Pringles, the popular chip brand, has turned to Instagram to promote its March Madness campaign. The brand has partnered with college basketball players, such as Gonzaga University’s Drew Timme, to reach sports fans on second screens. To gamify its campaign, Pringles is offering fans a chance to win tickets to the tournament’s final games with the Pringles March Mustache Collection.
The March Mustache Collection
The Pringles March Mustache Collection features Pringles cans with athletes’ mustaches, such as Drew Timme’s iconic horseshoe mustache, Ben Vander Plas’ epic caterpillar mustache, and Dariq Whitehead’s fan-favorite pencil mustache. Fans can win this exclusive collection by showing off their tournament-inspired mustaches on Instagram using #PringlesMarchMustacheEntry between March 15 and April 4. The campaign is aimed at bringing together sports fans and snack fans, and the brand is not reducing its ad spend despite the current economic climate.
The Power of Influencers in Marketing
According to John Vagueiro, CEO and founder of global digital marketing agency Adapting Social, partnering with influencers like college athletes during March Madness can help brands attract a younger audience. “When you include influencers like these during March Madness, people are going to be taking pictures and sharing it on social,” said Vagueiro. Carolyne Guilani, social media specialist at brand agency Cuker, added that incorporating influencers into a brand’s marketing strategy can help introduce the brand to a new audience.
Leveraging Social Media for Marketing
Pringles is not the only brand leveraging social media to reach college basketball fans during March Madness. ESPN, Pizza Hut, Great Clips, and Continental Tires are among the other brands using the tournament to reach sports fans wherever they watch the games or follow the players on social media. Pringles’ sweepstakes has received 180 Instagram entries as of March 20, and the brand is continuing to prioritize social media in its marketing strategy.
Bottom Line
Pringles has taken a unique approach to March Madness marketing by collaborating with college athletes and gamifying their campaign through Instagram. By incorporating influencers into their marketing campaign, Pringles hopes to introduce its brand to a new audience and connect with fans during moments that are important to them.
