22 Apr Working Together is a Winning Combination
by Katie King |Katie@ewbullock.com
Working Together is a Winning Combination
March Madness took over the Pensacola Bay Area for four days in early March as 12 colleges battled it out at the 2021 Sun Belt Conference Basketball Championships. Both men’s and women’s teams competed for a chance to advance to the NCAA Basketball Championships in late March.
Many different entities collaborated to make the championship tournament a successful event. EW Bullock and the Showcase Pensacola team, together with representatives from Sun Belt Conference, Visit Pensacola, Pensacola Sports, Pensacola Bay Center and Escambia County, worked to market the event to out-of-state visitors and the local/regional audience to drive awareness, interest and ticket sales in Pensacola. Not only were there typical first-year challenges, but the added element of navigating Covid-19 social distancing guidelines and safety protocols.
The 2021 Sun Belt Championship integrated marketing campaign included the following elements:
- Digital Advertising
- Social Media – organic and paid
- Outdoor Advertising – (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Louisiana)
- Television Advertising – (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Louisiana)
- Radio – (In Market)
- Print – (In Market)
- Promotions – (street banners, sidewalk stickers, fan fest promotion, host bar coordination, free trolley service)
- Public Relations – (Event launch press conference, press release, media kit, print interviews, radio interviews, television interviews, media assists)
We’re happy to report that the four-day tournament was a great first-year success, generating a total economic impact of $1,642,950.
Appalachian State Mountaineers head coach Dustin Kerns had this to say about Pensacola after his team’s men’s championship victory: “I think the Sun Belt hit a grand slam with this tournament in Pensacola,” Kerns said. “The local crowd was outstanding all week. They embraced it. It’s a true neutral and a destination city that people like to come to. It’s my first trip and I look forward to coming back.”
The Sun Belt Conference Basketball Championships will take place in Pensacola for the next four years and we look forward to our role in helping it grow and thrive.
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