Marketing

Look after pub punters and they’ll look after you

Look after pub punters and they’ll look after you

By Mitch Adams

We are very lucky to have both a bar billiards and a quoits team. Roughly once a fortnight we have the opportunity to entertain a visitingteam and show them what we’re all about. We are expected to feed around 10 to 12 players.

The value of a chair at your pub

The value of a chair at your pub

By Alastair Scott

Last year I went through the very painful but exciting process of refurbishing a pub. The pub has 80 covers inside and a big outside area with at least 80 covers, possibly 200 when it can cope with the volume.

Time to champion the BII’s positive changes

Time to champion the BII’s positive changes

Are you mad? was a common question after my election as a regional chairman for the BII (British Institute of Innkeeping). I often ask myself that, but not on this occasion. I have been proud to be a BII member, to serve on its council, and now be a chairman.

Mellows:

Drink, death and damned press agencies

By Phil Mellows

One in eight deaths in the UK is caused by alcohol. This story was splashed across the media last week. So it must be true. But it’s not. They all got it wrong. How could that have happened? Here’s my reconstruction.

Keep the focus on maintaining your existing customers

Keep the focus on maintaining your existing customers

By Phil Davison

With many publicans, there is too much focus on luring new customers, and not enough on retaining existing ones. Many pubs’ marketing strategy hinges on tempting new punters, and often means investing in un-targeted advertising, with no real way of determining...

Put community at the heart of all that your pub does

Put community at the heart of all that your pub does

By Nigel Anstead

The pub trade has been under pressure for a few years now and yet business rates are becoming exorbitant, we have ever-increasing overheads, and — don’t forget — it’s that time of year for price rises from breweries.

A marketing plan can really help your pub

A marketing plan can really help your pub

By Gerry Price

The sun is shining, people are smiling and my glass feels half full. I am trying to make time for this year’s promotions plan. There are so many excuses to have a party, such as St George’s Day, the Ascot races, the village fête, and, of course, Christmas.

Vitesse Noir condemned by Portman Group

Vitesse Noir condemned by Portman Group

By Adam Pescod

An 11% ABV beer called Vitesse Noir has breached alcohol responsibility rules for making claims about the stimulating effects of the product on its packaging.

Capture customers — and don’t let them go

Capture customers — and don’t let them go

By Phil Davison

Leaving your customers in charge of your relationship is a recipe for disaster. Your customers are certainly not as motivated as you are to make your pub successful, so if you want to see your profits grow you need to put yourself in the driving seat.

Drinkaware campaigns change drinking behaviour

Drinkaware campaigns change drinking behaviour

By Adam Pescod

Alcohol awareness charity Drinkaware says all three of its 2011 campaigns have exceeded expectations and led to a change in drinking behaviour across its target audiences.

Tetley refreshes ITV sponsorship

Tetley refreshes ITV sponsorship

By Noli Dinkovski

Tetley’s has refreshed its programme sponsorship of ITV4 to support the brand’s recent makeover in a £5m campaign.

Gerry Price, licensee of the Inn@ West End, Woking, Surrey

Working out a plan to keep the punters happy

By Gerry Price

Giving customers what they want at a price they are willing to pay is crucial to any business, not least pubs. However, being the guv’nor means that you are going to spend a huge amount of your time doing the ‘giving’ so there needs to be some sort of...

Applaud the trade for progress on racism

Applaud the trade for progress on racism

By Dave Daly

The Anton Ferdinand and John Terry case (in which Chelsea captain Terry has been accused of making a racist comment to the QPR centre-half) has got me thinking about this issue in the licensing trade.

Going the extra yard to deliver great results

Going the extra yard to deliver great results

By Jamie King

So another English team fails in its bid for World Cup glory and Martin Johnson’s band of merry men come home with their tails between their legs, offering a list of excuses as to why they failed to match their potential with our expectations.

Stiffy's changes name after Portman Group ruling

Stiffy's changes name after Portman Group ruling

By Gurjit Degun

Stiffy’s Jaffa Cake and Kola Kubez vodka liqueur has had to change its name to Stivy’s after the Portman Group deemed it an inappropriate name linking to sexual success.

£27m fund awarded to attract tourism

£27m fund awarded to attract tourism

By Gurjit Degun

Tourism Alliance chair Brigid Simmonds has welcomed a £27m fund to attract an extra 4.6m visitors to Britain over the next four years.

Alcohol Concern likely to scale back activity

Alcohol Concern likely to scale back activity

By John Harrington

Alcohol Concern, the influential health campaign group that’s broadly viewed as anti-industry, looks likely to scale down its activities after the Government withdrew its funding for the body.

Portman Group: steep drop in complaints

Portman Group: steep drop in complaints

By Adam Pescod

The Portman Group received just five complaints about the marketing of alcoholic products last year — the fewest since its code of practice was introduced in 1996.

Pubwatch’s beneficial effect on the industry

Pubwatch’s beneficial effect on the industry

By Dave Daly

Over the years I’ve been involved in the Blackpool pubwatch as a committee member. I was lucky enough to get on to the national committee also; my role now is their man in northern Lancashire. I visit watches around the Lancashire area.

Drinkaware: third year of the campaign

Sixty firms back Drinkaware campaign

By Michelle Perrett

Sixty companies have agreed to get involved in the third year of Drinkaware's alcohol awareness campaign — Why Let Good Times Go Bad? The campaign...

Jeff Smith: 'Support is growing'

Support growing for PPL boycott campaign

By Adam Pescod

A Sheffield licensee calling for a boycott against the music royalties company PPL says he has had a "positive response" to a campaign he launched...

Philip Davison, host at the Sun in the Wood, Ashmore Green, Berkshire, 2009 BII Licensee of the Year

Remember, marketing is key to pubs' success

By Philip Davison

The mindset that rolling up your sleeves and 'running the pub' will lead to success is often the fatal flaw behind many under-performing or failed independent operations, argues Philip Davison.

Johnson: wants trade bodies to spend time on the issue

Johnson calls for VAT-cut campaign

By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Luke Johnson, the serial restaurant investor, has called on the whole hospitality industry to come together to campaign for a VAT cut.

Gerry Price: Reiterating the value of customer service

Smile, I'm a customer!

By Gerry Price

Things are tough at the moment but we have to remember that we are on stage and the theatre goers want a performance, says Gerry Price.

Saunders: there is a Fat Cat culture

Fat Cat: Creating a heritage brand

By Phil Mellows

Fat Cat founder Matt Saunders talks to Phil Mellows about how the brand has survived and the group's gastropub ventures.

No Saints aims to unveil up to 10 Wonder outlets before the end of the year

No Saints to unveil its Wonder brand

By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

No Saints, the leisure group run by former Luminar boss Stephen Thomas, has added a further brand to its fledgling portfolio — Wonder — after...

Grove Ferry Inn: boat trips

Innovate: Grove Ferry Inn boat trips

By Lesley Foottit

The Grove Ferry Inn, near Canterbury, Kent, has launched boat trips down the river for the summer. Licensee Anthony Pender started the trips last...

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Trust Nightclub - Friars Gate, Warrington

£ 150,000 - To Let

Friars Gate, WarringtonLocated in the Heart of the Town Centre Nightclub Circuit6AM Licence on Friday & SaturdayClose Proximity to UniversitySeparate Floors AvailablePotential to Split Subject...

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