Pubs, bars, cafés, and lounges (PBCL) constitute a significant portion of India’s Food & Beverage industry. In 2020, the PBCL market reached US$ 2.4 Billion and had been slated to cross US$ 2.9 Billion by 2022. This growth can be ascribed to the increasing popularity of nightlife, change in lifestyle, and the growing preference for alcoholic beverages. Higher market share and increased profit margins are a clear indication of stiff competition. So, how can you make your pub stand out from the rest? You need creative, impressive, and innovative pub marketing ideas to achieve that.
10 Innovative Pub Marketing Ideas to Attract More Customers
Here are some of our best, most refined pub marketing ideas to help you attract more customers.
1. Create A Brand And Build Brand Awareness
Brands are the key to attracting millennial and Gen Z audiences. Therefore, crafting a differentiated brand strategy can go a long way to ensure that your brand stands out and attracts a unique target audience.
2. Build A Creative Website
Your website is your best marketing agent that works on autopilot once set up. A creative website provides multiple touchpoints and ways for online visitors to engage and connect. Moreover, your website is where all of your brand strategies converge to create your brand image. Therefore, you must nail your website by all means.
3. Cultivate Your Social Image Through Social Media
Social media is a great way to promote your pub. They offer a variety of avenues to create brand awareness. To begin with, set up social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and share creative visuals like behind-the-scenes photos and other stories to engage your followers.
For example, Instagram offers multiple promotional options like Instagram stories, carousel posts, IGTV, and good old picture formats. Instagram stories are visible for a limited time and are a great way to promote pop-up pub events, like an extempore open house or a local musician, which eventually market your pub. Carousel posts are Instagram’s newest trend and can be leveraged for promoting permanent additions to your enterprise, like a new band set-up or a high-end bar extension.
4. Partner With An Influencer
Lifestyle influencers are all the rage in today’s social landscape. Even established celebrities like Kendal Jenner and Kylie are heading the influencer route because of its immense potential to create a community. In the same light, partnering with a food influencer can yield high returns as you tap into their communities and get their attention with this simple partnership.
5. Shroud Your Pub In Mystery
People always want access to elite and reserved events and spaces. Creating an air of mystery around your pub can work as a great marketing gimmick because it will make your customers feel exclusive and privileged. But that doesn’t mean you’ll fake an air of gentility around your pub. You’ll just market it smartly.
An interesting way to do this would be to create members-only premium pub events, like an ‘Only the First 50 Signups’ exclusive music night (this would also promote the pub website), or a celebrity bartender night! You can post about this on all your social media channels, and also send a customized message to your existing customers by using your POS software.
6. Create Contests
Contests are a unique way to both attract, engage, and retain customers. People love beating random strangers at arbitrary things. Here are a few ideas for contests:
- Create a Cocktail Contest: Supply some of your regular customers with an array of ingredients and have them come up with creative cocktails, and let the winner drink free of cost for the rest of the night.
- Add to the Menu Contest: Select a group of customers to bring in their best recipe and have your guests taste them and vote. Let the winning item be a limited-time addition to the menu!
- Karaoke Contest: This doesn’t need much planning. Simply grab a karaoke and get started. Karaoke is a proven method to drive in crowds by promising a fun time!
7. Drink Of The Day
A bartending tactic that always gets people in the door is Drink of the Day! Offer a bartender’s favourite at 30% off! This will help increase your sales irrespective of the discount offered.
8. Quirky Happy Hours
Instead of the standard beer offers, have a quirky, happy hour offering 1+1 on the drink of the day! This is bound to get people talking about both the happy hour as well as the drink of the day.
9. Make Holidays A Big Deal
Holidays are a great way to bring people together for a common reason to celebrate, party, and drink. Add custom holiday decor, amp up the bar, and create novelty holiday menus that signify the importance of novelty customs and traditions.
Some interesting ways to infuse warmth and fun across your offerings could be – only red and green drinks for Christmas, topping cocktails with tiny elf figurines instead of umbrellas, and candy cane straws!
For Halloween, spooky drinks with mystic colours are a great way to go. Add elements of enigma such as dry ice, fake rain, and elaborate cobwebs to both your decor and your bar menus for extra zing. Similarly, for Holi, multi-coloured drinks, a vibrant atmosphere, and specialized bhang drinks could get everyone talking and excited.
10. Pet-Friendly Parlours
Remember, pet owners love their pets even more than they love drinking. Create special spaces where your guests can do both – bring pets and drink at peace. Cat climbing zones and dog petting kennels are creative ways to nurture a pet-friendly facade that could attract a distinct crowd.
Running a pub can get exhausting at times, but promoting it in an efficient manner through effective mediums will help you attract customers, increase your profit margins, and more importantly, the pub’s fun quotient. These innovative marketing pub ideas are sure to help you carve a space for yourself in the PBCL sector.
