The Old Swan & The Unicorn

CASE STUDY – HOSPITALITY

VALUED
THOUGHTFUL
ENERGETIC

The

LEGACY

Achieved

VALUED
THOUGHTFUL
ENERGETIC

PROJECT INFO

The Sandridge Group consist of The Old Swan and The Unicorn Pubs, based in Leighton Buzzard. With the Unicorn being the younger and relatively newly launched of the two, there was a desire to bring the same dedicated loyalty and internal staff culture to this sister pub, whilst continuing to grow The Old Swan’s presence.

Our sister agency Brand Elect (be.) first developed both brands, aligning their core principles and values so that the pubs were ready to tell their stories both as separate entities and in tandem, to demonstrate their people values, incredible work ethic and not to mention, their fantastic food.

IMMERSIVITY

With a defined brand narrative developed by our sister agency Brand Elect (be.), we were able to fully understand the client’s brand story and core messaging. The next step was to complete an Immersive Strategy Mapping Session to identify what their short and long-term business objectives were moving forward, along with their key audiences and the platforms in which they interact with each pub.

We found following the mapping session, that both The Unicorn and The Old Swan have such a strong team culture that often, their audience do not see. From their company history to their exceptional quality meals, we discovered there was much more that both pubs could offer by way of storytelling, to escalate their digital presence and connect at a deeper level with their target consumers.

ACTIVATION

With a brand story set in motion, we set to activate the pubs’ marketing communications through social media outreach, prioritising the promotion of their upcoming events, their latest seasonal menus and specials, and of course, team culture. We combined striking visuals and video content to utilise a media mix of food, the team, their valued customers and of course, they are both dog-friendly pubs, so there were many four-legged friends showcased in there too!

We provided professional photography for both pubs so that The Old Swan and The Unicorn’s branded images were now being consistently shown across their social media channels and websites. The results immediately showcased that we were reaching and engaging a huge audience.

It was this, combined with an engaging website designed with the user in mind meant that a seamless user experience was created, and digital activation was achieved.

DATA

Social Media reach was improved by 552% in just 6 weeks on the Unicorn and 779% on The Old Swan Instagram channels alone. Organically improving reach and engagement this fast showcased that our increased profile activity, range of content and engagement with followers was incredibly successful.

By developing websites and creating a stronger presence on social media with engaging content from photography shoots, brand affinity was formed which meant that both pubs’ increased in popularity, with all of their events becoming fully booked.

We increased their activity by posting regular engaging content on the identified social channels for their target audiences (Facebook & Instagram), hitting a wide content mix (still image, videos, and animated images) to increase engagement and interest.

LEGACY

Both The Unicorn & The Old Swan’s philosophy is to make their customers feel VALUED. They do this through providing an exceptional service both in their pubs and throughout their digital presence, with a THOUGHTFUL mindset.

The team’s passion and love for what they do is ENERGETIC, showcased internally and externally. Due to their ability to put people at the heart of everything they do, The Old Swan and The Unicorn have become household names within their local areas, selling out all their events and being consistently busy throughout the week. Additionally, customer loyalty continues to increase for both establishments and further trust has been built through increased