The emperor's new clothes or the fuel that feeds success? The jury's out on whether PR is worth investing in...
By Victoria Gill
Owner of Lab and Townhouse, Douglas Ankrah, says: "It's extremely important for people to know about what you're doing through the press and media. Whenever you start a bar you need marketing and PR for the first six months. It can really help you to move forward and progress."
Indeed, public relations, when it works, can raise your business's profile, make it more desirable to your target clientele and sustain interest in the venue for years to come. On the downside it's expensive and - with some campaigns costing in excess of £4,000 a month - if the PR that your agency spins isn't effective, that money could be better used on staff, products, furnishings or in your own pocket.
One former bar owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, says: "When I opened my bar outside central London I hired a PR because everyone said that I needed one. They promised me celebrities at the opening - a former bit actor on Eastenders turned up, got completely pissed and was rude to the other guests. The PR woman said that she could get me into all the magazines and newspapers. She didn't, but I kept seeing her in the media - making me think she was spending my money on raising her own profile. There were lots of hidden extras involved - I invested just over £30,000 and ended up with little coverage and no bar."
Looking from the other side of the counter, PR can be a mixed blessing. It makes my job easier as I'm told when a new venue's opening and sent background information and images before a visit is scheduled. However, while the PR's job is to persuade journalists that an establishment is amazing, there's nothing more frustrating than being told that a venue is the hottest thing to be unveiled in decades, only to discover that it wasn't worth the tube ride there.
I was recently sent to a new Shoreditch bar whose press release implied that it was the most exciting thing to hit London. I arrived to discover a clientele drawn from lower middle management, food that had clearly been microwaved and interiors that resembled a Ha! Ha! Bar. I had to inform the PR that there was no way I could bill it as "the" new destination bar, and told my editor the article shouldn't be run - it was a waste of time for all concerned.
Similarly, I sometimes get releases for venues that are inaccessible. Unfair as it may seem, unless the venue is exceptional - Dusk in Battersea being one example - a reviewer is unlikely to be enticed to travel very long distances when there are equally promising ventures closer to home.
Jori White, established her eponymous agency 10 years ago and counts Lab, Townhouse, 43, the Cinnamon Club and Zuma among her portfolio. "The journalist is the most important person and the relationship should never be undervalued," she says. "Once you've pissed off a journalist they'll never come back."
She began her career under Alan and Elizabeth Crompton-Batt, industry veterans who launched restaurant and bar PR in the UK. "When they fell apart they left the market open. I set up my own company, initially focusing exclusively on restaurants and bars, before expanding into hotels, beauty and publishing. It's useful to have a good range of lifestyle clients. We can generate cross-publicity by launching a beauty product in one of our bars, for example. It's great for widening editorial contacts. I have so many clients across the board that I get to speak directly to the top decision-makers."
Throwing a launch party is a great way of ensuring your venue gets mentioned. However, when a selection of movers, shakers and pretty people are invited in for free champagne and little food, it's easy to view the venue through rose-tinted glasses. Post-launch the atmosphere changes radically and a different clientele forms - comparably, the venue can seem poorer.
Tamsin Saunders, who founded the Pink Fish agency 10 years ago, has a different stance to many other PRs, and it's one that's worked for clients such as Noble Rot, Aura and the Westbourne. "We think big launch parties are the kiss of death and the height of naffness - places can struggle to live up to the hype generated around them," says Tamsin. "We don't want our clients to be pigeon-holed as the coolest and the best, we'd rather they became an established classic than a flash in the pan or fashion moment. Besides, the ultra-cool people would rather discover a place for themselves, they're less likely to be influenced by whether Russell Crowe drinks there."
Celebrities are nevertheless huge vehicles for generating publicity. Some bar managers and security staff will telephone the paparazzi the moment one walks in, though this can be a double-edged sword. Think of the recent episode with Prince Harry outside Pangea - chances are he won't be returning there anytime soon.
Equally, the kind of celebrity featured will reflect upon the establishment. Just look back to when a drunk and pregnant Jordan was snapped falling into a cab outside Chinawhite. Wasn't that around the time that it became less associated with VIP and more associated with wannabe? Those that perpetuate the word that they have a huge celebrity following without naming or shaming - think the Wellington, Soho House and the Groucho - have a much greater shot at longevity than those who shout about it.
Eliot Sandiford, who represents bars such as Lonsdale, Trafalgar and Hell, explains how the process works: "If you've got a cool, famous regular then you don't release that because they are a genuine customer and your clientele will already be aware of their presence. It's a draw in itself that shouldn't be jeopardised.
"However, recently Jennifer Aniston came into Lonsdale and we knew it was a one-off. She'd just split with Brad so she was incredibly newsworthy at that moment. I offered the journalist an exclusive in return for them mentioning the bar and what she was drinking."
It goes without saying that if a venue is really special it will promote itself. Those with the most stylish interiors, the Loungelovers, Sandersons and Sketches of this world, have such seminal designs that the media finds them, and they are publicised in much wider features, as well as photoshoots - if the offering is truly special then the possibilities are endless.
"It's a very competitive marketplace and the venues that succeed need to not only offer a great experience but also work out where their niche is, whether it's as a local or a destination bar," says Tamsin. "It's about creating a USP in an increasingly homogenous marketplace. It's very important to be seen as the original and the best or as doing something differently."
In the same way that an individual might invest in a watch because they feel it reflects their personal style, bars are very much a lifestyle choice, and in frequenting them consumers are associating themselves with that brand and sector of society. If you are going to hire someone to publicise your venture, ensure that they market it in the right way, as when it works, PR can be invaluable, but when it goes wrong the implications can be manifest.
Don't even think about PR if your bar:
- has a poor location
- has unremarkable interiors and a low price range
- is unlikely to service a sophisticated or interesting clientele
- you haven't spoken to more than one agency.
So you've decided to take a PR on? Look at the following:
- Whose campaigns have they run in the past?
- Are they used to handling venues similar to yours?
- Does the contract have a six month opt-out clause?
- How many other clients do they have - will they be able to pay close