As the annual March Madness college basketball tournament approaches, Home Depot has announced plans for a full-court marketing press.
The Vinings-based retail giant will become an official corporate partner of the National Collegiate Athletics Association, which will give the company rights to promote itself during 90 championships, including this month’s much-watched men’s and women’s basketball competitions.
“The Home Depot’s customers are also big sports fans, and March Madness is one of the most exciting times of the year,” said Molly Battin, the company’s chief marketing officer, in a statement. “We look forward to connecting with our customers in a fun, authentic way.”
Former basketball great Shaquille O’Neal is featured in the campaign, appearing in videos titled “Tips from the Tool Shaq,” in which consumers get advice on spring projects like painting and cleaning, officials said.
The campaign overall means many more marketing opportunities for the company.
The NCAA manages 24 sports, many of them with competition for men and women, as well as divisions based on school size. Since Home Depot’s previous NCAA deal was focused on football, this expanded arrangement means access to consumer eyeballs during the gridiron off-season when football is nowhere to be found.
The company did not disclose any financial information regarding the three-year deal with the NCAA.
But officials said they believe the tip-off for the marketing — starting Sunday — is well-timed to take advantage of its busiest selling season, which comes as the weather warms in the spring.
Ana Garcia, a research analyst for CFRA Research, said that during recent months, the company has faced increased caution among consumers who have become more selective about their spending. But Home Depot has a long history of promoting itself through college sports, she said.
Those games are typically viewed by an audience that is more likely to be homeowners and more likely to be potential customers for Home Depot, Garcia said. “As we delve into the demographics of March Madness fans, we get to see that the fans tend to be older and more financially established, which could boost sales.”
With $152 billion in annual revenues and about 465,000 employees, the company is the largest Georgia-based company by sales — and second only to Sandy Springs-based UPS — in the size of its workforce.
The company also has a longstanding deal with CBS Sports coverage of college football, as well as sponsorships of a number of sports conferences, including those of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
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