🧠 From Scottie…
_{Happy Thanksgiving!}

Every holiday in America has thousands of songs perfectly crafted for that specific holiday, but there really isn’t anything for Thanksgiving. Well, in case you are the family member in charge of tunes this Thanksgiving, check out a nice Thanksgiving song by Ben Rector. It’s a solid 9.3/10.

In the spirit of thankfulness, we want to express our thanks to each of you who takes the time to open our weekly newsletters and bear with our small team as we navigate growth and improvement. As we look ahead, we've set big goals for the remainder of 2023, with even more exciting updates planned for 2024, so we hope you stay along for the ride. And if you really like it, share our newsletter with a friend! We love our referrals and referrals earn you sweet treats. :)

In today’s blog we're diving into a comparison between the messaging of the e-cigarette company JUUL and that of women's college basketball.

LAST WEEK TODAY
💯 MVP’S

Player of the week: Kate Martin, Iowa

Despite typically being overshadowed by her teammate Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin made headlines by registering a career-high 25 points and becoming the 32nd player in Iowa WBB history to reach 500 career rebounds. This standout performance followed a surprising loss for Iowa against the Kansas State women's basketball team. Amidst the chatter about Clark's off-day shooting and doubts about Iowa's ability to win without their star player, Martin said “Hold my beer” and put on a show immediately after at the next game.

Coach of the week: Brenda Frese, Maryland

BRENDA WHAT HAPPENED?!

Man, this one is a tough pill to swallow. Brenda, a decorated and iconic Top 10 coach in women's college basketball, has just seen her impressive 13-year streak in the AP Top 25 come to an end. It's undoubtedly a blow, but hopefully she’s close enough with Geno Auriemma (too soon?) and can receive some coping advice since he knows a thing or 2 about breaking decade-long streaks after his breakable season last year. Brenda's a beast; she's been through it all. Despite the current headlines not being so great, she's my Coach of the Week because, mark my words, come March, she's going to remind everyone exactly why she's been in the game for so long.

Team of the week: Arizona

If you're not up to speed on Arizona's athletic program, you've been living under a rock. The $55 million COVID-19 pandemic loan is still lingering, causing potential chaos for all sports, including Adia Barnes' women's college basketball team. As budget cuts and reductions loom, the fate of coaching staffs, teams, and even travel plans hangs in the balance. Interestingly, despite this financial turmoil, Arizona's women's college basketball team secured a commendable 3rd place at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament shortly after the news broke.

TODAY’S STORY
💥JUUL <> WBB

What is Juul?

Juul is an electronic cigarette brand known for its sleek design and discreet, user-friendly vaping device.

The evolution of Juul’s marketing

Juul began as a company focused on creating an e-cigarette alternative to traditional cigarettes, emphasizing health benefits. Initially, their marketing strategy included educational content highlighting the advantages of their product compared to traditional smoking. However, faced with limited success and occasional product issues, Juul revamped its approach.

The company increased marketing spending and collaborated with experts to reshape its messaging. Inspired by Apple's marketing tactics, Juul shifted to portraying its products in the hands of young, attractive adults engaging in everyday activities. This strategy aimed to create a sense of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and appeal to a broader audience.

By employing a sleek and modern image, Juul successfully established itself as a desirable lifestyle brand. The marketing evolution included a transition from educational content to aspirational and socially-driven campaigns. This shift, coupled with strategic partnerships and influencer collaborations, contributed to Juul's rise as a dominant player in the e-cigarette market, attracting a large customer base and generating significant profits.

How does WBB tie into this?

Taking cues from Juul's successful marketing evolution, women's college basketball stands at the precipice of a messaging makeover to broaden its appeal. At the team and player levels, commendable strides have been made in showcasing captivating behind-the-scenes content and live updates. Yet, when we zoom out to the national broadcast scene, particularly on major networks like ABC or ESPN, there's a perceptible staleness. The narrative consistently revolves around historical milestones, from the triumphs of Title IX to viewership records eclipsing MLB championships – all commendable but bordering on redundant.

Much like Juul's strategic shift to emulate Apple's aesthetic, there's room for a fresh perspective in women's basketball commentary and analysis. Recognizing this isn't a genie-wish scenario, I'm tossing out suggestions here, hoping the essence comes through.

In the men's game broadcasts, viewership milestones and in-person attendance records take a backseat to what’s currently going on. Let's apply the same principle to women's basketball. If there's a player or coach with a compelling backstory, let's delve into it, but let’s keep the game stats in the mix. With limited airtime for games, let's cut to the chase and keep the audience engaged with the vibrant narratives unfolding on and off the court.

Adoptions

The prospect of witnessing this tone shift unfold live on air might seem like a far-fetched wish, especially considering the practicalities of such a transformation outlined in this newsletter. However, envisioning the ripple effect on viewership, heightened interest, and increased ticket sales fuels my conviction in advocating for this change. The catalyst for this shift, I believe, lies in the avid consumers of men's sports content. These individuals are virtually tethered to ESPN, with the channel acting as a constant backdrop to their daily lives, complemented by a barrage of text alerts. In this information-saturated environment, the repetitive nature of content begins to register. Hence, by injecting this innovative messaging into women's college basketball broadcasts, we have the potential to attract a fresh audience—one capable of more than just reeling off the names "Paige Bueckers," "Angel Reese," and "Caitlin Clark."

☝️ BONUS SUGGESTION: Podcasts. Yes, I’m sure your buddy’s friend has a great podcast, but to be brutally honest, all of them suck and leave much to be desired. I’m a podcast addict and I have scoured the podcast landscape, and there's been just one standout from The Gaming Society. It barely had a mere five episodes, all centered around March Madness, and featured hosts: Marissa Coleman, a former Maryland Terp and WNBA player, and Matt Ellentuck, a content guru. These guys had it! I watched their pod and genuinely believed they were going to be added into my weekly Spotify mix.

Now, here's where the ball was dropped. Why, in the name of Kim Mulkey, did it wrap up after 5 episodes? It had great production, great hosts, great banter, and organized topics. We need another round of this, but ongoing. I’ll help, DM me. Let’s take it to the moon. 🚀 

NEWS
👂️This Week’s Locker Room Drama

What’s been going on in the world of women’s college basketball recently? We’ve got you covered.

• Utah Tech’s Head Coach, JD Gustin, has been suspended for 2 games following an investigation into allegations of misconduct (The Salt Lake Tribune)

• 2 LSU Moms are sub-tweeting each other on their Instagram stories. Can Bravo create a Real Housewives of LSU WBB show now? (JackMack TikTok)

• How Dawn Staley recruited Te-Hina Paopoa from Oregon (The State)

• RECORD BREAKER: Maryland drops out of the Top 25 for the first time in 13 years (ESPN)

• Arizona’s WBB Program is in financial jeopardy (AP News)

• Former Head Coach of Notre Dame, Muffet McGraw, will have her statue unveiled on December 17th (South Bend Tribune)

MEDIA
🤳Video of The Week

Behind The Scenes With Columbia Women’s Basketball Program Through The Lens of Aliyah

@aliyahfunschelle

Replying to @Lia forever posting about CUWBB 🤷‍♀️ #womeninsports #workinsports #wbb #columbia

GAMES
💥Spotlight Games This Week

#23 Washington State v Maryland

• Thursday 11/23

• 11:0 AM EST on FloHoops

• Maryland will be coming in with ammo after getting bumped from the Top 25 for the first time in 13 years.

Georgia Tech v Creighton

• Thursday 11/23

• 4:00 PM EST on FloHoops

• This will be a close one. Georgia Tech and Creighton are always the “almost had it” teams. I think Tech may even pull an upset and take the Championship.

#19 Tennessee v #21 Indiana

• Thursday 11/23

• 6:00 PM EST on FOX

• This game could be a toss up, but I Tennessee is going to pull ahead. Indiana hasn’t looked cohesive recently, struggling with their post play and 3’s.

#2 USC v #6 UConn

• Friday 11/24

• 7:30 PM EST on FloHoops

• Grab the popcorn.

#3 Colorado v #10 NC State

• Saturday 11/25

• 1:00 PM EST on ESPN3

• Let’s see if Colorado can prove their Top 5 ranking against an experienced NC State.

#19 Tennessee v #22 Oklahoma

• Saturday 11/25

• 1:30 PM EST on Women’s Sports Network

• Tennessee has already gone through an upset and Oklahoma has already been the up-setter. Will this be a repeat for both teams or will Tennessee seek vengeance?

***This is a tournament week for many teams***