Shakespeare's Globe
The UnderGlobe at Shakespeare's Globe
Hot restaurateurs sharpen up venue marketing skills
Already carving out
a cool, exciting name in the catering industry with two very
successful restaurants (Swan at West Malling and Swan at The
Globe), The UnderGlobe at Shakespeare's Globe needed to serve up
the same hot results at this fantastic venue.
The Challenge
Even when you're fantastically successful in one arena, like restaurants, it still requires confidence to transfer that success to another. So it is hardly surprising that after two years of building an enviable reputation for excellence, The UnderGlobe at Shakespeare's Globe was ready to tackle their venue marketing full on with a reassuring touch of Air.
Our Marketing Audit revealed that although the Swan team had a very instinctive, natural ability, there was a lack of structure when it came to marketing the venue side of the business. With a little more planning and clear delegation of responsibility, we knew that this client could really make its mark.
The Action Plan
There were three core issues that we knew would make an instant impact on The UnderGlobe's success at promoting its venue hire. By changing the focus of the annual showcase event to include a cooking demonstration by Michelin-starred chef, Mark Sargeant, the Swan created the opportunity to properly show off their food credentials and attract key clients and sponsors. Couple this with a clear strategy in building and maintaining customer relationships and there's no doubt they would be on to a winner.
The Results
- Investing in current clients and nurturing great relationships has become more beneficial than chasing new clients (it's so obvious, but you'd be amazed how many businesses don't do this).
- The showcase evening clearly demonstrated the USPs of UnderGlobe at Shakespeare's Globe- something we'd worked on together throughout the audit process. Add to that the inclusion of a high-profile presenter, and this event greatly increased awareness of this fantastic venue and generated important leads.
- Successful training with Air to prepare for the all-important Square Meal Exhibition ensured the team got their key selling messages defined and committed to memory. We even made them undertake the dreaded 'role play' to get properly into character (having their very own, famous stage certainly helped these budding performers!)
The Verdict
"We are restaurateurs, not marketers, and our business had always grown organically. Inga made us stop and think and truly, she was a breath of fresh air! She made us feel optimistic and excited for future, as well as encouraging us to think more fully about our brand. To be honest, it was like going into therapy - Inga was our marketing therapist!"
Joanne Eastham, UnderGlobe at Shakespeare's Globe
Click here to find out how our Marketing Audit works...