A garrulous tweeter going by the name @imstevewilson, Steve interacts heavily with his followers and uses his online presence to further his pub’s profile.
Indeed, Steve’s pub has probably the most entertaining website I’ve ever seen – www.kingsheadwells.co.uk – appearing to be an almost ordinary run-of-the-mill web page as it loads, until a giant facsimile of Steve’s head appears on the page and interacts with you as you work your way around the site. Ignore the page and Steve will begin yawning, then tapping on the inside of your monitor to get your attention.
It’s Steve’s attention to the detail of his online activity that caught my eye and I turn up hoping to steal some ideas from him on how to improve my own presence.
It’s all about the branding
Originating from Easington Colliery in the north east, just a few miles from my own hometown of Redcar, Steve’s accent is juxtaposed with the Somerset burr of his staff. Steve has been in The King’s Head for four years and has worked hard to develop a brand for his pub, a differentiator from the 11 pubs in his immediate vicinity.
“Where medieval meets modern” is a strapline that now adorns the pub’s online presence and all of its in-house merchandise – including the candles that are set out on the tables in the evening.
“You’ve got to work on the business, not in it,” Steve says. Online tools such as his unique website and Twitter are important to him. But Steve also recruited two marketing students from the local college to develop posters to place around the pub. “Never forget the basics,” he advises.
In fact, he fuses tradition with technology: one poster contains QR codes – barcodes you scan with your mobile phone that then link to parts of his website.
Studies and screenings
Originally, the pub had two staff flats but Steve quickly turned one of those in to a large function room, complete with high-definition projector and bar. This is where we sit to chat, looking out at the rooftops of the picturesque city. “We have a social media class taught in this room, and salsa nights. We’ve shown movies and sports in here as well. But not everything works, so I always look to see what changes we can make,” he says. Steve describes himself as a “doer” and he doesn’t like giving up on ideas. If something isn’t working the way he thought it should, it can often be changed into something else. The comment cards on the tables, for example, don’t gather data as originally intended, but are instead scanned and put on the website for that personal touch (with pertinent data erased, obviously).
Building loyalty
But it’s Steve’s loyalty card – or, in a nod to the name of his pub, the Royalty Card that really gets my attention.
“It wasn’t cheap,” Steve says with a wry smile, “but if you’re going to do something properly you need to spend the money.” Together with his electronic point-of-sale supplier, he developed a loyalty card that offers customers discounts. The scheme launched in July. Steve used Facebook to introduce it and ran a competition to get customers to name the new card.: “I knew what I wanted it to be called, but I wanted to get the customers involved, so I just waited until the name I wanted popped up!”
It cost £2,500 to develop the card and Steve charges £10 a year membership. “It isn’t just about recouping costs,” he says, “it also gives the customers value. They feel like they’ve paid for something and it keeps them coming back.”
I like this idea, but Steve warns the hardest part is ensuring you get the two price structures on your till right. “I agonised over the pricing structure for ages, making sure I didn’t give too much away while maintaining the ethos of the scheme,” he says.
Looking to the future
Steve, 44, has been in the trade for more than 12 years, working with companies such as Whitbread and dispense monitoring company Brulines, before taking on his free-of-tie Scottish & Newcastle pub.
Steve isn’t ready to leave the trade. Other pubs are a possibility, but he’s also considering a future in property development. However, he just laughs when I make a comparison to Sarah Beeny…
