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: Donna has over 25 years of experience in assisting brands, agencies and not-for profit organizations develop and implement a wide variety of their marketing communications needs. In 2005 she founded DDC Marketing Group which has specialized in bringing interactive promotional marketing solutions to life for many clients. Today the firm is also dedicated to helping clients integrate blogs and social media into their marketing mix. Her own blog,Donna’s Promo Talk, helps to keep marketing professionals current on today's hottest interactive promotions and trends.

Most recently Donna joined the online team at Butler Till Media Services as Emerging Online Media Supervisor. Donna is responsible for overseeing the agency’s search marketing efforts for a variety of clients as well as integrating emerging online media opportunities such as blogs, social media networks, viral marketing, mobile as well as interactive promotions.

Social Media Is A Slam Dunk With NCAA ‘08 March Madness

Written on: March 11th 2008
Author: by Donna DeClemente |
Feed: XML Feed

Coca-Cola is a major corporate sponsor of the NCAA and this year they’ve tied in their Coke Zero brand with an interactive promotion that consists of a nationwide “job search” to “hire four fans that never back down when it comes to following the exciting action of NCAA March Madness”.

Coke just announced today who the four lucky individuals are who have been selected for the Coke Zero “Ultimate Dream Job.” Steven Book, from Rochester Hills, Mich.; Ryan Hohanshelt, from Boone, Iowa; Stacey Rice, from Oswego, N.Y; and Dustin Tinney, from Ft. Worth, Tex. have accepted the job and will be relocating to San Antonio, the site of the 2008 NCAA Men’s Final Four, where they will be “challenged” to watch every minute of the 2008 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and live blog about the games.

The four new “employees” will live in “CokeZeroVille” beneath the official giant Coke Zero Tournament Bracket at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio from Sunday, March 16, through Saturday, April 5. There they will view every game on flat screen televisions and laptop computers via NCAA March Madness on Demand and live blog about the games and their experiences. They will then be escorted by former NCAA great Sean Elliott into the Alamodome on Saturday, April 5, to sit in the lower level for the 2008 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Semifinals.

“NCAA basketball fans are among the savviest and most demanding in all of sports and are uncompromising about immersing themselves in March Madness,” said Caren Pasquale Seckler, group director, Low Calorie Colas, Coca-Cola North America. “That never back down attitude that sets NCAA basketball aficionados apart is shared by Coke Zero drinkers who never compromise when it comes to enjoying real Coke taste and zero calories.”

The Coke Zero “Ultimate Dream Job” final candidates are described as being intense, relentless, dynamic, unpredictable, dramatic, inspiring, authentic and youthful. They embody the passion and tenacity of NCAA March Madness and believe that anything is possible, including improbable upsets. The website, www.cokezerodreamjob.com, invited qualified candidates from around the country to submit ‘resumes’ explaining how they never back down when following the exciting action of NCAA March Madness in 200 words or less along with a photo of themselves demonstrating spirit and creativity. Coke received just over 500 resumes during the entry period.

“Through this distinctive call to action, Coca-Cola is creatively highlighting the central role that fans play in adding to the excitement of NCAA basketball and March Madness,” said Greg Shaheen, NCAA Senior Vice President for Basketball and Business Strategies. “This is a dream opportunity for any NCAA basketball enthusiast and we look forward to seeing which four candidates get the chance to follow NCAA Championship action from San Antonio.”

After Selection Sunday the four new hires can also use the Coke Zero “Bracket-O-Matic” to help them fill out their individual NCAA March Madness brackets. For the second season, fans who visit www.bracketomatic.com, can use a special online tool to weight different preferences – such as “underdog,” “dynasty,” and “offense.” Based on their selections, the “Bracket-O-Matic” then automatically fills out their bracket.

Reader Comments.

March Madness is a hot bed for potential marketing success. Millions of brackets are filled out and thousands of hours are spent watching games. It is such an exciting time that I don’t see how anyone wouldn’t be excited during March Madness.