Supporting the local community

How can your outlet support your local community?

We understand that as an independent operator, the relationships you build with your local community can make all the difference to your business. Good relationships lead to an emotional connection to your outlet, where customers feel they have an interest in your success, building long term loyalty.

Here’s our view on how you can connect with the locals and increase sales at the same time.

This will give you a good indication of the best way to reach them and which key factors resonate with them most. It’s also great for informing your marketing approach; allowing you to drill down into the publications they read, the websites they visit and the businesses they buy from.

With this in mind, you’ll be able to create targeted messaging and share tailored information across a variety of marketing channels (local newspapers/radio, flyers, social media etc.) for each customer profile. This will also allow you to focus on the angle which most resonates with your chosen audience and means you can personalise marketing activity for a much better result.

This is no different for local business in your area, so why not speak to them about how they see success and what works for them? Share your expertise and together you can support one another and build vital relationships.

Local businesses can be thought of as a captive audience, providing a great opportunity for sales, especially in the quieter mid-week time slots. Consider reaching out personally to these local stakeholders and offering them a perk which shows that they are an important part of the community and one which you’d like to build a relationship with. This could be in the form of a company discount card, a reduced rate on team meetings held at your outlet or even a free birthday drink for employees.

As well as bringing in new customers, you’ll often be able to leverage a good community relationship to create ties with local producers too. This not only helps you to achieve favourable prices on produce, but also makes for a great sustainability story, showcasing how you’re supporting local businesses, cutting your CO2 footprint and championing the local area.

If your outlet uses local produce, be sure to shout about it and provide some personal context. Whether that means referencing the farm which supplies your sausages by name, or highlighting how profits from a certain product go to support a local charity, by adding that personal touch you’ll show visitors that you are a local champion supporting the area you love!

This is something we’ve always believed to be a key tool for licensees and have seen huge value in building strong community ties both from the perspective of the business operator and their customers. To highlight our own commitment to community projects and shine a light on those who are making a real difference in their community, we created the Britvic Lifting Spirits Awards to recognise those local heroes who are going above and beyond to better their local area.

A social media presence not only allows you to reach out to potential customers, it also allows them to reach out to you. Often the first touchpoint for the modern consumer, an online presence is absolutely essential and gives potential customers an immediate taste of who you are and what you can offer. Make sure you can be easily found on social media when customers want to ‘tag’ where they are and who they’re with and be sure to include all the key information guests need to find, contact and visit your outlet.

Think of your online presence like you would think of your shop front. It’s the first interaction potential customers will have with your business, so you want it to look slick, be impactful and show off your business in a good light right away.

You’ll understand better than anyone the power of a personal approach, so wherever possible, tailor your marketing to match specific guest needs and showcase the fact that no one knows your customers like you do!

When planning any form of marketing activity, it’s best to limit your efforts on one or two key tactics and focus on doing them well. Don’t forget to check in with your customers for regular feedback and be sure to implement requests which crop up frequently so visitors know you’re listening.

Keep these tips in mind when implementing your marketing plan and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a firm favourite with the locals; something which any savvy business owner will know is worth its weight in gold!