Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) athletics marketing department earned multiple National Association of Collegiate Marketing Association (NACMA) honors for the second-straight year at the 2024 NACMA Convention last week in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Austin Peay State University took gold in the “Branded Static Collateral” category for its Clarksville’s Hometown Team Campaign while receiving silver in the “Lead Generation Campaign” for its Pen Letters to Santa. Lastly, Austin Peay State University earned bronze in “Digital Media Engagement” for its football engagement storytelling.
Branded Static Collateral | Gold
In August 2023, Austin Peay State University launched its Clarksville’s Hometown Team Campaign, which aligned with a core aspect of the athletics strategic plan: enhancing the Austin Peay State University brand and strengthening campus and community engagement while also supporting the University’s strategic goals.
From video boards at Fortera Stadium, basketball games at F&M Bank Area, flags flying across the community, giveaways, car magnets, and more, the Clarksville’s Hometown Team logo can be spotted throughout the Clarksville-Montgomery County community.
Lead Generation | Silver
During the holiday season, Austin Peay State University’s marketing department arranged tables across the concourse of F&M Bank Arena, where young fans wrote letters to Santa. The marketing department collected parents’ information, subsequently adding them to a mailing list for the Junior Govs program – a new kids’ club initiative tailored for eighth graders and younger.
Following these games, the parents of the children were contacted and invited to the men’s basketball game, where Santa would fulfill some of the items from their wish list, which were given to the children at halftime of the game.
This initiative fostered heartwarming moments and fun, but also served to generate new leads to the Junior Govs program and contributed to a boost in game attendance during the holiday season, a period when student presence on campus tends to be low.
Digital Media Engagement | Bronze
During the 2023 football season, APSU emphasized storytelling to bring fans to the games. This included graphics such as game day and win graphics tailored to that week’s opponent or the time of the year.
This strategy demonstrated its effectiveness when compared to Austin Peay State University football’s social media around the same time during the 2022 season, as evidenced by notable increases in impressions and social media engagement, along with year-over-year growth in game attendance (55% increase).
