Dubs turn to United’s former marketing guru

Dublin GAA has placed its commercial and marketing responsibilities in the hands of a man who helped turn Manchester United into an international brand.

In line with the recommendations of their Blue Wave action plan, released in late 2011, Dublin have made two significant appointments to help exploit their brand potential.

Former Dublin forward Tomás Quinn, chasing AIB All-Ireland club football success with St Vincent’s, has been appointed commercial and marketing manager of Dublin GAA.

The county’s senior consultant with responsibility of executing their commercial initiatives is Dubliner Mike Farnan.

Former Ballymun Kickhams player Farnan was managing director of Manchester United International, adivision of the club set up to grow the brand in Asia and the Middle East in the 1990s.

He has held similar positions with Italian side Parma, La Liga giants Atletico Madrid and, in 2011, became Sunderland’s first international marketing director.

The Blue Wave plan states that ‘there is strong potential to develop the Dublin brand to be the most recognised and valuable sports brand in Ireland’. It plans to ‘increase annual commercial revenues...by at least €1.5m’ and to also ‘achieve provincial status for Dublin in terms of funding allocated by Central Council’.

Farnan said: “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.”

Quinn is a more readily identifiable figure for Dublin GAA fans as he played with the Dublin senior footballers until his retirement in late 2012.

Quinn said: “Commercial success should have a positive impact in both games and club development throughout the county. It is genuinely very exciting.”