Everyone wants to be seen at the Final Fours. In fact, from the perspective of an NCAA corporate partner, to not be seen at the Final Fours is to not be seen at all.

After all, the NCAA's Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Championships are the crown jewels in any corporate partner's marketing strategy, which is why most of the partners sign on with the NCAA in the first place.

But there are 82 other NCAA championships, many with the same big-time feel and hullabaloo that the Final Fours enjoy -- and now more and more with the same big-time marketing efforts from the NCAA's corporate partners.

It used to be that the basketball spectacles were perhaps the lone draw for corporate entities in their relationship with the NCAA, but more partners are starting to realize that the type of customers and clients they're after also attend other NCAA events.

Thus, corporate partner visibility is booming, and both the NCAA and its partners are benefiting.

"We're very encouraged by the progress we've seen in the last two years."

The progress includes increased corporate partner presence at NCAA championships such as lacrosse, ice hockey, men's and women's soccer and volleyball. Those sports, particularly at the Division I level, have attracted increased crowds and in turn, increased attention from corporate partners. That attention manifests itself in increased signage, promotions, giveaways and in-store presence -- and in many cases without as much competition as at the Final Fours.

Though Pepsi is a household name, Dececco said the company feels as strongly about having a presence at lesser-attended championships as it does at the Final Fours. Pepsi also has a leg up in that its water brand, Aquafina, is on the sidelines at every NCAA championship -- it's part of the contract.

Shared initiatives

Pepsi also is one of the NCAA's partners that has stepped up efforts at the local level to increase presence at other championships.

For example, at the Women's College Cup in San Jose, California, last December, the soft-drink company teamed with three other food/beverage partners for a promotion with a local grocer. The grand prize was an expenses-paid trip for four to the soccer championship.

The four partners involved, Pepsi, Hershey's, Kraft Foods and Ocean Spray, beat the stereotypical turf-war image and all came out a winner as far as product exposure is concerned.

Mary Tarin, a spokesperson for Kraft Foods, said while it may seem difficult to get various corporations on the same page, it makes marketing sense for championships, particularly since they often depend on an infusion of local energy.

"On a local level, partnerships are easier in that you're all calling on the same customers and trying to get more display space in the store," Tarin said. "By coming together you share the cost and pool resources. It happens quite frequently at the local level, whereas on a 'corporate' level, people often are proprietary about their brand image."

Knopp said this type of thing seems to have been triggered by local arms of corporate partners becoming more involved. "And by championship hosts bringing to the table local entities who want to work with partners to support the championship, such as supermarket chains, and by the corporate partners being more willing to work with other corporate partners on a given championship," he said.

Interactives

Another initiative that has proven to be valuable at championships beyond the Final Fours is the fan-interactive zone, where corporate partners stage almost a carnival setting for fans to participate in quick games or activities, receive prizes and be exposed to products.

Many are designed for quick participation, because fans are eager to get into the championship venue. But they also give fans a chance to stretch their legs and entertain their kids between games, or during halftime.

The interactive zones have become extremely popular with fans of all ages, who become an ideal captive audience for corporate partners, even if for just five minutes.

"Partners could simply hand out products," said Knopp, "but with an interactive activity, it allows customers to engage with the product that much longer, which has more of a lasting impact."

Ocean Spray combined an interactive with a giveaway at the Men's and Women's College Cups. The juice company sponsored a ball-boy/ball-girl promotion where boys and girls were selected to don Ocean Spray jerseys and help out on the sidelines during the soccer championships.

Ocean Spray and Pepsi also were involved in a ball-giveaway promotion and an interactive zone at the Division I Women's Volleyball Championship.

"It was the first time that we had a corporate partner that wanted to have an interactive site," said B.J. Burton, assistant director of athletics at Virginia Commonwealth University, which hosted the 2000 event, and has hosted several other NCAA events in the last decade. "That has to do a lot with the NCAA trying to make the championship an event more than just three volleyball games."

Making the venue an event is something the NCAA has focused on recently, taking corporate partner dollars and infusing them into an enhanced championship experience. In the end, student-athlete participants benefit, and so do corporate partners.

"From a corporate partner point of view, the more we invest into the championships and make the venue more of an event than a game, the more bang it is for the corporate buck," said Keith Martin, NCAA director of finance and business operations. "That makes corporate partners look better because they're associated with a better event."

Even Phoenix Home Life Mutual Insurance Company is in the exposure game, having established a presence at the NCAA's ice hockey and lacrosse championships in particular.

Jody Beresin, second vice-president at Phoenix, said both championships offer precisely the company's target audience, as well as an environment tailor-made for establishing relationships. The championships offer the company a way to entertain clients in an enjoyable environment.

"College sports are a huge draw for this audience. Most of the venues are incredibly attractive to our type of clients. People want to attend these events, and when they do they have a great experience. That is nothing but beneficial for us."

Almost all of the NCAA's corporate partners have extended their marketing reach beyond the Final Fours. Whether it's product exposure, name recognition, or simply keeping up with the Joneses who have staked out new turf, corporate partners have snapped on the value of an NCAA championship -- any NCAA championship.

"The trend is definitely continuing that corporate partners are realizing that they need to leverage more than two championships to justify their investment in the NCAA," Knopp said. "But none of this would be possible without the bottom line: Corporate partners understand better, and want to help us achieve, the NCAA's objective to promote our other championships."