There’s something about March Madness that makes everything feel bigger — the stakes, the stories, and somehow, even the commercials. But what if the real madness isn’t just happening on the court? What if it’s happening behind the scenes, where brands, athletes, and media are all competing in a different kind of game?
Brackets to brand strategy
For most of my life, NCAA March Madness meant background noise in my house. Games playing on the TV, my mom reacting passionately, and me…not entirely sure why it mattered so much.
It wasn’t until I got to the Basketball Capital of the World that something shifted. Maybe it was the school spirit. Maybe it was watching our basketball teams dominate on a national stage. Or maybe it was the way everyone around me cared — like really cared. Either way, I found myself paying attention in a way I never had before.
And once I did, I realized something surprising: March Madness isn’t just about basketball. It’s about attention. It’s about storytelling. And more than anything, it’s about public relations (PR).
The stories that sell the game
At its core, PR is about storytelling, and March Madness may be one of the most powerful storytelling platforms there is.
Every game creates a moment, but what makes March Madness unique is how quickly those moments become stories. A lower-seeded team pulls off an upset, and suddenly they’re labeled a “Cinderella story.” A player has a breakout performance, and their background becomes part of the national conversation.
People aren’t just watching games. They’re connecting to stories. And these stories are amplified through broadcast coverage, social media, and digital platforms that prioritize emotional engagement. In other words, the moment is only as powerful as the story built around it.
For teams like the University of Connecticut, this visibility is critical. Each game is an opportunity to build a narrative of dominance, resilience, and legacy. The stronger the story, the more attention it attracts. In PR, attention is everything.
Ad It Up: When Commercials Become the Main Event
Then there’re the commercials, which have the same vibe as Superbowl commercials.
Instead of tuning them out, you watch. Brands understand they have a highly engaged audience, and they design campaigns to match that energy. Some lean into humor, others into nostalgia or emotion, but all are created with intention.
The goal is not to interrupt viewing experience, but rather to enhance it.
You stay tuned in. You laugh. You notice details. You talk about the ads after they air. That’s strategy.
A perfect example can be seen at UConn itself.
This year, Aquaphor partnered with UConn basketball, becoming the official skin care partner of both the men’s and women’s teams. As a result, the brand has shown up everywhere — from locker room essentials to visible presence around the program. In PR, this kind of alignment matters because it builds credibility. When a brand is associated with a respected team, the respect transfers, even subtly, to the brand itself. It’s a subtle, but powerful, form of integration that ties the product directly to the athletes and their routines.
This is PR at its best. Not just advertising, but association. Not just visibility, but presence.
The goal isn’t just to be seen, but to be remembered.
Another example comes from TurboTax, which featured UConn guard Solo Ball in a March Madness commercial. The ad connects the intensity of the tournament with a broader, more relatable concept: being overwhelmed and needing clarity. By incorporating an actual college athlete into the message, the brand creates a bridge between the product and the moment.
It’s effective because it feels timely and relevant. It doesn’t just sell a service, it participates in the cultural conversation.
That is the difference between advertising and PR. Advertising asks for your attention. PR earns it.
From college athletes to personal brands
March Madness also highlights the rise of the athlete as a personal brand, a recent shift in sports.
With NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) opportunities, players on high-profile teams like UConn are no longer limited to representing their school.
This means every performance carries more weight than ever before.
A standout moment during the tournament can instantly elevate a player’s visibility. Social media attention increases. Brand partnerships begin to emerge. And suddenly, an athlete is not just part of the game; they’re part of the conversation.
However, what happens after that conversation is just as important as the conversation itself. Visibility alone is not enough. Sustainability is what separates a moment from a career.
Athletes who understand how to manage their image, engage with audiences, and remain consistent in their messaging are the ones who benefit most from this exposure. They are strategically building on attention, not just reacting to it.
In PR, this is called reputation management. And while it may sound formal, it is actually something we all engage in, whether we realize it or not.
Playing the PR Game Off the Court
So, what does this mean for all of us “everyday” folk?
It means everything.
March Madness reveals the simple, yet powerful, truth that visibility creates opportunity.
The athletes who stand out are not always just the most talented. They are the ones who understand how to present themselves, how to tell their story, and how to take advantage of the moments they are given.
And that applies beyond sports.
In college, we are constantly creating impressions. Through resumes, social media, conversations, and experiences, we are shaping how others perceive us. In many ways, we are all building personal brands, whether we intentionally think about it or not.
The difference lies in awareness.
Understanding that you have a story to tell, and choosing how to tell it, is a skill that carries into every part of life.
Because in a world filled with noise, the people who stand out are not always the loudest. They are the most intentional.
The final buzzer
If March Madness teaches us anything, it is that moments can change everything (and that UConn dominates the court). But those moments only matter if you know how to recognize and use them. The athletes who stand out have talent, yes, but they are intentional in how they show up and tell their story. So, when your moment comes, will you recognize it?
GO HUSKIES!!!