March Madness and the Power of Momentum in Branding

By Jaci Russo | CEO & Co-Founder, brandRUSSO

Every March, we all become college basketball experts.

You fill out a bracket with absolute confidence. You’ve “done your research.” You’ve picked a few upsets to look smart. And by the end of the first weekend, your bracket is completely destroyed.

Because March Madness doesn’t follow logic. It follows momentum.

A lower seed catches fire. A team no one was talking about suddenly can’t miss a shot. One win turns into two, and now they’re the story everyone is watching.

That’s not just sports. That’s branding.

Momentum Changes the Conversation

At the start of the tournament, the conversation is predictable. Rankings. Records. Stats.

Then the games start.

One upset shifts attention. Another win builds belief. And suddenly, the team no one expected is everywhere. The conversation changes.

The same thing happens with brands.

You can spend months building strategy, refining messaging, and planning campaigns. But when momentum hits, everything accelerates. More people are paying attention. Your message starts landing faster. Opportunities show up that weren’t there before.

Momentum doesn’t just amplify your brand. It changes how people talk about it.

It Only Works If You Know Who You Are

The teams that go on a run in March aren’t figuring things out as they go.

They know how they play. They trust their system. They don’t suddenly decide to try something completely different in the Sweet 16. (At least the good ones don’t.)

Brands make this mistake all the time.

When things start working, there’s a temptation to tweak the message, add more, expand too quickly. But if your positioning isn’t clear to begin with, momentum won’t help you. It will expose you.

Clarity is what allows you to move quickly when attention shows up. Without it, you hesitate. And hesitation kills momentum.

Momentum Looks Sudden. It Isn’t.

Every year, there’s a “Cinderella story.” A team that seems to come out of nowhere. But if you look closer, it’s never actually out of nowhere.

It’s preparation.
It’s consistency.
It’s a team that’s been building toward that moment long before anyone was watching.

Brands work the same way.

Momentum isn’t created by one great post or one campaign that finally “goes viral.” It’s built over time through consistent messaging, clear positioning, and repeated experiences.

Then one moment hits, and everything clicks. From the outside, it looks like luck. From the inside, it was built.

Energy Is Contagious (And People Want In)

Watch a team on a run.

The energy shifts. The crowd gets louder. Even people who didn’t care about that team two days ago are suddenly invested. Why?

Because people are drawn to momentum. 

The same thing happens with brands. When your message is clear and your audience starts responding, it builds energy. Your team feels it. Your customers feel it. Your audience starts to lean in.

And once that happens, people don’t just watch. They want to be part of it.

Consistency Keeps You Alive

Momentum is exciting. It’s also fragile.

One bad game. One loss of focus. One moment where you drift away from what got you there, and it can disappear fast. The teams that keep advancing don’t reinvent themselves mid-tournament. They stay consistent.

Brands should do the same.

When something starts working, the answer isn’t to do more. It’s to do it better. Stay aligned. Stay clear. Stay consistent. Momentum needs something to hold onto.

The Takeaway

March Madness is unpredictable. But momentum isn’t.

It’s what happens when preparation, clarity, and confidence show up at the same time. And when it does, everything moves faster.

So here’s the real question: If your brand got that kind of attention tomorrow, would you be ready for it?

Because the brands that grow aren’t just the ones that get noticed. They’re the ones that know what to do next.

Learn more about our Razor Branding process brandrusso.com/razor-branding/ Or schedule a brand assessment with our team brandrusso.com/contact/

Let’s change the conversation.