Dublin GAA has stepped up it’s commercial presence with two high profile appointments with experience across international sports marketing.
There is always a major challenge in staying focused enough to retain a hard won All Ireland title but that is the aim of the Dublin Footballers who get their season proper underway on Saturday night at Croke Park.
A main distraction is always likely to be the fact that everyone wants a piece of the winners and trophy tours and commercial engagements arranged on an ad hoc basis can be the bane of a Managers life.
Dublin have sought to address that, and to increase their own already substantial commercial appeal by bringing on board some heavy hitters to a newly established commercial marketing and branding division at the County Board.
Mike Farnan has been given responsibility for the strategic development and execution of the commercial and brand development initiatives targeted in “Unleashing the Blue Wave – a strategy for Dublin GAA 2011 to 2017”.
Farnan is a very experienced global sports marketer who brings a wealth of experience of the business of sport from his previous board level roles at Sunderland FC, Sheffield United International, Jordan Grand Prix and Manchester United.
He was reported earlier this week to be involved in a group targetting a takeover of Leeds United so it may be that his time is split somewhat in the early stages at least of the new role.
He is joined by Tomás Quinn who has been appointed as Commercial and Marketing Manager. He worked as a business development with Dalkia, the company run by former Dublin Manager Pat Gilroy, and will have day to day responsibility for developing and delivering on sponsor relationships, for all existing and new merchandising and licensing arrangements and for the overall commercial development of the Dublin brand.
“After spending much of my career developing sports based commercial and marketing opportunities in overseas markets, I am delighted to be supporting Dublin and to have been afforded the opportunity to work with a truly iconic Irish sports brand,” said Farnan.
“It is great to be looking to deliver on what is a really interesting development plan building upon an already strong brand message that can engage leading corporate’s to support Dublin’s long term goal of continued success both on and off the field. ”
Bernard Brogan’s Legacy Consultants are also keeping a strong involvement between the team and sponsors AIG who this week held a breakfast with the players, their trophies from last year and over 100 staff at the companies Dublin Offices.
