Know-How Exchange : Strategy

Hi sarasextoncw,

Each geograpical area in the world has current and future customers that have different hot buttons.

It might be cheap drinks, hourly specials, great food, free food at happy hour, scantily clad servers etc.

Look at the successful competition in your area and emulate them because they have their finger on the local pulse.

Vevolution gives good advice also.

The biggest thing is you need to get people to start talking positively about your place.

There is no silver bullet, you have to try out some of the above and more see what works and most of all, create a great customer experience by being there yourself as much as possible and rewarding your staff for doing the same.

Some good ideas above, but I agree you have to identify your punter first off. Are you a family pub? a real ale drinkers pub? a sports bar? a music venue? Who are your ideal customers (be FOCUSED everybody is NOT an answer!)? Where are they drinking now? What can you do better, bigger, different? Don't try and be all things to all people, focus on a target audience, and tailor your promotions to them.

To take an extreme example you wouldn't have topless barstaff and strippers if you wanted to attract a family crowd, obviously. But you get my drift.

With reference to the name change, I'm not sure about that– A lot of old English Inns with a great deal of heritage and history have lost their identity with a trendy 'rebrand' including a funky new name. Often a coat of paint, and some "under new management" banners do the trick just as well!

A local pub with a terrible reputation changed its' name from "The Dalmatian" to "The Spotty Dog" without losing the reputation, while managing to lose any credibility and heritage!