Crozier to push FA brands in new three-year marketing offensive

The Football Association is to launch a major marketing offensive as part of chief executive Adam Crozier’s plans to exploit its top brands – the FA Cup and the England international team.

Crozier’s new three-year plan, which was approved by the management board late last week, will involve a shake-up of the FA’s structure, whose aim will be to give it greater marketing focus. It includes the setting up of the FA’s first marketing department.

“The FA has always had a commercial focus – no one has ever thought of the FA Cup or the England team as brands in their own right,” says Crozier. “This new structure will help us to concentrate on our marketing strengths.”

Under the new line-up, all commercial operations – which include ticketing, the 27,000-strong England Members Club, and event management – will be controlled by the marketing department.

The three-year scheme incorporates plans to develop a long-term branding strategy for the FA, to set up a fully operational e-commerce Website, and to establish the FA as one of the leading marketing organisations in world football.

The marketing department will be run by FA commercial director Phil Carling.

But it is likely that the association will have to recruit more staff with marketing expertise to implement the complete programme.