Four of the Six main sponsors of the GAA All Ireland Championships were negotiating to renew or depart this winter past. Two of them were in Hurling. Could the timing have been any better then for the epic 2018 renewal that ended in the small ball game dominating hearts, eyeballs and engagement?
Bord Gais Energy gave us half the answer yesterday with an emphatic restating of their support and a three-year extension of the deal to cover not only the Senior Hurling All Ireland but also the Bord Gais Energy U20 Championship and the Legends Series of Tours at the GAA Museum.
There is a new Managing Director in place in the past year which can sometimes be the equivalent of a deflected ball but Catherine O’Kelly was at Croke Park yesterday and was clear in her enthusiasm for the fit with the brand profile and the way in which it syncs with the company rewards scheme.
Seamus Callanan from Tipperary, Eoghan O’Donnell from Dublin and Mags D’Arcy from Wexford were there as well and will be Brand Ambassadors this season.
Originally, they will also be back in the stadium and on the pitch for three #HurlingToTheCore training camps where children of Bord Gais Energy Rewards Club members will get to do a summer camp with a difference on the field of dreams that is Croke Park.
That is a particularly nice twist to the partnership and one of those elements that will play in people’s minds when it comes to either stay or switch their energy provider. The brands in that sector are continually looking for ways in which to make a difference to consumer behaviour not every day but once a year or when that decision arises.
Tickets and experiences at games are a winner but a lifetime memory for your child, that’s even harder to resist.
“At Bord Gáis Energy we know our customers love hurling, so we’re delighted to be able to continue offering unmissable GAA experiences to Rewards Club members,” said O’Kelly announcing the extension yesterday. “We pride ourselves on being the Helpful Energy Company and are committed to making our customers’ lives easier.”
“Our partnership with the GAA, which spans over a decade, also enables us to make a positive difference in communities across the country. These are the communities in which our customers live and work and therefore it is an extremely important part of what we do as an organisation.”
“We look forward to our continued relationship with the GAA and to helping to shine a spotlight on the spectacular sport of hurling and its players.”
“I’m delighted to acknowledge today’s announcement of the extension of Bord Gáis Energy’s sponsorship that will take us up to the conclusion of the 2022 GAA Hurling Championship,” added GAA President John Horan.
“Our relationship with Bord Gáis Energy is a long one, stretching back as it does over a decade with the U21/U20 Hurling Championship but also extending into the GAA Museum where they support our Legends Tour.”
“I would like to extend a warm welcome today to Catherine O’Kelly, the Managing Director, and her team and I look forward to more creative collaboration with Bord Gáis Energy in helping us bring the wonderful game of hurling to even bigger audiences both this summer and in the years ahead.”