With March Madness already kicking into high gear, Infiniti is expecting to see a boost in business thanks to its role as a major sponsor this year. Brands like Infiniti and Buick have placed major bets on the tournament, using the publicity to showcase the latest models.
What is March Madness?
March Madness is a springtime phenomenon that grips every sports fan’s attention from the second week of March through the early days of April. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is the highlight of all that fervor, but the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament is also included. It is during these tournaments that the national college basketball championships are crowned.
Abuout the NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a nonprofit association that regulates college athletes and organizes athletic programs. Most of the NCAA’s revenue comes from the Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament. The NCAA, in turn, distributes that revenue back into various institutions and organizations throughout the country to support current and future athletes. Included in the NCAA are more than 1,100 colleges and universities that put academics first. NCAA athletes can pursue higher academic goals and carve out new opportunities by competing in NCAA championships. Some of them even go on to play professionally.
March Madness Sponsors
Sponsoring March Madness is a highly coveted position among sportswear and automotive companies, and Infiniti has managed to sponsor the event for several years now. Being a sponsor ensures prominent product placement, so there are billions of dollars at stake. For 2016, Infiniti is sponsoring the NCAA March Madness Android app, which allows you to watch every game line and choose your top picks for the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. This app even lets you experience March Madness with your friends, making it one of the most popular app downloads dedicated to this event.
In addition to sponsoring the Android app, Infiniti (along with Buick) is an NCAA Corporate Partner. Being a Corporate Partner means being dedicated to promotional activities and marketing surrounding the NCAA championships. By being a Corporate Partner, Infiniti has been able to make a direct, positive impact on developmental and academic opportunities offered to NCAA student athletes. More than merely promoting a brand, it’s about giving back and supporting these talented athletes.
The 2016 Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge
One notable way Infiniti is helping give back during March Madness is through the Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge. Fans vote on their favorite coach remaining in the competition — at the time of this writing, those coaches are Matt Painter of Purdue University, John Beilein of the University of Michigan, Brad Underwood of Stephen F. Austin State University, and Thad Matta of Ohio State University — and the winning coach will receive $100,000 to put toward his chosen charity.
Each of the non-winning finalists will receive $15,000 to donate to the cause of their choice. What’s more, each coach will get at least $1,000 to put toward his favorite cause. In total, Infiniti is giving away more than $345,000 for charity. Without having the prestige of being one of March Madness’s Corporate Partners, not to mention the fervent fans voting in the competition, this type of charity work wouldn’t be possible.
A Rising Viewership Thanks to Mobile Apps
Since Infiniti first became the official sponsor of the March Madness Live Android app in 2012, there has been a significant rise in March Madness viewership. In 2015, the app had a record-breaking 80.7 million streams, which could be broken down into 17.8 million viewing hours. For NCAA fans that would have normally missed a game, this has been a huge technological break.
In addition to live streams, Infiniti has been engaging consumers through television spots, fan activities, and social media campaigns to gear them up for the tournament. During the 2015 March Madness, Infiniti’s efforts paid off, as the brand saw a surge in Infiniti-related searches and social media mentions during the championship.
In fact, during the 2015 event, InfinitiUSA.com saw a 300 percent increase in visitors. Unlike a one-time event, such as the Super Bowl, being a March Madness Corporate Partner means enjoying prolonged exposure that has the added benefit of reaching out to affluent and highly educated audience members who might just be in the market for a new Infiniti model like the QX50 or Q30. Last year, Infiniti advertising reached 61.7 million people.
March Madness and Infiniti have a valuable relationship. Keep an eye out for the latest Infiniti mentions during this year’s exciting tournament.
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