Week in Review: 2018 CIAA Basketball Tournament PR
The event.
For the past 13 years, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) has held its annual men’s and women’s basketball tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is by far the biggest basketball event of the year hosted there.
In addition to the significant economic impact the CIAA Tournament brings to the city ($47.4 million in 2017), the conference continuously impacts the local community in profound ways. Tournament week provides more than men's and women's basketball–it's fun for all ages, business and networking opportunities, conversations around diversity and inclusion, exposure to STEM and post-graduation opportunities to middle and high school students, to name a few.
Here are a few of their key events:
Men's and Women's Tournament (featuring celebrity performances)
CIAA Education Day (two days–one for middle schoolers, one for high schoolers)
CIAA Minority & Business Leaders Symposium
CIAA Career Expo
Nationwide Women's Empowerment Brunch
Food Lion Teen Summit
CIAA Hall of Fame
CIAA Shoes of Hope (community service project)
CIAA Fan Fest (celebrity performances, vendor fair, activations)
CIAA Super Saturday (celebrity performances, interactive crowd games, etc.)
Step Shows (Greeks and high schoolers)
The task.
The CIAA hired an agency of record, The D2 Group, to manage their integrated marketing needs. Casey Adams Jones, of C. Adams Agency, was subcontracted by The D2 Group to partner on media relations efforts for the tournament’s signature event.
Responsibilities included: news release writing and distribution; pitching and following stories to publication; crisis communication; as well as coordination and on-site coverage of media interviews.
The results.
As a result of our earned, owned, and paid media, the 2018 CIAA Basketball Tournament generated almost 1,000 mentions across local, regional and national publications from only a few months of distributing news releases and pitching. Multiple outlets requested to cover live elements of the tournament throughout the week.
This number represents mentions and featured coverage surrounding the conference’s constituents, week-long tournament events, #CIAAsupports initiatives, and sponsors. The level of visibility and audiences reached (several million) was a significant increase for the conference. Since we began pushing stories and news related to the CIAA Tournament, numerous top-tier national stories were generated.
Highlights include:
The Undefeated–CIAA 'Homecoming' week comes to Charlotte
Black Enterprise–CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams Wants You to Get Excited About Charlotte Black Businesses
The Undefeated–Samaritan’s Feet partners with CIAA to help children ‘walk into their destiny’
Shadow League –CIAA Tourney, Charlotte Poised For New Beginning
During January and February, our heaviest period of pitching for the CIAA Tournament, a myriad of stories from top local and regional outlets referenced the event.
Local highlights include:
WJZY-TV Charlotte–Good Day Charlotte
WBTV-TV–CIAA has record attendance for Education Day for middle schoolers
Charlotte Magazine–Lucky 13: Why the CIAA (Still) Matters in 2018
Charlotte Post –Food or academics? Campus hunger a growing reality for students
Regional highlights include:
WRAL-TV–CIAA prepares today's students for tomorrow's jobs
Winston-Salem Journal–Kermit Blount, WSSU 1966-67 basketball team headed to CIAA Hall of Fame