Beer brands support hoop dreams during March Madness

MillerCoors to donate $75,000 to revamp community basketball courts

As college basketball fans gear up for March Madness, beverage brands are using their marketing power to bring other hoop dreams to life.

To add excitement to the tournament-watching experience, Heineken USA’s Newcastle brand is using its March Madness promotion to encourage fans at on-premise locations to support their favorite underdogs. Thirty-one percent of Newcastle drinkers watch championship basketball, and 34 percent of these fans watch tournament play at their favorite bar, according to the brand. To interact with these consumers, the “unofficial beer of the underdog” will stage on-premise point-of-sale elements, including “Unofficial Beer of the Underdog” posters, bracket posters and table tents, to encourage tournament fans to tweet the hashtag #UnofficialUnderdog and their comments about tournament play for a chance to win prizes. At the end of each game, participating tweeters will randomly be awarded prizes. Other participants will be rewarded with mail-in rebate coupons, where legal, all tournament long.

In support of players still aspiring for tournament action, MillerCoors’ Coors Light brand is working to give back to community basketball programs this season. Through its “Coors Light Full Court Refresh” program, the brand is partnering with TV basketball analyst Kenny Smith to refresh neighborhood basketball courts.

Coors Light has pledged to donate $1 for each tweet sent through April 1 that contains the hashtags #FullCourtRefresh and #over21, up to $75,000, to revamp courts in New York City, Charlotte, N.C., and Philadelphia. Courts in these communities have not only been home to some pro-fessional athletes, but they also continue to provide a place for up-and-coming and non-professional players to hone their skills and connect with their communities, Smith said in a statement.

With a little help from supportive beverage teams, aspiring players and fans can reach for their hoop dreams and celebrate their love of the sport. Game on!

Jennifer Storelli freelances for Beverage Industry, writing for the magazine’s print and online components. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University.

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