Each Monday, we will share some great activation practices throughout the sports and entertainment landscape. This blog will serve as a space to highlight innovative ideas and campaigns. Want to have your idea or campaign featured? Send us a note on Twitter at @Navigate_Res. 

This year’s NCAA sponsors and advertisers have experienced major increases across several metrics including social media traffic and brand awareness. Some brands have also received advertising benefits without directly sponsoring the NCAA, including Nike, Samsung, and Gatorade. Brands with strong sponsorship activations revolving around the final tournament have proven to be extremely successful in reaching numerous consumers. 

Seventeen total NCAA corporate sponsors paid CBS and Turner Broadcasting anywhere from $10-$35 million to sponsor the NCAA. Of all sponsors, Buffalo Wild Wings has received the largest growth in awareness with their ambiguous, yet quite effective commercials. While many avid sports fans, particularly men’s college basketball fans, may be familiar with their neighborhood Buffalo Wild Wings, the brand has broadened their awareness to reach fans that may only partake in watching the March Madness tournament versus all regular season games. 

While Buffalo Wild Wings saw increases in exposure, brands, including, Allstate and Nabisco saw large increases in social media traffic. With mobile device activity being higher than ever, brands that actively participate in social media campaigns are receiving large increases in brand awareness and preference. 

With the NCAA March Madness Tournament being one of the most watched televised programs, brands have proven to greatly benefit through a variety of advertising campaigns and sponsorship activations revolving around the multiple week finale of the NCCA Division I Men’s Basketball season.