Article
Exploring the Madness: ‘In the Moment’ Insights from NCAA Tourney Fans
Field Agent
March 23, 2016
From pizza to fan attire, the Big Dance is big business for many brands.
Consider some intriguing numbers:
In March, American beer production jumps from 14 million barrels to 17.5 million, attributable in no small way to events like March Madness and St. Patrick’s Day
Combined, AT&T, Capital One, and Buick spent $149.3 million on March Madness advertisements last year
An increase of 45% over the previous year, the NCAA Tournament generated some 350 million Facebook and Twitter impressions in 2015
Across several industries, March Madness is a chance to score with consumers…and score big.
Inside the Madness with In the Moment Insights
Field Agent recently conducted a mobile diary study with 10 March Madness viewers during the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament (March 17-20). Participants were required to watch at least one full game on 3 of the 4 nights.
Our ultimate goal for this study—call it our game plan—was to capture deep, qualitative insights both during and over the first few nights of March Madness.
Here are the attitudes and behaviors of NCAA Tourney viewers in their own words, on a few sample topics…
Game Time Foods, Snacks, & Beverages
Over all three nights of the mobile diary study, participants were asked to log their game time foods, snacks, and beverages.
For instance, one 48-year-old female Agent from Elliott City, Maryland said she enjoyed the following during the games:
Day 1: Poland Spring bottled water, Ben & Jerry’s “Everything But the…” ice cream
Day 2: Tostitos Scoops, Newman’s Own Salsa, Poland Springs bottled water
Day 3: Smartfood White Cheddar popcorn, Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cup ice cream, Poland Springs bottled water
Agents were also asked to document their March Madness foods, snacks, and beverages in photo and video:
Video Diaries, like the one below, allow companies to go inside the consumer’s world for multi-day stretches, to explore attitudes and thoughts more deeply:
What would you consider the ideal food, snack, and beverage combination for tonight’s game and why?
What March Madness fans are actually eating and drinking during the games may, of course, differ from what they’d like to be eating and drinking. So we asked Agents to describe their ideal game time food and beverage combo.
43-year-old male Agent, Sylvania, Ohio:
“My Ideal snack and drink would be nachos covered in taco meat, lettuce, cheese, tomato, sour cream and salsa. I would also be drinking a Vodka Grey Goose and Cranberry with a lime. I love to eat nachos (they are my favorite snack food) and I am a Vodka fan.”
28-year-old male Agent, Washington, D.C.:
“NCAA food, like sports food in general, would be rich in greasy finger foods. Wings, sliders, potato skins, and dip come to mind. I'd also want plenty of beer because that's what pairs well with sports and fried food!”
March Madness Commercials
NCAA Tourney viewers were further asked about the commercials airing during the games, specifically, which single commercial most connected with them and why:
43-year-old male Agent, Sylvania, Ohio:
“The commercial for BMW. It was about four guys going to a game and how they were all superstitious…It not only sells the car but let's sports guys connect with the vehicle.”
44-year-old male Agent, Advance, North Carolina:
“I connected mostly with the Can Am commercials, advertising their Outlander 4-wheeler. I have a Can Am Spyder, so it's interesting to see other Can Am advertisements.”
Game Time Social Media
The diary study also addressed social media preferences of March Madness viewers. We asked, “Tell us which one social media platform you're most likely to use during basketball games to post about game-related topics and why”:
36-year-old female Agent, Overland, Kansas:
“Facebook because it's fun to see what my friends post when their team wins or loses and when a team gets upset and it screws their bracket up. People post funny memes and comments so I like reading them while I'm watching the games.”
44-year-old male Agent, Advance, North Carolina:
“I use Twitter during sporting events. Former players, sportscasters and many others post interesting comments during the game. It's great communicating with high profile people watching the same game, and sharing comments. Twitter is the best media for in the moment sporting action.”
Score with Mobile Research
Whether you need in-store audits, consumer surveys, longitudinal diary studies, or some other form of on-location, in the moment information…Field Agent is standing by to deliver the answers to your pressing questions—easily, quickly, and affordably.
Learn more about these capabilities in the free resource, “How It Works: Mobile Research.”
Day 1: Poland Spring bottled water, Ben & Jerry’s “Everything But the…” ice cream
Day 2: Tostitos Scoops, Newman’s Own Salsa, Poland Springs bottled water
Day 3: Smartfood White Cheddar popcorn, Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cup ice cream, Poland Springs bottled water
Agents were also asked to document their March Madness foods, snacks, and beverages in photo and video:
Video Diaries, like the one below, allow companies to go inside the consumer’s world for multi-day stretches, to explore attitudes and thoughts more deeply:
What would you consider the ideal food, snack, and beverage combination for tonight’s game and why?
What March Madness fans are actually eating and drinking during the games may, of course, differ from what they’d like to be eating and drinking. So we asked Agents to describe their ideal game time food and beverage combo.
43-year-old male Agent, Sylvania, Ohio:
“My Ideal snack and drink would be nachos covered in taco meat, lettuce, cheese, tomato, sour cream and salsa. I would also be drinking a Vodka Grey Goose and Cranberry with a lime. I love to eat nachos (they are my favorite snack food) and I am a Vodka fan.”
28-year-old male Agent, Washington, D.C.:
“NCAA food, like sports food in general, would be rich in greasy finger foods. Wings, sliders, potato skins, and dip come to mind. I'd also want plenty of beer because that's what pairs well with sports and fried food!”
March Madness Commercials
NCAA Tourney viewers were further asked about the commercials airing during the games, specifically, which single commercial most connected with them and why:
43-year-old male Agent, Sylvania, Ohio:
“The commercial for BMW. It was about four guys going to a game and how they were all superstitious…It not only sells the car but let's sports guys connect with the vehicle.”
44-year-old male Agent, Advance, North Carolina:
“I connected mostly with the Can Am commercials, advertising their Outlander 4-wheeler. I have a Can Am Spyder, so it's interesting to see other Can Am advertisements.”
Game Time Social Media
The diary study also addressed social media preferences of March Madness viewers. We asked, “Tell us which one social media platform you're most likely to use during basketball games to post about game-related topics and why”:
36-year-old female Agent, Overland, Kansas:
“Facebook because it's fun to see what my friends post when their team wins or loses and when a team gets upset and it screws their bracket up. People post funny memes and comments so I like reading them while I'm watching the games.”
44-year-old male Agent, Advance, North Carolina:
“I use Twitter during sporting events. Former players, sportscasters and many others post interesting comments during the game. It's great communicating with high profile people watching the same game, and sharing comments. Twitter is the best media for in the moment sporting action.”
Score with Mobile Research
Whether you need in-store audits, consumer surveys, longitudinal diary studies, or some other form of on-location, in the moment information…Field Agent is standing by to deliver the answers to your pressing questions—easily, quickly, and affordably.
Learn more about these capabilities in the free resource, “How It Works: Mobile Research.”
In March, American beer production jumps from 14 million barrels to 17.5 million, attributable in no small way to events like March Madness and St. Patrick’s Day
Combined, AT&T, Capital One, and Buick spent $149.3 million on March Madness advertisements last year
An increase of 45% over the previous year, the NCAA Tournament generated some 350 million Facebook and Twitter impressions in 2015
Across several industries, March Madness is a chance to score with consumers…and score big.
Inside the Madness with In the Moment Insights
Field Agent recently conducted a mobile diary study with 10 March Madness viewers during the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament (March 17-20). Participants were required to watch at least one full game on 3 of the 4 nights.
Our ultimate goal for this study—call it our game plan—was to capture deep, qualitative insights both during and over the first few nights of March Madness.
Here are the attitudes and behaviors of NCAA Tourney viewers in their own words, on a few sample topics…
Game Time Foods, Snacks, & Beverages
Over all three nights of the mobile diary study, participants were asked to log their game time foods, snacks, and beverages.
For instance, one 48-year-old female Agent from Elliott City, Maryland said she enjoyed the following during the games:
Day 1: Poland Spring bottled water, Ben & Jerry’s “Everything But the…” ice cream
Day 2: Tostitos Scoops, Newman’s Own Salsa, Poland Springs bottled water
Day 3: Smartfood White Cheddar popcorn, Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cup ice cream, Poland Springs bottled water
Agents were also asked to document their March Madness foods, snacks, and beverages in photo and video:
Video Diaries, like the one below, allow companies to go inside the consumer’s world for multi-day stretches, to explore attitudes and thoughts more deeply:
What would you consider the ideal food, snack, and beverage combination for tonight’s game and why?
What March Madness fans are actually eating and drinking during the games may, of course, differ from what they’d like to be eating and drinking. So we asked Agents to describe their ideal game time food and beverage combo.
43-year-old male Agent, Sylvania, Ohio:
“My Ideal snack and drink would be nachos covered in taco meat, lettuce, cheese, tomato, sour cream and salsa. I would also be drinking a Vodka Grey Goose and Cranberry with a lime. I love to eat nachos (they are my favorite snack food) and I am a Vodka fan.”
28-year-old male Agent, Washington, D.C.:
“NCAA food, like sports food in general, would be rich in greasy finger foods. Wings, sliders, potato skins, and dip come to mind. I'd also want plenty of beer because that's what pairs well with sports and fried food!”
March Madness Commercials
NCAA Tourney viewers were further asked about the commercials airing during the games, specifically, which single commercial most connected with them and why:
43-year-old male Agent, Sylvania, Ohio:
“The commercial for BMW. It was about four guys going to a game and how they were all superstitious…It not only sells the car but let's sports guys connect with the vehicle.”
44-year-old male Agent, Advance, North Carolina:
“I connected mostly with the Can Am commercials, advertising their Outlander 4-wheeler. I have a Can Am Spyder, so it's interesting to see other Can Am advertisements.”
Game Time Social Media
The diary study also addressed social media preferences of March Madness viewers. We asked, “Tell us which one social media platform you're most likely to use during basketball games to post about game-related topics and why”:
36-year-old female Agent, Overland, Kansas:
“Facebook because it's fun to see what my friends post when their team wins or loses and when a team gets upset and it screws their bracket up. People post funny memes and comments so I like reading them while I'm watching the games.”
44-year-old male Agent, Advance, North Carolina:
“I use Twitter during sporting events. Former players, sportscasters and many others post interesting comments during the game. It's great communicating with high profile people watching the same game, and sharing comments. Twitter is the best media for in the moment sporting action.”
Score with Mobile Research
Whether you need in-store audits, consumer surveys, longitudinal diary studies, or some other form of on-location, in the moment information…Field Agent is standing by to deliver the answers to your pressing questions—easily, quickly, and affordably.
Learn more about these capabilities in the free resource, “How It Works: Mobile Research.”
Day 1: Poland Spring bottled water, Ben & Jerry’s “Everything But the…” ice cream
Day 2: Tostitos Scoops, Newman’s Own Salsa, Poland Springs bottled water
Day 3: Smartfood White Cheddar popcorn, Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cup ice cream, Poland Springs bottled water
Agents were also asked to document their March Madness foods, snacks, and beverages in photo and video:
Video Diaries, like the one below, allow companies to go inside the consumer’s world for multi-day stretches, to explore attitudes and thoughts more deeply:
What would you consider the ideal food, snack, and beverage combination for tonight’s game and why?
What March Madness fans are actually eating and drinking during the games may, of course, differ from what they’d like to be eating and drinking. So we asked Agents to describe their ideal game time food and beverage combo.
43-year-old male Agent, Sylvania, Ohio:
“My Ideal snack and drink would be nachos covered in taco meat, lettuce, cheese, tomato, sour cream and salsa. I would also be drinking a Vodka Grey Goose and Cranberry with a lime. I love to eat nachos (they are my favorite snack food) and I am a Vodka fan.”
28-year-old male Agent, Washington, D.C.:
“NCAA food, like sports food in general, would be rich in greasy finger foods. Wings, sliders, potato skins, and dip come to mind. I'd also want plenty of beer because that's what pairs well with sports and fried food!”
March Madness Commercials
NCAA Tourney viewers were further asked about the commercials airing during the games, specifically, which single commercial most connected with them and why:
43-year-old male Agent, Sylvania, Ohio:
“The commercial for BMW. It was about four guys going to a game and how they were all superstitious…It not only sells the car but let's sports guys connect with the vehicle.”
44-year-old male Agent, Advance, North Carolina:
“I connected mostly with the Can Am commercials, advertising their Outlander 4-wheeler. I have a Can Am Spyder, so it's interesting to see other Can Am advertisements.”
Game Time Social Media
The diary study also addressed social media preferences of March Madness viewers. We asked, “Tell us which one social media platform you're most likely to use during basketball games to post about game-related topics and why”:
36-year-old female Agent, Overland, Kansas:
“Facebook because it's fun to see what my friends post when their team wins or loses and when a team gets upset and it screws their bracket up. People post funny memes and comments so I like reading them while I'm watching the games.”
44-year-old male Agent, Advance, North Carolina:
“I use Twitter during sporting events. Former players, sportscasters and many others post interesting comments during the game. It's great communicating with high profile people watching the same game, and sharing comments. Twitter is the best media for in the moment sporting action.”
Score with Mobile Research
Whether you need in-store audits, consumer surveys, longitudinal diary studies, or some other form of on-location, in the moment information…Field Agent is standing by to deliver the answers to your pressing questions—easily, quickly, and affordably.
Learn more about these capabilities in the free resource, “How It Works: Mobile Research.”
