When you’re mapping out your marketing strategy for your business, regardless of size you should consider a wide variety of options.

Of course, in today’s world, online advertising, mobile advertising and social media are critical components that you need to consider. If you’re not sure what a Twitter account or a Facebook page can do for your business, then you better get some help. These are the basics, and there are plenty of other options for new media promotions such as Groupon as well.

On the other hand, traditional methods have been around for a long time for a reason. Some are going away with the emergence of the web, but many old-school methods can be very effective. Think about things like mailers, coupons in newspapers and calendar printing can help you get attention when your competitors are exclusively thinking about new media. Also, online ordering has made these traditional methods much more affordable and efficient.

So consider all your options and create the best strategy for your business.

The NCAA recently made moves to lock in rights for its “March Madness” trademark.

Quietly last October, the association paid $17.2 million to sports and entertainment marketer Intersport to stop using the term “March Madness,” which has been attached to the NCAA’s Division I men’s basketball tournament since the 1980s.

The settlement, spelled out in financial statements but unbeknown to most in the member schools and conferences, gives it sole ownership of a trademark that has been the subject of several legal disputes and challenges over the years. While large on its face, the eight-figure amount accounts for less than 2½% of the association’s $700 million-plus budget.

It’s another story about the business of college sports, coming at a time when we’re seeing scandal after scandal, mostly revolving around improper benefits like tattoos for memorabilia.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department is asking why there isn’t a playoff system in college football.

The entire issue of money and college athletics will be front and center for the foreseeable future.

Chrysler’s two-minute Super Bowl commercial for the new Chrysler 200 featuring scenes of Detroit and with an appearance by Eminem is getting plenty of buzz. It’s two minutes long and quite compelling. The comeback story for the company fits with the concept of a rust best city trying to come back as well. I wonder if the workers at Chrysler and GM will be sending thank you notes to President Obama for saving the companies?

In the photo above we see Tiger Woods in happier times as he’s helping to pitch Gillette products. Since then times have changed and Tiger’s personal brand has been tarnished by scandal, and Gillette is the latest premium brand to end its relationship with Tiger Woods.

Procter & Gamble Co. will not renew its endorsement deal with Tiger Woods at the end of the year, adding another name to the list of companies that cut ties with the golfer after last year’s revelations of marital infidelities.

The company used Woods, Roger Federer, Lionel Messi and dozens of other athletes as part of its three-year “Gillette Champions” marketing campaign. Gillette said Thursday it was phasing out that program and not renewing the contract with Woods and several other athletes. It stopped using Woods himself in the campaign months ago.

This episode of course highlights the risks of celebrity endorsements though the Gillette campaign seemed like a pretty good one.

Playboy has reported another quarterly loss, making things tough for Hugh Hefner in his bid to keep control of the company. He’s currently in a battle as the company is being pursued by well-funded buyers.

The latest figures come as the company’s future ownership remains in doubt. FriendFinder Networks, owner of Playboy rival Penthouse magazine and adult websites, wants to buy the company for $210 million. It raised $551 million in debt at the end of last month, a move that could give it the cash to follow through on the bid.

But Hefner, who owns 70% of the company’s voting stock, says he has no interest in selling. And he has proposed to the company’s board that he buy out the remaining stake in a deal that would value Playboy at about $185 million. A special committee of the company’s directors is considering the offer.

In the meantime, Playboy’s management is trying to transform the company from a publishing and TV business into a “brand management” company, leaning more on revenue from licensing out the Playboy name and bunny ears for a range of products.

FriendFinder seems serious here with all that cash. It will be interesting to see what other properties they pursue in this space.

The new commercial from Direct TV is one of the funniest we’ve seen in years. The Russian oligarch is hilarious, and his opening line – “Opulence, I has it” – is becoming a new catch-phrase.

SPORTSbyBROOKS tracked down the creators of the spot, Jon Kallus and Luis Romero, and asked them about how the whole thing came together. Learn how they thought of having dogs playing poker and how they staged the scene with the miniature giraffe.

Lance Armstrong is one of the most beloved athletes in the United States, and his status as a champion as a cancer survivor has made him the ultimate corporate pitchman. Now, amid a growing story around doping allegations, can Armstrong stay on top? We’ve seen other athletes like LeBron James destroy their brands overnight with their own stupidity, but here events are out of Armstrong’s control.

I can’t find the link, but the magazine version of BusinessWeek recently ran a short story on how Lance Armstrong’s reputation has been taking a hit recently. Google searches using his name in combination with terms like steroids, drugs, liar, scandal, probe, etc. are growing.

The media is also starting to turn on him. In a recent blog post, Rich Karlgaard discusses the tragedy of Lance Armstrong and gives a powerful argument on why he know believes that Armstrong cheated.

Meanwhile, Armstrong has hired a criminal defense lawyer. That can’t be a good sign.

UPDATE: The New York Times just published a long piece on this subject. One thing I learned there involved the amount of money our U.S. Postal Service paid Armstrong to sponsor his team. Do we really need this government agency sponsoring cycling teams?