07 Feb A Recipe for Hospitality PR Success
Hospitality PR is arguably one of the most competitive markets right now. With exciting new venues and concepts across the country cropping up daily, launching a restaurant that leaves a lasting impression on customers, press and most importantly, respected industry critics, requires a carefully crafted plan.
Whipping up said plan in a world where news spreads at the click of a button and opinions are formed in the blink of an eye demands a unique and strategic approach. Here at LUYA, we like to start with concept development, before we – along with restaurant – begin to sow the seeds of our creativity… In other words, create a 5* launch campaign that gets bookings filled, bums on seats and a press buzz.
twenty eight, Chester
Brand Identity
Establishing a new restaurant’s identity is a crucial starting point. From working with graphic design teams to creating a set of social media guidelines and deciding what the overall tone-of-voice will be, branding needs to be cohesive and resonate with target audiences.
Storytelling is just as important and our client, twenty eight, excels at this. The growing-led concept is Chester’s hottest new venue and offers a unique approach to British tapas-style dishes and fresh produce through its close partnership with Daresbury farm, Growing @ Field 28. With an honest approach to its sustainable and ever-changing farm-to-table menu, as well as the team’s dedicated to producing zero-waste dishes, the seasonal yield is at the very forefront of twenty eight’s identity.
A strong brand identity, meticulously curated like twenty eight’s, establishes an instant connection with customers and defines a unique selling point that attracts attention from far and wide. If executed in a 360 approach across design, branding, social media and all general communcations, then interest will follow. This authenticity has even seen the restaurant achieve recognition from Condé Nast Traveller, who awarded twenty eight ‘Reader’s Favourite’ at the Top UK New Restaurant Awards.
The Manor at Greasby, Wirral
Social Strategy
As we all know, social media is a vital tool for amplifying a brand’s presence and engaging with its audience. In particular, strategic partnerships with influencers and media outlets further elevate visibility and provide opportunities to showcase food and drink offerings, generating buzz and publicity.
Grand openings, press first looks or soft launches are essential for creating anticipation and excitement. To mark the highly anticipated opening of The Manor at Greasby in 2023, we got to work inviting local and regional influencers, food bloggers, and media outlets to sample the extensive menu and create some stunning social content to get the locals chatting. Despite being located in a small Wirral village, this event immediately raised the venue’s profile across Merseyside, Liverpool and Cheshire.
To keep this momentum going, we booked in all of the top foodie social accounts in the area to try different aspects of the gastro-pub style menu, from its afternoon tea offering to the all-day offering. These reviews not only saw a total influencer reach of over 250K, but an increase in bookings and general word-of-mouth.
Climat, Manchester
Long-standing Partnerships
Maintaining long-term partnerships is also a great way to keep people talking about your venue. One way to do this, is to provide regular insights into upcoming milestones and events. With Climat, a wine-led restaurant based in Manchester, we did just that.
To mark the restaurant’s first anniversary following its opening in December 2022, we held a press lunch to raise a toast to an incredible year. We tied the occasion in with the annual Beaujolais Nouveux Day, inviting regional and national press to enjoy some of Climat’s ‘greatest hits’ from the past year’s ever-changing menu and an a selection of the year’s vintage. This ensured that Climat was the still the restaurant on everyone’s minds, despite a year having passed since the initial opening buzz.
To further maximise on local events, when the Matièrs d’Art show came to Manchester in 2023, we partnered with Chanel straight away to ensure we could leverage as many opportunities as possible for our client whilst so many big names from the fashion world were in town. Not only did this result in many high-profile bookings at the restaurant, but the event even led to some incredible coverage, including a mention in Vogue.
Feeling inspired? Get in touch for our advice on how to best promote your next campaign: hello@luya.co.uk.