Experiential Marketing | Patrick Kavanagh

Who’ll step up to bat for the League Cup?

Posted on September 29, 2011 by MrExperiential

In baseball there is a term for the leagues below Major League Baseball (also known as ‘The Show’): that name is the ‘minor leagues’. The minor leagues have a tiered system similar to that of the Football League, consisting of AAA, AA, A+, A and Rookie Ball. In some team systems, there can be six or seven tiers. In a certain way this is similar to the academy system for each football club or for the national side, but the core difference being the Major League Baseball system is a development system without the age restrictions.

There are some minor league teams with some great history, and there have even been Hollywood movies made about minor league teams. The movie Bull Durham comes to mind: starring Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon, it is a tale of the types of characters in minor league baseball and talks of the lore of the game. It has become a cult baseball movie classic.

Why this (extremely brief) history of minor league baseball? Well, that is the way I see the nPower Football League in some ways, with the core difference that the teams have the tease of making the Premier League one day. And this is a very big difference.

One way to showcase yourself as a strong up-and-coming team with a chance for that Premier League dream is during the League Cup, when relative minnows get a chance to battle the big boys. They get a chance against Manchester United, Liverpool or Chelsea. In essence, this is a minor league team getting to play against major league competition – or is it?

The League Cup does not inspire teams any longer, in my estimation, and there is no more proof needed than to see what type of teams Premier clubs field. In the main, you get a mix of fringe players and academy kids playing for what is meant to be a major trophy. What am I saying here? I’m suggesting that the League Cup is a minor league trophy for minor league players, at least until the semi-finals when teams start to see it as a chance for silverware. In some cases, it’s a shot at a modicum of success in what is a league dominated by a few big spenders.

Even though the Football League claims that the League Cup is watched in “150 countries”, the semi-finals and the finals might be seen in 150 countries, but Wycombe vs. Colchester will not likely be seen anywhere except in Wycombe and Colchester.

It is no surprise that Carling has pulled out of the League Cup as sponsor after 14 years. Once sponsors of a prominent British competition, they are now a major league brand sponsoring a minor league trophy. In a similar case, Coca-Cola pulled out of the Football League sponsorship, which is another example of a major league brand supporting a minor league sporting organization. In this instance a UK brand jumped in to sponsor the nPower Football League. This may have to be the same strategy for the League Cup; a British brand will have to step up to the plate.

I have no doubts that they’ll find a sponsor. It’ll just have to be a little more regional, as that’s what the League Cup has become.

Posted in Banana Kick, Events, Experiential, Football, Gary McCall, Leisure Marketing, Marketing, MrExperiential, Patrick Kavanagh, Sponsorship, Sports Marketing, Sports Marketing Leeds, Sports Marketing Yorkshire, Sports Sponsorship, The Drum Blogs | Leave a comment

The Rugby League Experience?

Posted on September 1, 2011 by MrExperiential

I’m looking forward to this Friday. I’m heading to see some rugby, Engage Super League rugby, to be exact. As we are made aware, Super League is meant to be the most progressive league in the UK. It thrills fans in a way that no other sport does. I’m expecting the greatest sporting experience since my arrival in the UK. Thrills and spills will abound, the service will be top notch. Every penny spent will be respected. My expectations are high.

As we all know, the Super League is a rare summer sporting activity in the UK. It’s a chance to head to a game where you can sit in your polo shirt and sip back a beer. You can complain that it’s a bit too warm or the sun is in your eyes. This is also what I’m looking forward to. A Friday evening where there’ll be a bit of sunshine and an ever so slightly warm breeze. (I know this is August in Leeds – but a man can dream, can’t he?)

It’ll be bottom-feeders Wakefield versus the Rhinos, so this should be a blowout. The fans will be in good stead and the streets and surrounding community will be buzzing afterwards.

So wish me luck! I’m about to be wowed by a brilliant sporting experience. I’m about to feel at home. Leeds Rhinos – impress me!

Posted in Banana Kick, Experiential, Gary McCall, Headingley, Leeds, Leisure Marketing, MrExperiential, Rugby, Sponsorship, Sports Marketing, Sports Marketing Leeds, Sports Marketing Yorkshire, Sports Sponsorship | Leave a comment

Football Royalty

Posted on August 10, 2011 by MrExperiential

No Press

Well here we go, football is at it again. The nPower Football League is acting like some level of Hollywood royalty. For those of you who are unaware, the Football League and the Barclays Premier League have banned reporters from reporting on football. That’s right, they’ve banned them from press areas within the stadiums, making them pay for their own tickets to report on games. The Telegraph has cited the purpose of the ban as a means to control “how we and other media groups can cover matches.”

So, like Hollywood royalty, football wants to constantly be in the limelight. The Football League and Premier League want to claim they’re the best in the world and, ostensibly, be paid endless amounts of money on the back of that statement. They love the ‘paparazzi’ snapping those photos of superstars like Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and John Terry; they lap it up like a dog with peanut butter on its tongue. But there is a catch.

The Football League wants full editorial control of all snaps from the paps. They want to ensure that the writers tell the story the way they want them to. They think the numerous media channels are there just to support them. They want to ensure that we only see the good side of the game.

Like Ryan Giggs, I think their next step may be to take on the Internet. The Football League may even sue the Internet for copyright infringement and the use of pictures owned by the Football League. The Internet will be liable for taking images that were meant to be on slow moving and antiquated Football League websites.

In doing this they have also blockaded their sponsors. Currently nPower, and if this continues, Barclays are not getting the promised exposure that I’m sure was a part of their contract. As most of you know, a key part of sponsorship is the amount of media exposure they will get from being associated with the most covered sport in the UK. The Football League’s lust for editorial control is not only sickening, it is pandemic of the lustful greed in the ‘beautiful game’.

As most football clubs have a limited capacity to create commercial opportunities for themselves outside of ticket sales, they rely very heavily on sponsorships. As you will notice in a large percentage of cases, football clubs have very active commercial teams but very inactive marketing teams. This would suggest that they look out for what is best for their sponsors; by blockading the press, they have not done this. They have blocked their league sponsors from vital media coverage.

In an era where the English FA is derided for its inability to galvanise the sport in any way, I will no longer be amazed by the ineptitude shown by most football bodies. Like the FA, now the leagues are showing the same lack of vision.

Posted in Banana Kick, Events, Experiential, Football, Gary McCall, Leeds, Leisure Marketing, Marketing, MrExperiential, Patrick Kavanagh, Sponsorship, Sports Marketing, Sports Marketing Leeds, Sports Marketing Yorkshire, Sports Sponsorship, The Drum Blogs | Leave a comment

Games or Everyone’s Games

Posted on July 27, 2011 by MrExperiential

After dealing with going on my jollies and a very busy business period, I realised that I have been remiss with respect to blogging. So I promise I’m back, whether you like it or not, spreading some opinions and knowledge with respect to the sports and leisure business.

In the interim guest blogger James Tabberer, England’s first Olympic Inspire Programmer, has decided to fill this space with a very interesting and timely blog:

Today marks one year to go (or 366 days, or 8,784 hours or 527,040 minutes or 31,622,400 seconds) to the much-anticipated London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games.

The awarding of the Games to London four years ago was greeted with much excitement and celebration across the country. However, I think it’s fair to say the road to London 2012 continues to be defined by a polorisation of views. Will they deliver a legacy? Is it a fair investment of public money? Is it ‘everyone’s Games’, or is it exclusive to punters and businesses who can afford to be part of it?

Will you miss out?

No doubt today Lord Coe and his team will be reeling off the usual array of statistics (X number of volunteers, X number businesses winning contracts, X number of spectators, X number of people to write his speeches) to parry any difficult questions like: How is London 2012 engaging with the young people of East London? (not by moving the marathon to a different part of the city anyway!)

Indeed in my previous role with London 2012’s Inspire programme (community driven programme that recognizes non-commercial projects connected the Games), it was a constant battle of trying to nurture and support new projects whilst attempting to record good statistics for the league tables i.e. not what difference have you made, but rather how many projects to you have?

Never the less I worked with some great Inspire projects that really make a difference for young people in our region, giving them a chance to take part and make positive changes in their lives.

So the moral of the story is despite the red tape and the spin, the Games can genuinely inspire people across the country to get involved.

Here at Banana Kick we think the same principle applies for businesses. You don’t need buckets of cash to make a connection to London 2012 or win a contract to benefit from the Games.

Whether it is motivating your staff, inspiring your sales team or engaging with your customers we believe that any business in Yorkshire can use the Olympics to make a difference.

In fact, we are so confident that London 2012 can be ‘every businesses Games’ that we have set ourselves the challenge to prove to any organization that they can use the Olympics to better their business.

So don’t wait 366 days to get involved, take up the challenge!

Posted in 2012, Banana Kick, Events, Experiential, Gary McCall, Leeds, Leisure Marketing, Marketing, MrExperiential, Olympics, Patrick Kavanagh, Sponsorship, Sports Marketing, Sports Marketing Leeds, Sports Marketing Yorkshire, Sports Sponsorship, The Drum Blogs | Leave a comment

Raising the Bar

Posted on April 20, 2011 by MrExperiential

Since Banana Kick, the company that employs me, specializes in sports and leisure marketing, I thought I’d cover the leisure side of things. I wanted to talk a little about what we call in Canada (and invariably in the US) a sports bar.

Now, I understand the value of sitting in the pub and watching football with a few mates on a cold December Saturday afternoon. There is something warming about sitting in a cozy pub consuming a few pints and staring intently at the screen embracing every moment of the match. It is a part of the UK that I revel in. But there are also different experiences that can bring a whole new element of stimulation.

I’m not sure if any of the readers of this little blog have been to a sports bar, but for those who haven’t, they are playgrounds for young men and sports-oriented women (along with cougars on the prowl) to go and have a great afternoon or evening of sporting heaven. What created the impetus to write this was when I went back home to Toronto last May. Toronto is now home to the “best sports bar in North America” (as touted by ESPN). The Real Sports Bar & Grill, as seen in the image below, is the Mecca of sport stimulation: take a traditional pub, multiply it by 1000, add a litany of beautiful women waiting on you hand and foot, and a dash of ‘razzmatazz’. As the bar’s promotional material says, there are: “12 types of burgers to traditional sports bar fare and 112 taps featuring more than 29 brands of beer, the 25,000 square-foot, 1,000-seat sports bar is also home to 199 High-Definition televisions [that’s right, 199!] and a two-storey HD screen, the largest indoor restaurant screen in North America.” There’s no chance you could miss a second of the match. There is no waiting at the bar for your pint to be served by some surly barmaid who is disinterested in even the simplest level of service. (I know some people claim they like the poor service in the UK, but I think it’s a case of individuals reveling in their own schadenfreude, but that is a whole other story.)

Best Sports Bar in North America

Now, some may say this is a fake or manufactured experience. I’d have to say I agree, it is manufactured, but it’s manufactured awesome! It’s like breast augmentation and nose hair trimmers, flash cars and well-tailored suits, the sports bar makes sport watching better. I truly challenge any British bloke (or cougar) to tell me that they’d really rather fight for the attention of a cantankerous bartender shuffling around a grotty O’Neill’s than a fun and friendly server making sure all your needs are met (in beer and pie terms). The food options are much greater too, or at least meet the basic requirements of quality.

This is truly a ‘don’t knock it until you try it’ experience.

Potential Sponsorship Deals for Rooney?

Posted on April 15, 2011 by MrExperiential

None of us are shocked that Wayne Rooney has lost his sponsorship with Coca-Cola, and on the back of that loss he has also seen the cancellation of Wayne Rooney’s Street Striker. As I have suggested in the past, sponsors are often too quick to jump ship after athlete indiscretions, but in this case it doesn’t seem to be the case.

Wayne Rooney Dumped by Coke

We know that the deal with Coca-Cola actually ended in 2010, but I certainly find it interesting that it was announced recently. With these opportunities lost for Mr. Rooney, I thought I would come up with a few new opportunities to help Rooney make a little more money to buy some OAP’s a gin or two. (It’s all a bit of Friday fun)

The Caravan Club: With Mr. Rooney as spokesperson and ambassador the club’s membership would grow exponentially. Additionally, it will give him a community to live, as he was meant to, during his retirement years. We’d be certain to put that into the contract of course.

Shrek: With the successful four part movie series now under wraps, we feel confident we could release a fifth instalment called; Shrek ‘F*@k What?’ featuring Betty White as the old maid.

Weight Watchers: As the pints continue to pour and the weight continues to rise, Weight Watchers may be the only way to keep Rooney on the pitch. And with Manchester United’s ageing squad, we would also look to broker a kit sponsorship deal as well.

Hair Club for Men: To generate revenue from the American glory hunting Manchester United contingent (not to dissimilar from the UK one), I would recommend Rooney as a spokesperson for the Hair Club for Men. Balding so profusely in your mid-twenties can be embarrassing enough, but further exposure of those ears must be devastating. And as an emerging baldy myself, I couldn’t help following such a strong role model.

HM Prison Service: Feeling nervous that I’d lose my prized cash cow, I’d strike up a pro-bono deal with the Prison Service, hoping that in future we can plead for leniency and get ‘the boy’ back on the streets.

Posted in Banana Kick, Events, Experiential, Football, Leeds, Marketing, MrExperiential, Patrick Kavanagh, Sponsorship, Sports Sponsorship, The Drum Blogs | 2 Comments

The Best Worst Sponsorship Ever?

Posted on March 11, 2011 by MrExperiential

This could easily be the best and the worst sponsorship in history. How can that happen you ask? Well let me tell you a little tale about one particular Olympic sponsor.

Imagine if you had a brand, a very powerful brand, and it had no competitors what-so-ever. A true and powerful monopoly, no one to get in your way, not one organisation. If you ran this brand would you tell people about it? Would you let them know that you have this monopoly? Well one company has this power and they have failed to tell… well… nobody.

The company in question, Visa. Some of you may not realize, but you need to have a Visa card to buy tickets for the Olympics. That’s right, if you do not have a Visa card, no tickets for you. If you check you wallet now, and you want to attend an Olympic event, you better have a Visa card in there.

You would also imagine that Visa would be shouting from the rooftops to tell you this, but they are not. Not once has I walked through a train station or seen an advert on the telly. Not once when I have pulled cash out of the hole in the wall or entered my bank. Not once has Visa told me this. Well my friends, I am telling you today.

How cool is it that they hold this monopoly, and how lame is it that they have ignored the opportunity to land thousands and thousands of more customers on the back of this brilliant coup. It goes to show you that the big boys bottle sponsorship like many other organizations. So don’t feel too bad football club shirt sponsors, even Visa can bottle a brilliant sports sponsorship.

Posted in Banana Kick, Events, Experiential, Gary McCall, Leeds, Marketing, MrExperiential, Patrick Kavanagh, Sponsorship, Sports Sponsorship, The Drum Blogs | 2 Comments

Hockey Night in England?

Posted on January 28, 2011 by MrExperiential

As a Canadian you can imagine that I live and die by hockey – that’s hockey, not field hockey. And you’d be right, I love the game, I grew up with the game. In Canada it’s a national institution. You may think it’s our national game, but it’s not lacrosse is, though it certainly feels that way.

It’s tough to watch hockey here. ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ starts at midnight in the UK on ESPN America. Many times I record the games and watch them on Sunday morning, but sometimes I have a nice hot coffee and watch live. Though it makes me a little homesick, I bear through just to get a little heart-on-sleeve sport. For those of you who haven’t watched hockey before, I suggest you do. I know you live and die football, some may also watch rugby and cricket, but almost all of you will have a football club in your heart.

I have always felt that the British would like hockey, that the essence of what makes hockey great would appeal to the average British sports enthusiasts. It’s a game of blinding speed, men skating at 45mph, in full contact mode, finessing a small piece of vulcanized rubber. These men are like gladiators at times, the goalie has to stop 90mph shots on the fly, hits come fast and furious, and once in a while things boil over and a scrap ensues. I really do love this game; it’s beauty and power in one ultimate package. And I miss the game as well.

I missed it so much I began to search it out. I started to take a look at the EIHL, the league here in Britain. I needed some hockey injection, and this was going to be my syringe. I had a good conversation about hockey with the commercial director of one of the clubs here in the north. Now if I’m honest I was skeptical, I wasn’t sure if the quality would be up to snuff. I have been used to watching the top league in the world for my whole life – I have seen international hockey stars play on a regular basis. How was I going to feel about this hockey? I realised I had to stop being a hockey snob and give it a punt.

I asked a colleague to go with me, as he loves all sport and thus he was an excellent candidate. I felt he would be an excellent ambassador for hockey in Britain, as I think that’s what the sport needs. It needs sports fans in the UK to watch so they can spread the word of … Awesomeness?

As I waited with anticipation to ogle that first puck drop in the UK, the lights began to dim. Smoke began to billow out of the dressing room corridor and music began to play. I can’t quite recall what song was playing but it surly had a tone suitable for the game of hockey: fast paced and aggressive. Spotlights were sweeping across the crowd and only stopping when a young fan was dancing deliriously to the music. It is what we call pre-game entertainment.

Now it must be noted that about 3,000 fans were at this game – not what I would call a packed house, but there was an excellent atmosphere anyway. The fans were really anticipating this, and I was told with regularity that I should be there when a derby is on. I’m told this is hot, the tensions run high and emotions get the best of even families and children. This is hockey in the UK, a fringe sport, or as we would say in North America, ‘minor league’.

What I like about ‘minor league’ sport is that it has to try. Minor league sport has to come up with unique or innovative promotions to get people through the gate. They have to succinctly target their audience or in many case their audience split. They have to find a way to talk to families, grown men and women all in one communication. These hockey teams rely on the sponsoring of everything, form the boards, shirts and even the players themselves. A marketer for a minor league club works twice as hard as one for a ‘major league’ sport.

Major league snobbery would turn their noses up at this sort of over-sponsoring and promotion, they may even think they are way above this. This snobbery is one of the most interesting elements of sport financing and development in the UK. A team, whether it is in football, rugby or cricket would think this is a form of prostitution. What amazes me the most is that most teams have half empty grounds and struggle to make ends meet. Their hubris is their demise, they think that the sport and only the sport is what people should come to watch, win or lose. Sorry ladies and gents, this is not the way any longer, fans now have a comparative analysis as they experience new level of service in sport. Fans are now able to realize when they are being treated well and when they are being asked to pay for a very poor product, both on and off the field of play.

Sure, they are not very sophisticated with respect to merchandise sales, TV promotion or community programmes, but neither are most major league programmes. Most major league community projects in the UK are grotesquely underdeveloped, but that’s another story.

All of this effort on a very minimal budget is why I’ll go to another hockey game in the UK. They appreciated my hard earned money. They tried really hard to ensure that I had a good time. And I appreciate that.

Posted in Banana Kick, Events, Experiential, Gary McCall, Hockey, Leeds, Marketing, MrExperiential, Patrick Kavanagh, Sponsorship, Sports Sponsorship, The Drum Blogs | 3 Comments

The Best Marketer in Town.

Posted on January 6, 2011 by MrExperiential

Who’s the best marketer in town? Who is the best at marketing their football club? Where is the great work coming from? Generally not known for their marketing flair and imagination, football clubs from time to time actually do get it right. Recently I spoke about Nottingham Forest’s well-produced direct mail piece and Manchester City’s online sponsorship activation. But there are others who do a pretty good job.

In the past in my blog I have mentioned that I liked the work of Manchester City, using a ‘Banksy’ street style creative coupled with ‘aggressive’ imagery. The Manchester City creative partners have developed all this creativity while throwing small taunts at their local rivals along the way. Good work.

Of course we can’t leave out Manchester United and their global dominance, starting football schools in North America and Asia, Manchester United will tour any country possible in order to spread their brand message and sell a few extra strips, thus allowing Alex Ferguson the right to whinge because he feels the ladies and gents who feverously assemble the annual fixture list are out to get the hallowed club. Yes, they are marketing well; they are truly a global brand (yes I said brand).

But what if you are running a smaller football club? What if you don’t have seemingly infinite budgets and global superstars to hinge your football club’s ethos on? I imagine you get extremely creative… right?

Well so far, I think not. Yes, I’m calling out football club marketing managers and directors across the country for a lack of creativity on what are always limited budgets, who are always strangled by the tight fisted owners and can never sell in their amazing concept to their old school hierarchy. Look in the proverbial mirror; is it you that I’m talking about? Well if it is, let’s talk about a small club that has a strong ethos, was on the brink of sinking into the nadir, that has now reached the upper echelons through a strong and ‘real’ strategy.

St. Pauli is that club. They caught my eye about ten years ago, when they were in the Hades of German football, barely struggling to survive. They caught my eye with their message, a strangely unique mantra in modern football: they were “anti-racism, anti…..” and I thought that was cool. It may be because I’m a fairly liberal chap, it may be because the same ol’ ‘unity’ message that sports clubs across the globe dump on our laps ad nauseam – you’ve heard them before: “All for One”, “The Passion that Unites Us All” and “The Theatre of Dreams”. In the end, it’s utter tripe. Anyone that buys these messages can hand me their wallet now; they will not be using it responsibly.

Now back to St. Pauli, a club that did get it right. I loved their merchandise for women. It wasn’t pink shirts with diamante jewels across the chest or hoodies with the team crest on every corner. It was a whole new identity for merchandise – an identity that felt original – one that I could wear without feeling like a chav. And they did this with a very limited budget and creativity. And better yet, they created a true community, allowing fans to become designers without much in the way of limitations. Imagine that! Imagine asking the fans what they want (not using some cheap online/chat room method)! Aghast!

And the great part, as St. Pauli has now reached the dizzying heights of the Bundesliga, they have not lost their way. They are still working with their fans to create a unique and fun experience in their ground, the Millerntor-Stadion.

The most recent interesting concept was this:

What you are seeing is correct. In the ‘posh’ seats a train brings you your hotdog. Now truly… how cool is that? I really want to sit there, heck I may even have two or three dogs just to enjoy the experience. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the crux of my point. You need to bring an experience to fans to retain them in today’s era of consumerism. As you look around your stadium on gameday, and 30% of your seats are empty, just ask yourself, ‘am I providing my fans with a unique experience?’ If you answer yourself honestly, most likely it will be no. Be prepared for the impending administration talks… Get ready for the next board meeting asking ‘how can we sell more shirts’ or ‘how can we sell them one more pint?’. The answers are there, but you’ll need to think about that Hot Dog train.

There are partners here to help. They are not as expensive as you are made to think, and eventually you’ll look like a hero if you use them.

Posted in Banana Kick, Events, Experiential, Football, Gary McCall, Leeds, Marketing, MrExperiential, Patrick Kavanagh, Sponsorship, Sports Sponsorship, The Drum Blogs | 4 Comments

Service with a smile.

Posted on December 16, 2010 by MrExperiential

Since I work for a Sports & Leisure marketing agency I thought I would cover the leisure side of things for a moment. I wasn’t asked to do this as part of my company’s remit or anything like that; I just have a passion for good service. It does probably lead to some of my sports rantings about fan experiences, as I think many sports clubs in the UK provide very poor service.

I had an impression when I moved to the UK, an impression that there would be a very mature service culture. Man, was I ever wrong. Maybe I thought it was all tea and scones, with proper ladies obliging my every whim. Well, as you can very well imagine, I was shocked by what I encountered.

Now, I think it would be appropriate to provide some context. In a much earlier life I was a bartender, but not in your average place. It was a fine dining Italian restaurant. It was a brilliant place to work as a young man: there was always great food on hand, the best wine and spirits in the land available, and the nature of the clientele ostensibly allowed me to cavort with beautiful young professional women. And the hours gave me much in the way of social time – it was a dream job for a young man.

The key aspect of this job was service, service at the highest level. We had a militant owner who ensured that every detail was managed, and even the smallest error could lose you shifts. Shifts were very valuable, especially Friday and Saturday nights, and the loss of one of these nights would severely affect your mildly lavish lifestyle. Since North America has a tipping culture, you can make quite a bit of money on a Saturday night. To give you an example, on an average Saturday with good turnover, you could make upwards of $700 (£432) beyond your regular wages. You walked home with that in your pocket – after seven hours of work. So we ensured that we listened to our military officer; we wanted those shifts.

He was so finite when it came to service that a dropped fork or knife would lose you a shift. Not taking the plates from the appropriate side would lose you a shift. There were so many rules it was tough to keep track at times, especially in the early days. But ultimately the guests kept coming, and they were happy. I’d have ‘regulars’ who would allow me to sit with them and talk sports and politics. They would tip a king’s ransom if I saved a special bottle of wine for them. As the bartender, I was like the chap with all the cigarettes in the prison. I could pull strings all day to ensure my guests had the best of the best.

And that is the crux of my point. I wanted my guests to have the best; I wanted them to enjoy their dining or drinking experience. Some may suggest this was just because I was in fine dining, but this type of service culture trickles down to the more rudimentary tiers of service too.

To flash forward, this all came to a head last year. I was so fed up with the debauchery that is called service in many establishments that I rarely went out to eat any longer in the UK. Originally I thought it was just me, I thought it was because I was used to good service thus I expected more. I began to whinge to friends here in the UK about it and I found that so many felt the same way – sure there were a few who said it was ‘American’ and ‘fake’ and the British don’t want that – but ultimately I think this is hyperbole. I think that there are individuals who don’t expect quality service, but the masses want to feel that when they spend their hard earned pounds, they get the service that goes with that.

I came to these service oriented revelations when at a country pub a few winters back. This place was packed – or chokka as some may say. It was rare to see a pub this overflowing, thus I was intrigued. My wife and I popped in after a long autumnal walk, and we were really looking forward to a hot tea and a bite to eat. And then we were amazed: the service was impeccable, the food was fantastic, and the atmosphere was perfect. And the key message here was that it was packed to the rafters with happy clients. This is what good service and good food can do – and the best part about good service is that it doesn’t come from the bottom line. But good service definitely increases profits.

Some may say the incentives for servers are not good enough, hence the surly and unhappy attitudes. This may be correct, but this is why you may need internal incentives to drive the impetus. But once you get your staff on your side, treat them like a valued part of the team and they will perform. And that performance will produce cash and repeat business. I know I make it sound simple, but that’s because it is. I know that if I’m getting bad service it comes from the owner, whether the owner is a pub or restaurant group or an individual proprietor.

Coming out of these tough times, when pubs are closing left and right, remember that a smile, a friendly wink, a kind word, warm food, good beer… They all go a long way towards customer happiness. And in the end, it could not only save your business, it could grow it exponentially.

Posted in Banana Kick, Events, Experiential, Gary McCall, Leeds, Marketing, MrExperiential, Patrick Kavanagh, Sponsorship, Sports Sponsorship | 1 Comment

Mr Experiential Talks Sports Marketing