2008 Tampa Bracketology

Webinar Overview
• Welcome:
– If you’re having trouble logging on, please call 317/410-6751.
– The Webinar is being recorded, so the link to the archive and the
power point slide will be sent out via email; it can also be found on
at WBBMarketing.wordpress.com.
– You can ask questions using the chat feature; we will answer as
many as we can at the end.
– You can also tweet questions to @TracieHitz or using #AskAnucha.
– Our contact information is on the last slide, so please feel free to
reach out anytime.
• Agenda:
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State of the Game
Selections
Marketing
Public Relations
Social Media
In-Venue Presentation
Questions
State of the Game
Anucha Browne
Vice President
NCAA
State of the Game
•
Changes.
• What’s new and different.
• Impact of the changes.
• How the changes will affect the Championship.
State of the Game
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Observations from the Road.
• Officiating.
• Coaches.
• Student-Athletes.
• What the fans are saying.
• Game atmosphere.
State of the Game
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The Top 20 Announcement.
• Why we announced the Top 20.
• Inside the meeting room.
• Lots of basketball to be played.
State of the Game
•
#AskAnucha.
• Your questions answered.
• Tweet during the webinar.
• Ask anything; answers tweeted Thursday at 11 am EST and
every other Thursday after that.
Selections
Meredith Cleaver
Associate Director
NCAA
Selections
Team
Selections
Selections
Selection Weekend
Selections
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Selection Monday.
• Selection Show Live on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET.
• NCAA.com.
• Bracket, sites, game times, game order, TV station.
Marketing
Tracie Hitz
Director
NCAA
Marketing – Best Practices & Action Planning
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Research.
• Educate: Fans need a clear understanding of the selection process.
• Communication Methods: Email, TV and newspaper.
• Message: That the games are social and the competition is intense.
• Ideas: Presale priority seating, senior citizen discount, ticket
package including food voucher.
• Deciding Factors: The teams competing, having a friend/family
member who can attend, distance from their home (max distance is
129 miles) and ticket price.
Marketing – Best Practices & Action Planning
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Pricing Strategy.
• Regular Season: Iowa $12 (adult) and $8 (youth 6 -18).
• Big Ten Conference Tournament: $15 per session (7 sessions
over 4 days).
• First and Second Rounds at Iowa: $18 per session (adult), $13
per session (child) and $10 for groups.
• Regionals at OKC: $30 per session (adult) and $19 per session
(child).
• Women’s Final Four: $112.50 per session (any age) 100-level,
$87.50 per session (any age) 200-level, $62.50 per session (any
age) 300-level.
Marketing – Best Practices & Action Planning
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Top 16 Marketing Plan.
• Believe and value the product.
• Build regular season attendance.
• Educate and prepare fans in advance.
• Lock in season ticket holders.
• Phone calls to groups and top prospects.
• Pitch stories to local media and ESPN.
• Coaches challenge.
• Designer onsite during Selection Weekend to cater graphics to each
school with a targeted ticket message.
• Graphics package includes email, digital, social and flyers.
• Ticket incentives to add value.
Marketing – Best Practices & Action Planning
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Top 16 Marketing Plan.
• Involve the schools coming to play on your campus.
• Community initiatives.
• Voicemail service.
• Guerilla marketing.
• Engage top influencers in the community and online.
• Develop tactics catered to each school.
• Create a fun gameday atmosphere.
• Make it social; make it possible to attend by yourself.
• Email thitz@ncaa.org or tweet me @TracieHitz with your ideas that
work.
Marketing – Best Practices & Action Planning
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Share.
• October: Marquette (best poster); Cal (wildcard – team website).
• November: Baylor (best video); Oklahoma (wildcard – 400 wins).
• December: Drake (best holiday promotion); Mississippi State
(wildcard – grassroots marketing).
• January: Iowa State (best community initiative); Miami (wildcard –
free hugs).
• February: Best Pink Game entries due February, 27th to
evarley@ncaa.org.
• March: Increased Attendance entries due by March 31st to
evarley@ncaa.org.
Marketing – Best Practices & Action Planning
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Share.
• Action: Join the private WBB Marketing Facebook group.
• Action: Comment on the WBBmarketing.wordpress.com blog.
• Action: Enter of vote on “It’s The Creative Challenge” ideas.
• Action: Attend or watch WFF Summit on Monday, April 6 at 2 p.m.
• Action: Spread the message even if you’re not in the Championship.
Public Relations
Rick Nixon
Associate Director
NCAA
Public Relations – Best Practices & Action Planning
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Continue Grass Roots Public Relations Efforts.
• Capitalize on time of season.
basketball season!
Football has ended, this is
• Identify those stories on your team that illustrate “March
Madness.”
• Highlight past teams, student-athletes and coaches and their
championship experiences.
• Identify what sets your program apart and make story pitches to
your market.
Public Relations – Best Practices & Action Planning
• Get Creative. Don’t limit yourself or your program.
• Action: Get creative and think outside the box. Include video
highlights/interviews whenever possible through your conference
championship.
• Individualize your story. If your team is in the mix for a top-16
seed hosting opportunity, make sure to sell this possibility to your
audience.
• http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-women/article/2015-0211/committee-reveals-top-20-seeds
Public Relations – Best Practices & Action Planning
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Think Big Picture.
• Action: As stories are developed in your local market, continue to
pass along those stories to us here at the national office so that
we can pass along to our national media platforms for possible
further development. This includes our social media platforms,
ESPN, NCAA Champion Magazine, NCAA Championship Game
Programs and other national outlets. While we can’t guarantee
that all stories will be used or receive ESPN mention, we are here
to help those stories worthy of additional traction, gain it. Include
us.
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Don’t Fly Solo.
• Action: Continue to involve your coaches and student-athletes in
selling your program. What is good for your program’s brand is
good for all in the program.
Social Media
Jared Thompson
Assistant Director
NCAA
Social Media
• Elevate to national audience
– Share using hashtags #ncaaW or #WhatItsAllFour
– Tag @NCAAWomensBKB on Twitter
• Share the journey
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Selection Monday
Departure & Arrival
Practice Days
In the Community
• Capture the emotion
– Celebrate with joy
– Humanize with pain
Social Media
In-Venue Presentation
Amanda Benzine
Coordinator
NCAA
In-Venue Presentation – Best Practices & Action Planning
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First and Second Round In-Venue Presentation.
• Non-predetermined sites.
• Potential hosts plan ahead.
• Combination of video board
and on-court activations.
• Continue to provide a fun
atmosphere.
In-Venue Presentation – Best Practices & Action Planning
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Recognize Community Members.
• Fans enjoy feel-good stories.
• Potential sponsorship activation opportunities.
• Examples: military, community heroes, non-profit organizations.
In-Venue Presentation – Best Practices & Action Planning
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Involve Well-Known Alumni or Famous Residents.
• Potential ticket sales opportunity.
• Strengthen on-campus relationships.
• Incorporate into gameday presentation.
In-Venue Presentation – Best Practices & Action Planning
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Highlight Student Performance Groups.
• Undiscovered talent on campus.
• Great way to increase student support.
In-Venue Presentation – Best Practices & Action Planning
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Include Student-Athletes.
• Provides exposure for other sports.
• Fans enjoy seeing student-athletes outside of competition.
• Incorporate into gameday activities.
Questions?
Contact Us
Anucha Browne (State of the Game): abrowne@ncaa.org
Meredith Cleaver (Site Selection): mcleaver@ncaa.org
Tracie Hitz (Marketing): thitz@ncaa.org
Rick Nixon (Public Relations): rnixon@ncaa.org
Jared Thompson (Social Media): jlthompson@ncaa.org
Amanda Benzine (In Venue): abenzine@ncaa.org