NC State News
NC State athletics is taking their marketing and branding seriously, pays off with #3 on national watch list
As NC State fans, we love to see our school represented in a good light. However, before Debbie Yow arrived on the scene and revamped NC State Athletics marketing arm, things were pretty bleak.
NC State Athletics marketing and design were well behind the times when it came to digital strategy and simply missed the mark with just about everything they put out. (It was one reason we decided to start PackInsider.com back in the day. We felt like, if no one was going to create a modern NC State online experience, then we’d at least try.)
That changed 8 years ago when Yow came into the fold. We don’t know the inner-workings, but suddenly things started to shift. GoPack.com got a facelift, the video intros took a huge step up, marketing campaigns became more visible and design started to be taken seriously anywhere NC State Athletics was putting out content. In a world where (like it or not) online presence matters, suddenly NC State was becoming relevant.
If you haven’t noticed, we put together a few examples for you…
Here is some pregame hype material…
#NCSUvsJMU: URGENCY
📍 Carter-Finley Stadium
🗓️ 9.1.18
📺 @ESPNU #WearRed #1Pack1Goal 🐺🐺🏈 pic.twitter.com/47BYUfahll— NC State Football (@PackFootball) August 27, 2018
Let’s get this started.#1Pack1Goal 🐺🐺🏈 pic.twitter.com/4YFeQrJ8aa
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) August 25, 2018
🚨🚨🚨GAME DAY at the #ACCTourney 🚨🚨🚨
🏀: Pack vs. Boston College
📍: Brooklyn, NY
📺: ESPN/ACC Network
🕑: 2:00 pm (or approximately 20 minutes after the noon game ends) pic.twitter.com/u6yXCffdIi— NC State Men’s Bball (@PackMensBball) March 7, 2018
Here is their “offer pack” they send to recruits…
Officially official!!🚨#Pack19 don’t forget to check the 📬!!#LightItRed🐺🐺🚨 pic.twitter.com/A2m0HQUVy2
— Tyler McEntire (@Tyler_McEntire3) August 1, 2018
Here are some of their postgame graphics…
During our four-game win streak Sam Hunt (@DaKidSam) has been 🔥🔥🔥 from three-point range pic.twitter.com/nIR18FrrEQ
— NC State Men’s Bball (@PackMensBball) February 26, 2018
Also throw into the fold that they are producing their own docu-series for both football and basketball which are being nominated for awards.
This investment into creative and marketing isn’t going unnoticed. NC State was recently ranked #3 nationally for ‘best college-athletics creative teams to watch”
🚨Trenches Top 10 Creative Teams Watchlist
1.@OhioStateFB
2.@UMichFootball
3.@PackFootball
4.@TexasFootball
5.@GamecockFB
6.@Vol_Football
7.@ClemsonFB
8.@AuburnFootball
9.@UGAAthletics
10.@Pitt_FB— Trenches (@trenches_) August 27, 2018
And now that the creative is there, NC State is investing in reaching the masses with it. Over the past few days, we’ve noticed NC State draped all over Raleigh-Durham.
Here are NC State’s new banners at the RDU airport…
Some modest @PackAthletics branding added to RDU in partnership with @adidas … having a presence here is a priority and we’ll continue to look at options that help adequately reflect @NCState impact in our area. #GoPack pic.twitter.com/ehFOrsIu8P
— Fred Demarest (@Fred_Demarest) August 27, 2018
And here is one of the 150 banners spanning from North Hills to downtown Raleigh (Glenwood South).
Actually, NC State also hung giant banners (visible from Karmanos Dr.) down the East Side of Carter-Finley and had all banners around PNC & CFS complex redone. They’ve also done some work at Dail Basketball lobby, Reynolds Coliseum and have projects on the horizon for Murphy Center, baseball, and tennis.
NC State is finally taking branding and marketing seriously and it’s paying off in a big way. Raleigh is the home of NC State and everyone in this city should know that. Thanks to the Wolfpack’s new focus on high-level creative and marketing reach, it’s starting to become pretty apparent.