The Marketing Your Pubs Awards were organised by Punch to recognise licensees who go the extra mile to attract customers to their pubs.
The eight winning pubs were chosen as winners out of thirty finalists across the West Midlands, Wales and the North West after judging visits from area managers.
One of the judges, Punch partnership development manager Stuart Plant, explained why he selected his winner, the Horse and Jockey in Wednesbury.
He said: “Carol and Paddy Fleet demonstrated a real willingness to listen and thus enhance their business. After the initial judging, I pointed out areas that they could improve upon, which they quickly put right. Overall the Horse and Jockey has a very attractive pub frontage, with very good marketing of up and coming events, along with excellent social media which made it a clear winner.”
Recognition
The couple, who have been running the Horse and Jockey for a year, won £350 worth of drinks and were presented with a certificate and trophy in recognition of their achievement.
Mrs Fleet said: “To be recognised as winners of this award by Punch means so much, especially after all our hard work over the past 12 months.
“It’s vital to market the Horse and Jockey to the very best of our ability in order to attract local people to use our facilities on a regular basis.”
Regional operations Ddirector, Andy Crump, explained why Punch launched the competition: “The way that our pubs communicate their offer to both existing and potential consumers has needed to become increasingly diverse over recent years. Marketing in general is a massive priority for publicans to compete in their marketplace, and we wanted to recognise and reward licensees who excel in this area.
“We have been delighted with the high standards of entries and were truly impressed with the amount of effort and creativity that goes into different types of marketing, whether in its traditional or more modern digital formats. I would like to congratulate all of the winners.
Top Ten Tips for putting together an events calendar
- Ask customers what they want and make it relevant.
- Focus on key dates and occasions eg when customers are already planning to go out.
- Plan ahead and don’t leave anything, especially advertsing, until the last minute.
- Research what is happening locally with your competition – and do something different. Use the internet and the media.
- Set a budget to include any extra staff and the cost to promote – use this as part of your evaluation.
- Promote your event by using the local press, banners and A-boards externally and posters and tent cards internally.
- Use your bar staff – they are your best sales tool. Make sure they are fully briefed on the event.
- Ensure you deliver on your promises and that customers get the offer they came in for.
- Evaluate your event – was it a success? Could you have done anything better or differently? Would you run it again?
- Enjoy yourself – fun and laughter is infectious and wil get customers coming back for more.