts and experience are valuable, too.
And Maybe Stop Humming “One Shining Moment”
Every basketball player knows the song, and they may even dream of the clip they’ll watch over and over again after the big win. But they still have a better chance of hearing it playing for them if they get out there and do the work.
The equivalent in marketing might be the viral social post. Every now and then, you hear that some crazy video went viral and now the company’s sales numbers are skyrocketing. Okay, it could happen. It very likely won’t.
You’re much better off pursuing a solid marketing strategy than pinning all your hopes on one particular technique.
Invest in the Right Coach
The coach matters, and when it comes to your marketing strategy, having an experienced, knowledgeable specialist guiding you can make a big difference in your success and growth. Contact SJC Marketing, where we offer companies like yours a strategic approach that leads to results.