O'Neills

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Challenge

O'Neills was the first branded pub chain amidst the 90's 'Irish wave' and backdroppped by the decline of City town bars and the working class drinker. With 50 converted brand City units the brewery-led operation was confused how to deliver a Brand and maintain LFL growth. As the first, marketing manager to be recruited by Mitchell & Butler, Lindsay Howard, founder of Brand Essence, was charged with growing the chain Uk wide.



Approach
A 2 year classic brand strategy journey was initiated whilst influencing Operators, Irish Entrepreneurs and management in unfamiliar brand disciplines:

• Annual promotional calendar evoking a re-negotiation of the Group M&B supplier funding structure

• Initiated M&B's first U&A survey and various insight trackers, which led to Group adoption and the start of an Insight Dept

• Defined the brand Essence and brand plan. Core essencebeing, "Party like only the Irish know how".

• Developed and facilitated brand engagement tools cross functionally to ensure brand consistency, team engagement, consumer led merchandising and menu development. 

• Pricing analysis and matrix to create 4 price bands and improved margins on hero lines.

• Perfect serve and guest experience training=Walk the talk

• Living the brand workshops to create the optimum brand customer journey

• Defined the blue print design for Late night venues and City bar concepts

 



Achievement​​​

• Rolled out 260 O'Neills bars

• Influenced Board decision to invest ATL - a first in the industry

• Record LFL sales and profit for 2 years running

• Cosmopolitan Business Woman of the Year Finalist 2001