San Francisco GAA Wins Excellence in marketing Award for Community-Powered Campaign
An all-volunteer team is recognized for transforming the SFGAA brand, building community pride, and bringing more fans to Páirc na nGael.
American Marketing Association of San Francisco Best Bootstrapped Campaign Award
The San Francisco GAA has won a major San Francisco marketing award for a campaign built and powered by the people who make the organization what it is.
The award was presented by the American Marketing Association San Francisco on Thursday, September 24, aboard the historic Klamath Ferry in San Francisco. The SFGAA was recognized with the Best Bootstrapped Campaign award for its 2025 marketing and brand transformation.
Best of all, it was accomplished by an entirely volunteer organization with no paid staff.
Building Pride from the Inside Out
The campaign, “Building Pride from the Inside Out,” began with a simple idea: before asking new people to care about the San Francisco GAA, we first needed to give the people already inside the organization more reasons to be proud of it.
The campaign included a new visual identity, improvements to Páirc na nGael, a redesigned website, original photography and storytelling, stronger social media, and renewed public relations and community outreach.
Rather than simply promote games, the campaign focused on stories about the players, clubs, volunteers, and community that make the San Francisco GAA special.
“The San Francisco GAA proved you don't need a big budget to build a great brand, just a clear idea and a community willing to show up for it,” said Thomas Moyer, President of the American Marketing Association San Francisco. “Congratulations to every volunteer who made this happen.”
From Marketing to More People in the Stands
The campaign produced measurable results.
In 2025:
Website visits increased 68%
Social referrals increased 265%
Instagram followers increased 33%
35 original stories and features were published versus 0 the prior year.
Estimated average game attendance increased 33%.
But numbers only tell part of the story.
For the SFGAA Public Relations Officer, William Wayland, the goal was never simply to create better marketing. It was to make sure the work that happens on the field, and the people behind it, receive the recognition they deserve.
“We don’t score goals or points as PROs,” said SFGAA Public Relations Officer William Wayland. “But PROs can help our clubs get the recognition they deserve and bring more people from the community to our games. That’s what this campaign was really about: telling stories about the people who make the San Francisco GAA special and giving more people a reason to come out and be part of it.”
A Community Effort
From players and coaches to referees, board members, and volunteers who helped to improve Páirc na nGael, the campaign was a community effort.
“This award is a tremendous recognition of what our volunteers have accomplished,” said San Francisco GAA Chairperson Seamus Collins. “We have a lot of people who give their time because they believe in the GAA and what it means to our community. The work they have done to strengthen the organization and Páirc na nGael has been remarkable. This award belongs to all of them.”
The recognition from the American Marketing Association San Francisco is a testament to what an organization can accomplish when people are willing to contribute their time and talents to something they believe in.
The San Francisco GAA would like to thank the American Marketing Association San Francisco for the honor and, most importantly, everyone in our community who helped make the campaign possible.
We didn’t change what the San Francisco GAA stands for. We changed how people experience it.
