The best time of the year

March is hands down the best time of year. Why? Well first off, Spring is right around the corner and I might finally get to stop shoveling snow out of my driveway. But more importantly, it is March Madness...the time of cinderallas, upsets and office pools. As ESPN put it in a column today, it's the time of year where the guy controlling the office pool becomes more powerful than the CEO.

While I was filling out my own bracket today and reading all the expert analysis, I was amazed at how many brands are doing something with brackets this year. On ESPN, you have Mountain Dew, Old Spice, Pontiac and HP, while over at CBS Sportsline there is Cingular, Lincoln and CDW. At first I was a little confused about HP and CDW, that is until I remembered that almost every bracket is filled out during company time at the office. I know the traffic on these sites is amazing at this time of year, but I have to wonder about the strategy. I've heard that sponsorship of a bracket is going to run a brand 7 figures and is booked months in advance. Is worth it? I mean you're talking about a sport where nothing is a guarantee (as Kentucky fans that past two years will tell).