Our work for Premier Inn is a great example of how I saw an opportunity to elevate a struggling part of their business, delivering a reimagined brand campaign that both empowered staff and engaged guests.
Task
Premier Inn wanted to raise the profile of their bar and increase sales having identified that their guests were often bypassing their bars and heading straight out.
They needed a solution to make residents aware that they had a great drinks choice served by trained bar staff.
Premier Inn initially believed a new drinks menu would achieve this. However, we instinctively knew that to realise the clients ambitions we needed to dig a lot deeper and think a lot broader.
Solution
My research led me to realise that we needed to not only communicate with residents, but we needed to engage the newly trained staff as we recognised them as being pivotable in the success of Premier Inn’s ambitions.
The agencies recommendation was to elevate them from the position of humble bar staff and empower them. We would give them the tools to demonstrate their knowledge and training and ensure customers experience the perfect G&T and head on every pint, every time.
We wanted a name for the bar staff. An identity that couldn’t be too grandiose, specialist or pretentious, like mixologist or vintner otherwise they and their customers would not have believed in it.
The name we devised or rather discovered through further research was ‘Tapster’ an uncommon title for a person who draws and serves alcoholic drinks at a bar.
Tapster struck the perfect balance. Warm, memorable and grounded in the idea of serving drinks with pride.
Tapster’s elevator pitch
From first stop to great night cap, our bar is open to welcome guests with a premium selection of drinks, all poured to perfection by our expert team of ‘Tapsters’.
Whether guests are enjoying a big celebration, going to see their favourite band or about to jet off to a distant land, our bar is as much part of that story as our rooms. Premier Inn’s Good Night Guarantee is about more than just sleep; it’s about a great experience from start to finish.
For guests The campaign was rolled out, on coasters, posters, mirrors, menus, lobby screens and in the form of a guest room newspaper.
For the Tapster’s there were opportunities to meet the drinks makers and prize incentives awarded for professional development Each member of the team also received notebooks containing further tips and pearls of wisdom.
The bar and it's Tapsters are communicated through multiple touchpoints for both customer and staff engagement. For customers it was from the point of booking to trays that promote taking a drink to the room. For staff there were oppportunities to meet the drinks makers and prize incentives awarded for professional development.
Individual drinks segment menus highlight the fun style of messaging
Posters become wall art and mix location and expertise messaging.
Expertise on a beermat
Quarterly guests room newletter to promote the bar. Paid for by suppler ads and featuring visits to supplier distilleries/breweries, recipes, celeb interviews and competitions.
Tabbed drinks menu
Credit: Clarity