Doug Edert: The Man, the Myth, The Moustache

The Story of March Madness

With March coming to an end, the madness has certainly delivered. Number 15 seed Saint Peter’s has upset Number 2 Kentucky and Number 7 Murray State to reach the Sweet 16, where they’ll be taking on Number 3 seed Purdue later today (March 25). At the beginning of the tournament, we talked about how NCAA basketball athletes can take advantage of the spotlight shone upon them during March Madness. Let’s take a deeper dive into the brand of Saint Peter’s – and particularly Doug Edert.

Doug Edert has emerged as a star for the Cinderella Saint Peter’s Peacocks, and his play (along with his moustache, has helped propel his stardom in the tournament. Edert has secured two partnerships during the tournament with Barstool and Buffalo Wild Wings. The financial terms of the deal are not disclosed, but we can take a look at Edert’s Instagram to see the activation come to life.

Edert’s deal with Buffalo Wild Wings is part of a campaign with Overtime – coming off the heels of Edert’s performance in the Peacocks’ overtime upset over the Kentucky Wildcats. Edert is seated in front of boxes of wings, with a deal in the caption for fans to take advantage of. The post had a social value of $12, 948 and a 11.98% engagement rate – good win for Buffalo Wild Wings to capture Edert’s audience when more eyes were on him after his team’s victory.

Doug Edert also has a merch line on the Barstool store, with the nickname “Dougie Buckets” and an image of him after draining a shot against Kentucky. The original picture and the merch post both have similar engagement rates. However, his original Instagram post had a $30, 519 social value, compared to his merchandise post which holds a $5,751 social value.

Both deals show an athlete’s ability to capture a moment and partner with a brand to monetize it. For an athlete at a college with just over 2300 students – this stage is one of the biggest and brightest. It’s amazing to see how Doug Edert’s brand has risen because of his performance in the tournament, and brands are started to take notice. While a pro career is not guaranteed for Edert, these partnerships will form a foundation for Doug’s brand to (hopefully) last beyond his NCAA career.

With this year’s March Madness tournament being the first since the NCAA allowed athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness (NIL), the opportunities were endless for brands to partner with athletes. It remains to be seen how sustainable these deals are. As we preach constantly at white whale mktg – longevity is the key for athlete-brand partnerships.  

Published: March 25, 2022 - Issue 31 of The Sport Marketeer