Everything but 'Net: NCAA Advertising Audit Shows Stunning Lack of Brand Integration Between TV and Internet

Everything but 'Net!
NCAA Advertising Audit Shows Stunning Lack of Brand Integration Between TV and Internet

Amidst pronouncements that all media is going digital, and that online media and marketing are now the linchpins of entire brand campaigns and new product launches, there was nary a URL mention in 60% of the TV spots that aired during the CBS network coverage of the 2006 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

Leading digital consumer experience agency Resource Interactive evaluated 500 ads, 200 of which were unique, from 11 randomly selected games (two per round plus the final game in Indianapolis). The advertising audit demonstrated just how little online/offline brand integration still exists, even for leading brands collectively spending 500 million ad dollars on one of the most popular televised—and now Internet-streamed—sporting events in the U.S.

Along a continuum of brand integration, advertisers ultimately fell into three positions:

Air Balls: 50 percent of ads failed to mention or reference their company's web site anywhere. Brands like Bud Light, Coca-Cola, Gillette Fusion, GMC Yukon, Burger King and Home Depot ran ads throughout the Tournament without mentioning an online component, a product site, or even a home page URL.

Free Throws: 40 percent of ads merely showed their companies' URL but did not otherwise motivate traffic. Brands that earned a Free Throw classification included Honda Ridgeline, Mercedes-Benz R-Class, Michelin Tires, Scott's Roundup, Old Spice, MasterCard, Pizza Hut, Subway, Fidelity and Circuit City.

Slam Dunks: a meager 10 percent of ads included URL's in a call to action to visit their companies' sites. Brands that qualified for Slam Dunks were US Army, AutoTrader.com, Buy.com, Choice Hotels, Earthlink, E-Trade, Papa Johns, Southwest Airlines, and TIAA-CREF.

Tied for first place:
The automotive category led the way in brand integration inasmuch as both Pontiac and Nissan used their Tournament TV ads to drive audiences to the Web. General Motors continued its highly original "Google Pontiac" television-to-search campaign, which instructs viewers to "Don't take our word for it. Google Pontiac and discover for yourself." But the brand took integration with the NCAA Tournament broadcast several steps further with their "NCAA Final Four Ticket Giveaway" and "Game-Changing Performance" online campaigns, both of which compelled viewers to visit the ncaasports.com/Pontiac micro-site to vote for game-changing performances viewed during the Tournament. Winners received 100 seats at the Semifinals in Indianapolis.

Ads for the Nissan Xterra compelled viewers to "Show us your X" at Showusyourx.com, a highly interactive brand micro-site where users can submit pictures, get information, download wallpapers, and more.

But the automotive category also had a kind of near-miss shot off the glass in GMC's Yukon ad campaign, an exuberant multi-channel campaign taking in print, online, and outdoor—including a Times Square billboard, all of which drove home the idea that GMC's engineers had gone beyond the drawing board to build the newest model. Online users searching the tag line "Beyond the Drawing Board" were directed to a Flash-powered beyondthedrawingboard.com micro-site. But the Tournament TV spot for the campaign failed to feature either the brand's URL or the microsite.

Mobile Didn't Even Dribble
When it comes to reaching ultra-connected male consumers between the ages of 18-28, 60% of whom send text messages, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, NCAA Tournament advertisers missed the integration of TV-to-third screen almost entirely. The sole exception was the "Cingular at the Half" text messaging campaign, which let Tournament viewers text the word "Play", entering to win $5 million or a chance to take the court with Naismith Trophy Winners during the Final Four. Later in the games, users were invited to text the word "Vote" to submit their choices for the Naismith Trophy Winner. Fan votes made up 25% of the selection.

Summarizing the implications of the lack of brand integration, Resource Interactive Strategist Marti Bledsoe, in charge of the NCAA audit, said, "Customers don't view their favorite brands in channel-specific ways; their interaction with a brand should feel the same whether it occurs online, on television, or in a text message."

"Moreover, as programming content is moving from TV to the Internet—in this case, CBS SportsLine reported that it served 14 million live video streams of the NCAA Tournament this year, it's critical that the TV advertisers still serving the broadcast audience also move traffic to their URL's for a fuller, 360-degree brand experience. For the most part, the 2006 NCAA ads squandered this opportunity."

About Resource Interactive
Known widely for its revolutionizing consumer insights, Resource Interactive is an Adweek Top Twenty independent interactive agency that helps the world's leading companies plan, create, build, assess, and optimize the digital experience of their customers and other constituencies. We've helped companies such as P&G, Reebok, Restoration Hardware, Target, Apple, Victoria's Secret, Hewlett-Packard, Burton Snowboards, Crutchfield, Bath & Body Works, Limited Brands, NetJets, and Kohler use their online channels to drive sales, reduce costs, create community, and deepen brand loyalty.

Resource Interactive's 2006 NCAA Tournament: Brand Integration Watch is part of a series of Brand Integration and E-commerce reports. For the full report or for interviews, contact:

Dr. Nita Rollins
Executive Director, Marketing
Resource Interactive 343 North Front St.
Columbus, OH 43215
614.410.2107
nrollins@resource.com

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