Say that Valparaiso upsets Michigan State or Harvard takes out heavily-favored New Mexico in today's first round of the NCAA Tournament. There's almost no question that #Valparaiso and #Harvard would trend nationwide on Twitter—and possibly for hours. And there's little doubt that brands would jump on the hashtags with Promoted Tweet ad buys, as the digital community continues to test whether real-time-based/news-events-driven Twitter marketing is a slam dunk or more akin to a full-court shot in hell.
Since CBS televised its NCAA tourney selection show on Sunday evening, brands have been trying to piggy-back onto March Madness. Here are some of the best examples of Promoted Tweets so far, as American sports fans start this three-week odyssey of wall-to-wall basketball.
Included below is one not-so-great play by Walmart around the #NCAA hashtag this morning. Maybe someone needs to wake up the crew out at Walmart Labs.
Capitol One—typically a big TV advertiser for March Madness—was all over the CBS' Selection Sunday show, particularly displaying some savvy by purchasing Promoted Tweet for #Gonzaga. The financial brand's "Cinderella story" copy fits well with the small school's quest to become the first mid-major National Champion in the modern era.
Tweet your favorite #MarchMadness Cinderella story & add #RallyCry to place your bets on who’ll be the biggest bracket-buster in ’13!
— Capital One (@CapitalOne) March 17, 2013
Tweet #RallyCry if you’re amped to see your school’s #SelectionSunday seed!
— Capital One (@CapitalOne) March 17, 2013
Nike also showed well on Sunday evening, using image-enhanced Promoted Tweets around the dozens of tourney-bound teams that it sponsors with sneakers and gear, including Gonzaga, Duke and Georgetown. In terms of the latter, the brand's copywriters took a newsy-yet-lighthearted jab at the team's inside-the-Beltway home.
Even the sequester can't slow down @georgetownhoops. twitter.com/nikebasketball…
— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) March 17, 2013
After reaching the top of the polls, the @gonzagabulldogs are looking to reach the top of the ladder. twitter.com/nikebasketball…
— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) March 17, 2013
You know it's March when you see Blue. @duke_mbb is ready. twitter.com/nikebasketball…
— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) March 17, 2013
College Humor is on the NCAA basketball bandwagon. And why not poke some fun at the entertaining-but-frustrating annual ritual of watching one's brackets get blown to bits?
8 Completely Infallible Tips To Filling Out Your March Madness Bracket ow.ly/iVXh4
— CollegeHumor (@CollegeHumor) March 17, 2013
Bing gets searchy with a fun factoid about the Big Dance.
No #MarchMadness seed lower than an 8 has ever won the NCAA tournament. #BelieveIt binged.it/16EFJDt
— Bing (@bing) March 20, 2013
Walmart's effort for #NCAA leaves something to be desired. Even if the retailer thinks the target demo is perfect for the Axe product, it still bought a social ad but failed to write copy with relevant context.
Need a better shave? Get the newest shave tools from Axe, only at Walmart.
— Walmart (@Walmart) March 6, 2013
Email
Print
