Players cash in on GAA’s new marketing strategy

THE GAA is paying players directly from the Croke Park coffers as part of the association’s new proactive approach to the marketing of its games.

Approximately 30 players were used to promote the launch of the VHI Cúl Camps last month and more inter-county stars are set to spearhead the GAA’s championship advertisements, which are due to appear before the end of May.

Both campaigns mark a significant new departure for the GAA as, prior to this, the advertising and marketing of its competitions have been undertaken by sponsors such as Guinness and Bank of Ireland.

“This year we’re bringing in an agency and maybe looking to bring our advertising in a little earlier and create greater awareness of the championship at an earlier stage,” said GAA’s Head of Marketing Dermot Power yesterday.

“It’s a natural progression to what we are doing and I can’t think of anyone better to use for that than the players.”

The GAA has been criticised — by the GPA among others — for not tapping into its marketing potential with more vigour.

But these latest initiatives are being viewed as the first step towards Croke Park taking ownership of its own brand.

However, Power pointed out that their current campaigns are merely a continuation of their strategy and not the very beginning of it as some of its more ardent critics have claimed.

“If you look at what we have been doing in marketing, we did the International Rules first as a sort of a pilot a couple of years ago and that was probably the first event where we were allowed market it in a real sense.

“Despite what everyone said, we did all the marketing. Coca Cola came on line but we did all the TV advertising and all that stuff.

“When we heard people say it was a pity the GAA doesn’t do that we said ‘actually, we did do that’. It actually proved that marketing did work.”

The Cúl Camps marked the next step with the GAA creating its own brand, its own logo and leasing space on it to a set of sponsors (VHI) but promoting it themselves.

“It’s an absolute natural follow-on to start doing your own championships. Ironically, we have been doing it. A lot of the ads that you saw from the (All-Ireland) quarter-finals on last year — bits of action and details of the match — that has been ours.”

There are areas for improvement, Power accepts. Though the championship is well flagged through the media and billboard advertising, the league has been relatively ignored.

Record crowds have been recorded at Dr McKenna and O’Byrne Cup matches in January but those figures are not being replicated in the NFL or NHL and Power admits the secondary competitions need better promotion.

“It is something we have to take on board. We’re moving in gradually. It’s much more difficult in the league. For the final, we would have had only four or five days notice of the match, so it was very difficult to try and put something together in that time.

“We have to look at where we’re playing the games and build a whole package around them, promote an event as much as a match.”

One way or another, the GAA has only scratched the surface of its marketing potential and industry sources predict ‘Official Partner Status’ may be the next big money spinner whereby companies bid to become a body or competition’s official drink, car, credit card etc.

The concept was first used by the Olympic Games but has been taken on board in the World Cup, the Champions League and other events.