Hercules Tire & Rubber Co. is warming up for the college basketball postseason with a new marketing partnership that includes eight NCAA conferences and 32 colleges and universities.
Hercules will serve as the title sponsor for these six Division I Basketball Championships: America East Conference, Big South Conference, Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), Southland Conference and Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
Hercules also will be the Official Tire sponsor of the West Coast Conference and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
The marketing is a result of Hercules' partnership with the Van Wagner Group LLC, which creates, advises and sells on behalf of teams, leagues, brands and colleges.
Hercules will also receive an integrated year-round marketing presence across all of Van Wagner's 38 college and university partners including title sponsorship of the 2020 Big South Conference Basketball and "Back to School" campus tours activating at all Big South member institutions.
"We're excited to enter into an official partnership with Van Wagner and to put our brand on this truly national platform" says Hercules Senior Vice President Joshua Simpson. "This partnership gives us the opportunity to introduce Hercules Tire at a grassroots level to millions of fans through media and on-site exposure. We will have the opportunity to create an authentic relationship and be top of mind when it's time to make a tire purchase."
"Although Hercules Tires has been around since 1952 we are continuously working to grow brand awareness with our target audience, and felt this partnership was great way to support our initiatives," says , director of marketing for Hercules. "Not only do we get to engage with passionate college basketball fans during championship season, this unique partnership allows us to integrate our brand and engage with these colleges and universities throughout the year in multiple sports. This engagement will allow us to build a connection with not just the student fan base on campus, but also alumni, faculty and the local community as well.
Mike Palisi, executive vice president of Van Wagner, says: "This is a first for our industry, and we're incredibly proud to have found the ideal partner in Hercules Tires; a company whose core values and principles are aligned with what we strive for in college athletics: honesty, respect, leadership, and performance."
The partnership comes with a variety of marketing and media assets during basketball championship season including courtside LED signage, in-arena activations and an integrated linear and digital TV package.
Hercules Power Program dealers will also have the opportunity to join Hercules during on-site activations through championship events to promote their local businesses.
Hercules is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Tire Distributors Inc.
