Have you noticed a lot of “Sweet 16” or similar basketball promotions lately? Whether it’s “March Madness” or the Grammys, we never recommend tying a marketing campaign to someone else’s event. Aside from the fact that the NCAA owns the “March Madness” trademark and using it in your advertising can get you sued, it’s usually a distraction.

Ask yourself if it makes sense for your business and if it will make sense to your customers. If you’re a mattress store with monthly sales tied to seasonal themes, a basketball-themed promotion may be a good fit. If you’re a plumber or roofer… it’s probably a stretch.

Avoid the pressure to join in on the themes everyone else is using. You risk confusing your audience and muddling your message. Instead, create your own unique voice and own it. Claim YOUR space in the advertising noise in a way that stands apart from the crowd – that’s where your brand gets noticed.

Why spend your hard-earned marketing budget diluting your message with someone else’s event? Whether you’re Earl Scheib painting cars or two guys in Vermont making ice cream in a renovated gas station, leave the bracket bingo to sports-related business and make sure potential customers are thinking of you alone when they hear your message.

As always, if you find yourself struggling to craft the perfect marketing message, give the creatives at R2R Marketing a call.