Niall Laird & Brendan Mulgrew

Brand

Environment

Communication Behaviour

Product

Before After

Some text here

Files you need:

1. EPS (Vector)

2. JPG (CMYK for Print)

3. JPG (RGB for Web/Online)

How can a club handle this themselves?

Ask inside the club (Armagh)

Croke Park have guidelines to helpwww.brand.gaa.ie

E-mail: info.ulster@gaa.ie

www.thegaaway.com

Summary• Clear message

• Good photograph

• Clear contacts

• Well branded

• Keep it simple!!

• Be patient!

Securing sponsorship, marketing and fundraising in

recessionary times

Brendan Mulgrew, Antrim PRO

Managing Director, Stakeholder PR company

Under 10 coach St Brigids

Club member, St Agnes

Executive Committee, Club Aontroma

Times are tough, just getting tougher

• County level • Club Aontroma level• Club level

• No longer enough to just ask • Partnership has replaced sponsorship• Tell donors & supporters what they are

getting in return

If your club was a business

Shared features club / business• Income / outgoings

• A brand name

• Local / national reputation

• A value associated with the brand

• Can people buy into it?

A new way of securing sponsorship

St Brigids & Little Wing

• St Brigids & Little Wing

• They hand over restaraunt

• Club members get discount meal – with all the quality intact

• Restaraunt attracts new 1st time customers

• Appealing local story

• Everyone gets something

Outcomes

• PR coverage for Little Wing and club

• Club cohesion

• Prospect of return business for LW

• Almost £1,000 profit

• Estimated cost to LW £300

• Already booked for next year!

Professionalise approach to sponsors

• Businesses associated with members – spread your net

• Suppliers – contactors, food / drink etc

• Local businesses – private sector, social economy, not for profit

• Do they want profile – not always

• Draw up a full pitch document – cost / options / benefits

How do you raise funds at present?

• Examine your existing activity

• Tried and tested can become tired and testy

• SWOT (you would for a business)

• Don’t do what you’ve always done, just because...

Fundraising - are you sourcing all funds you can?

• Do not keep going back to same pool

• Track funding sources – local council make regular calls for projects

• Other statutory funders

• Non statutory funders

• Private sector – employee giving / charity of the year

• Use resources available – Ulster Council

Retail donors – can be an untapped source

A unique club loyalty scheme £200 (?) per annum – businesses receive

a display certificateClub members get an agreed discount of a

given day (or weekend) in the yearClub = income

Members = discount Businesses = trade

Are there new approaches?

• Make your club part of the response to economic recession

• Your ‘database’ is a valuable asset

• Your annual blitz brings trade to community

• Establish a partnership with local traders (discounts for volumes)

• Helps build community awareness

Branding & Social media

• Average club membership

• Get active on SM

• Creates an additional media outlet – which you control

• It is easy – do not be out off SM

• Get followers, promote your supporters

• Homepage – drive traffic

Controlling input

• If you have a guestbook – moderate it

• Anything which carries club brand – moderate it

• Should players post on Youtube / Twitter etc? Moderate it!

Role of PRO

• In the past – send out notification

• PRO now at centre of club activity

• Real time news / match scores / link to national outlets

• Source and publish match reports

• Unlimited air time on website

• Drive parents to the site – their businesses will follow

Questions?

Thank you…