NCAA Tournament Basketball Marketing: What we can learn from #10 Seed Missouri

Today we continue on our journey into the East Region, from a marketing point of view. We're in search of inspiration - things that all of us can take and apply into our worlds. And, for fans, of each team, that's a look into what makes you special.

Thus far, we've reviewed top seeded Kentucky, #2 West Virginia, #3 New Mexico, #4 Wisconsin, #5 Temple, #6 Marquette, #7 Clemson, #8 Texas, and #9 Wake Forest

We previously broke down the Missouri Athletics marketing efforts (here), and I'll do my best to add a new perspective.

Let's roll.

East #10 Seed Missouri (Link Here)


What's Inspiring about Mizzou Athletics?

1. A little sense of humor goes a long way.
April Fools! That struck me as I came across this "article" (here) on MU Tigers.com that ran on April 1st. The article talked about Coach Mike Anderson and his passion for running -- talking of his drive to run 25 miles to work every day. My mind began to race. Wow. That's crazy. Is it really possible?

Then I saw the fine print at the end -- April Fools.

I liked this a lot, in hindsight. Why? It shows the coach and the athletics department don't always have to be serious. They are willing to have fun with fans, and I'm guessing most of us would rather be apart of a program that does just that!



2. Facebook = Best place for your highlight reel.
I was pretty excited to see that the Mizzou Facebook page (linked here) had over 20,000 fans (and a prize for the 20,000th fan at that) along with an active community. The site has a music player that pumps in some game highlights (nicely done). But that's not what got me inspired...




Missouri took the football highlight video, "Beast M.O.D.E", and aired it inside their Facebook page. I loved this, as you basically took one of the hottest video tributes to the team out there and gave it away to a rabid fan base. Solid!

These highlight reels are fantastic and until recently you, the fan (or prospective recruit) could never even think about checking one out. Nicely done!



3. Basketball Recruits find their way very easily

When you first lay eyes on the Mizzou Athletics site, you don't notice a bold message for Recruits -- that place designed specifically for you. But then, when you click into the Basketball page, there it is. "RECRUITS." Nice...



What is less nice, and where this could ultimately get a lot better is by seeing them now create a customized experience for the Basketball recruit. It could be a simple take at what they stand for. It could be an update from Coach Anderson (showing off that sense of humor!) But in some way it needs to be personalized for that sport. After all, you waited to spring on the "Recruits" option until we entered the basketball section. Now that you're here, give them everything they need to connect with you!



That's it. Come back tomorrow as we keep moving through this East Regional!