Make Room for Results: Spring Cleaning Your Digital Approach

Spring in the world of live events isn't just about deep cleaning and blooming flowers – it's a transitional season in your marketing strategy. As March Madness electrifies basketball fans nationwide, marketing teams are simultaneously orchestrating crucial renewal campaigns for the fall's gridiron battles and promoting the upcoming Broadway season. But the digital stage doesn't end there. Spring also shines a spotlight on the exciting campaigns driving engagement for baseball and softball. Take note of these innovative digital strategies unfolding across college sports and performing arts this spring, dissecting the tactics, celebrating the successes, and uncovering the key trends shaping fan engagement and revenue generation during this dynamic season.

March Madness: Spring Into Action

March Madness isn't just a thrilling spectacle on the court; it's a prime-time opportunity for college athletics programs to flex their digital marketing muscles. This spring's tournament saw a diverse array of campaign styles emerge, each aiming to capitalize on the heightened excitement and national attention.

With both Men's and Women's Basketball teams in the NCAA tournament, UConn launched a Meta based donations campaign at the start of March Madness in an effort to drive donations for their Fight On Fund. As both teams progressed through their respective tournaments, UConn updated ad copy messaging as well as creative content.

Michigan's post-season strategy involved a lead generation campaign where fans could spread the March Madness excitement via an Eloqua form. In exchange for referring a friend, both parties received engaging emails with ticketing links, tournament information, and donation opportunities, effectively expanding their database. In addition to the post season lead gen social campaign, Michigan also ran an evergreen google search campaign that linked to an interest form signup page gathering new customer contacts for those interested in learning more about 2025-26 Michigan Men’s Basketball ticket opportunities.

And let's not forget that the thrill of March Madness isn't exclusive to athletics! Performing arts venues are also finding creative ways to tap into this national excitement. Centre In The Square wanted to use the timeliness of the March Madness season to promote a limited time ticket deal. Using code MARCHMADNESS, fans could get 25% off tickets for select upcoming shows.

Play Ball: Spring Sports Edition

Spring heralds the arrival of baseball and softball seasons, and universities across the nation swing into action with a diverse array of digital marketing campaigns designed to ignite fan enthusiasm. This season, there is a well-rounded mix of creative strategies, from showcasing the thrilling in-game experience with dynamic video highlights paired with carousel action shots, to building anticipation around new stadium developments and highlighting flexible ticket options tailored to every type of fan.

The Hillsboro Hops are also in the spring ticket drive, employing a comprehensive Google Ads strategy that includes the expansive reach of their Performance Max campaigns. Notably, their strong video assets are a standout element, bringing the energy and excitement of a Hops game to life for prospective fans across multiple online channels.

Ole Miss Athletics marked a digital first this spring, launching a dedicated Meta campaign to drive softball ticket sales and build buzz around their new stadium. Their strategy featured a compelling mix of creative, notably a graphic and exciting carousel ads capturing the energy of live games.

Don't Miss A Moment: It's Time To Renew

As the vibrancy of spring unfolds, a crucial campaign season blossoms in the world of college athletics and performing arts: season ticket renewals. With the primary targeting focused on first party data of those yet to renew, this year's renewal campaigns strategically prioritize urgency messaging and multiple touchpoints to emphasize a moving timeline.

Rutgers Athletics launched a paid social media campaign targeting past season ticket holders, urging fans to renew for 2025 with compelling, urgency-driven copy. Alongside a traditional renewal push, Rutgers implemented a two-week flight reminder campaign which directly targeted a list of 3,965 emails from the FB25 Renewal Accounts segment, garnering 90 reminder opt ins.

The same urgency and creative energy are evident in the performing arts world. Broadway season announcements nationwide herald the start of subscription renewal campaigns, and venues like the Wharton Center have launched captivating initiatives to promote their new shows.

Wharton Center implemented a targeted Broadway subscription renewal campaign on Facebook and Instagram, focusing on their list of non-renewed patrons. Their strategy included a variety of creative executions, from graphics to localized video, with ad copy dynamically updated to emphasize urgency in the final week.

Spring in the world of live events is a digital marketing marathon. From the fever pitch of March Madness to the crucial renewal drives and the engaging promotions for spring sports and Broadway, the innovative and targeted strategies employed during this season highlight the critical role of digital engagement in connecting with audiences and fueling success.

For any further inquiries, please reach out to your PAC Digital Marketing representative today!