Greene King launches smoking support for pubs

Greene King has launched a marketing support package to help its pubs grab hold of the opportunities following the smoking ban on July 1.

The company's campaign, 'Fresh Thinking Pubs' is going to be driven by PR and marketing activity throughout its managed and tenanted estate before and after the ban.

Greene King Pub Partners managing director David Elliott said: "The smoking ban represents a seismic opportunity for the licensed industry - and we intend to help our licensees grab it with both hands!

"Our 'Fresh Thinking Pubs' campaign will form an essential part of the PR and marketing activity in pubs across the country.

"We're investing over £10m in preparation for the smoking ban, and are ensuring that our pubs can really can take full advantage of the heightened public interest in, and use of, smoke-free environments. Our licensees will be in prime position to serve the interests of non-smokers and smokers alike and the campaign will help them with the bit that so often gets forgotten - telling people about it."

The Fresh Thinking Pubs kit includes:-

• Newspaper advertising templates to promote smoke-free and new smoking facilities

• Directional signage options

• Template press releases for pubs to tailor to their outlets

• Posters, banners, tent cards, bill folds so that pubs can tell their customers well in advance what they are doing for the ban

• Promotions in partnership with the NHS to help customers to quit smoking

• Process checklists so that pubs can easily adapt their operations to include smoking areas

• Regular newsletters and weekly emails keeping pubs up to date with everything to do with smoking