Marston’s Sales driving tactics across managed, L&T and free-trade outlets

One of the UK’s leading managed groups, Marston’s has over 2,000 pubs across its leased, tenanted, and managed estate. The business has a wide range of formats ranging from food-led country pubs to more traditional wet-led businesses and needed to ensure that all were well supported, well marketed, and well-staffed when emerging from the COVID-19 crisis.

WAA Chosen is the lead agency for Marston’s, liaising with key suppliers such as Britvic, Diageo, and others to ensure that pub activity aligns with the company’s objectives, resonates with guests, and most importantly, increases frequency and dwell-time.

This activity sees us work with Marston’s on all areas of their marketing, from digital engagement programmes to encourage staff to upskill in their own time and learn more about the products and ways to help the staff, right through to designing award-winning concepts for their conferences that engage publicans and ensure their attendance and attention.

Recent success stories have included the rollout of a cask ale promotion to provide pubs and customers with the tools to truly understand and enjoy Britain’s speciality beer, the creation of a peak time ‘drinks runner’ programme which allowed pubs to increase their sales by 10% at their busiest times, and the introduction of a merchandising project which saw pubs starting to value their ‘eyeball’ real estate in the same way as retail operaters.