Five times? That's Madness!!!

 

3/1/2026: this will be the 5th time that I blogged on March Madness. 

March Madness is the popular nickname for the NCAA Division I basketball tournaments, primarily referring to the men's competition but increasingly including the women's as well. It's an annual single-elimination tournament featuring the top college basketball teams in the United States, culminating in a national champion.

Key Details:

Format: The men's tournament includes 68 teams (expanded from 64 in 2011), selected based on conference championships and at-large bids from a selection committee. It starts with a "First Four" play-in round, followed by rounds of 64, 32, Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, and the championship game. The women's tournament follows a similar structure with 68 teams.

Timing: Games are played over three weeks in March and early April, hence the name "March Madness." Selection Sunday (when brackets are announced) typically falls in mid-March, with the tournament kicking off shortly after.

Why "Madness": The term captures the excitement, upsets, buzzer-beaters, and bracket-busting surprises that define the event. It's a cultural phenomenon in the U.S., with millions filling out brackets to predict winners, office pools, and massive TV viewership.

History: The men's tournament began in 1939, organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The women's started in 1982. Iconic moments include underdog victories like Villanova's 1985 upset or UMBC's 2018 win over No. 1 seed Virginia.

Broadcast and Impact: It's broadcast on networks like CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. The event generates billions in revenue for the NCAA and boosts economies in host cities.

BILLIONS. Ah yes, the 'B' word. 

A few years ago (2022) we dabbled with a 'March Madness' marketing campaign, jumping on the bandwagon. THIS Was the link from 2022. Since March has 31 days, we picked 31 vendors | sponsors of the NYDLA and highlighted them for the day. 31 days, 31 coupons. MILLIONS in savings over 31 days for our Global Cloud COMMUNITY. It was massively successful. VERY profitable. 

And then we did not do it again. 

Not in 2023, not in 2024, and not in 2025. And now in 2026: we're doing it again!!! Why now in 2026?

Because I am a student of Seth Godin. And in my humble opinion, Seth is one the greatest (the greatest?) marketing minds in the world. I have read all of his books, and have taken (most) of his classes. And I learned about ethical scarcity in marketing from Seth.  

Scarcity in marketing is a strategy that leverages the psychological principle that limited availability increases a product’s perceived value and desirability. By creating urgency through limited-time offers, low-stock alerts, or exclusive, "sold-out" drops, brands compel consumers to act immediately, boosting sales and enhancing brand image. 

Key Aspects of Scarcity Marketing

Psychological Basis: Scarcity taps into FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), making consumers believe they will miss out on something valuable if they don't act quickly.

Types of Scarcity:

• Time-related: Countdowns, flash sales, or limited-time offers.
• Supply-related: "Only 3 items left" or limited editions.
• Access-based: Exclusive, invitation-only, or members-only access.
• Benefits: Increased conversion rates, higher perceived value, and greater brand loyalty.

Ethical Considerations: Using fake countdown timers or fabricated inventory, known as "false scarcity," can erode trust. Ah, there it is. FALSE SCARCITY. 

Examples in Action

"Limited Edition" items: Encourages collectors and fans to buy before they are gone forever.

Real-time stock levels: Showing low inventory triggers immediate purchases.

Seasonal products: Items like pumpkin spice lattes or holiday items create urgency. 

Effective scarcity marketing highlights the exclusivity and limited nature of a product to move consumers from consideration to purchase. 

Ever see those commercials from the Humane Society? Asking for donations to save all the starving animals? Boy do they ever tug at your heartstrings, right? Sometimes I have to change the channel - their ads are so depressing. But they also use FALSE SCARCITY. "If you call within the next ten minutes..."

I've seen that same commercial dozens of times. How many 'ten minute' windows are there? See, once I see that same commercial over and over - the FALSE SCARCITY of the ten minute window is all I can think about. I start to feel like they are lying to me. Even though the cause is good and just, they are lying to me about the ten minute window of urgency. I would never give THEM money. Maybe the local animal shelter, but not THEM. Now I don't trust them with my money - will my money even be used for the animals? Trust is lost - epic fail. 

In 2022 we told the world that our March Madness | 31 days of SAVINGS was not going to be repeated. That these 31 days of coupons was... scarce. That this was indeed a very special window of opportunity to joinNYDLA.org and save thousands on the products and service they needed and they use to THRIVE in the GLOBAL Cloud COMMUNITY. 

So, we did not do it again in 2023. Or 2024. Or even last year, 2025. Oh, I wanted to - but I did not want to disappoint my mentor, Seth. We kept our word for three years. It was hard but we did it. No March Madness campaign. 

AND NOW IT IS 2026!  So, we're doing it again!!! Three years is enough - we kept our word. My staff has 3 years of great ideas. 3 years of pent up marketing magic to blast out to the world. And you will be seeing it on Page 1 of NYDLA.org later this week. We're not doing the 31 days of March again. I'm thinking something like a spin off Sweet 16 or Final Four. Stay tuned - it is going to be glorious. 

I am still amazed that Seth (still) writes everything himself (no AI) and responds to emails within minutes, personally. Daily blog posts from Seth. Dozens of books. And super human response time to emails. Seth lives permission based, ethical marketing. There is only one Seth Godin. 

NO false scarcity here.