ACC, Big East hype tournaments

Two of the most revered conference basketball tournaments have beefed up their marketing plans to give their events a little more pop this week in major markets.

The ACC and Big East historically have produced venerable, tradition-rich tournaments that whetted the appetite for March Madness. The only question fans had was how to get the difficult-to-obtain tickets. But massive realignment and the changing landscape in college basketball have made the conference tournament a tougher sell, even for the ACC and Big East, the leaders in the space.

The Big East Conference is highlighting its long-standing relationship with Madison Square Garden. Photo by: GETTY IMAGES

But the conference has remained steadfast that Washington will be a viable site for this season’s tournament, even without the Terrapins.

“We haven’t been to D.C. since 2005, so we wanted to make sure we did some special things around the tournament and had a strong presence in the market,” said Tim Lynde, who is in his third year as the ACC’s senior associate commissioner for brand marketing. “We’ve put a lot of thought into how we stand out as a league and make the most of being there this year, especially since we’re in a market that’s a big recruiting area for many of our schools.”

The ACC’s marketing plan, created in concert with Wasserman, rolled out in two phases.

The opening phase in January and February was mostly social-media driven. Close to 1,000 fans submitted selfies with #BringYourAGame and #Contest to win a trip for four to the tournament. It was the ACC’s first promotion of its kind. “Bring Your A Game” is a slogan the ACC has used on its creative for the past two seasons.

Videos highlighting each school’s mascot also appeared on school and conference social media channels, in-arena video boards and on the ACC Network broadcasts by Raycom Sports.

The second phase shifts the focus to Washington, where the ACC will hit the ground this week with a branded double-decker bus that will carry mascots, cheerleaders and brand ambassadors hired by Wasserman to make appearances around the city.

Again, this type of on-the-ground activation in the tournament market is a first for the ACC. Lynde said he envisions the marketing campaign in Washington as something of a trial for the next two years, when the tournament moves to Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the first time.

“This gives us something to try in a major market so we can see what might work in Brooklyn and maybe be even bigger,” Lynde said. “D.C. is a great testing ground.”

Some bus stops, such as elementary schools and charities, will be scripted, while other stops in high-traffic areas will be more spontaneous.

The activation plan for Washington was created by Wasserman’s New York office in response to the ACC’s request for proposal last year. Dan Rogers, director of client services and creative, has run point for Wasserman on the ACC activation.

Separately, the ACC also works with Wasserman’s Dean Jordan on media and the conference’s planning for a new ACC Network.

The Big East, meanwhile, is trying to make the most of its long-standing relationship with Madison Square Garden, even though the composition of the conference’s membership has shifted dramatically in recent years.

The conference launched “Made At MSG” recently with a series of 30-second spots on its TV partner, Fox Sports, with a focus on the New York, Philadelphia, Providence, Washington and Milwaukee markets.

The Big East also created videos for its You Tube channel and other social media channels that feature vintage highlights with the hashtag #MadeAtMSG.

During tournament week in New York, the Big East will run ads on subways, commuter rail and taxi cabs in New York and Philadelphia.

Each piece of creative finishes by flashing information for how to buy tickets to the tournament.

Big East chief marketer Ann Wells Crandall oversaw the campaign.