'Don't just wait for the ban to happen'

The smoking debate has raged in England and Wales for some time, but with the decision now made it is clearly time for the industry to begin answering the inevitable questions about what impact this will have on their businesses.

Daniel Thwaites' sales and marketing director Brian Jenkins and myself recently travelled to Ireland to gain further understanding of how the ban has affected licensed premises in Cork, and how they are adjusting to life two years on.

It was a very interesting experience and one that brought with it a lot of learning points, one of which is that we should make maximum use of the 14 to 18-month lead time that we have been given to prepare for this move. Irish businesses had only four months from when the decision was made and that timeframe brought with it many complications and cost implications.

That leads me onto my main point, which is that businesses must really use this time and not sit back waiting for things to happen - it still amazes me that I hear people within the industry voicing the opinion that the ban may still be avoided. It won't, and the longer licensees wait with this hope in mind the less time they are giving themselves to adequately prepare their pub.

We are already beyond the point when people should be asking themselves whether they ought to be doing something, and are now onto the stage where the question is what exactly should they be doing? We are lucky in the respect that, with Scotland and Ireland, we have two great case studies of how a smoking ban impacts on pubs and the repercussions from it.

Our visit to Cork showed there is no template solution to addressing the ban, with each pub having different internal and external layouts and, most importantly, a different clientele. One thing that did shine through is that this should not necessarily be something that we all dread, but something that we treat with an optimistic approach, as an opportunity to reach new customers and engage a wider audience.

Many businesses in Ireland told to us they had broadened their customer base since the ban, with a real growth in family trade driven by the cleaner environment and opportunity to dine smoke-free.

Although the details behind the regulations will probably not be available until late summer or early autumn, our approach will be similar to that taken with the introduction of licensing reform last year. We will be looking to use all our expertise and research on this topic to add value to our trading partnerships, support our licensees and ensure our pubs are ready in every way.

Case study: The Bonny Inn

Paul Howarth's conviction that publicans should view the smoking ban as an opportunity rather than a threat is already being put into practice in at least one of Thwaites' houses.

The picturesque Bonny Inn, in the Ribble Valley near Blackburn, has been a completely no-smoking venue for two months - and tenant William Stopford has not looked back since making the decision.

Despite having several regulars who are smokers, William has not had a single complaint over the policy, and has actually seen his business grow in popularity with families and non-smokers looking for a clean, fresh atmosphere.

"A lot of people talk about going smoke-free as being a big risk, but we never really doubted that it would be anything but a success at the Bonny Inn," he says. "We gradually phased smoking out over a few months, firstly at the bar, then the restaurant area and finally removed smoking altogether.

"The feedback has been fantastic, with people coming in and praising the decision - many of them are using us because word of mouth has spread about us being a no-smoking pub.

"The biggest boost to our business has definitely been among family groups who are far more comfortable sitting and eating in a smoke-free environment.

"We still have regulars who are smokers, and I am delighted to say we have not had a single complaint. People happily go outside for a cigarette if they want one but nobody criticises the fact they cannot smoke in the pub.

"I think the industry's fear of the ban has taken a hold on a lot of people and they are failing to recognise the potential positives that can come out of it."

Using the ban to win new customers

Ian Stead, managing director of marketing agency MDA, puts a positive spin on the smoke ban:

I firmly believe the ban is an opportunity for pubs to develop their businesses and win new customers. The use of new marketing techniques and equipment should at least minimise the impact of the change, and could actually open up new opportunities.

There are a host of new ideas in the pipeline for outdoor heating, furniture, bar merchandise, promotional and advertising mechanics and entertainment. Given a reasonable amount of outside space, there's no reason why intelligent promotions and a careful investment in materials shouldn't combine to keep both smokers and non-smokers happy.

Our discussions with drinks and pub companies have thrown up a number of common themes:

Brush up your retail standards

Pubs need to raise their game to cope with the ban - in terms of

environment, cleanliness, staff training and atmosphere. The industry should be concentrating on maximising appeal to the non-smoking majority, not the smoking minority.

Research undertaken by one pubco suggests that as many as 41 per cent of people who have never used a pub before would consider doing so once the ban comes into effect. When that new customer walks through the door you probably only have one chance to impress - and if they don't like it they won't come back!

Think about outdoor areas

There are many ideas and opportunities out there, but bear in mind you may also need to provide segregated smoking and non-smoking areas outside. Non-smokers deserve comfortable, attractive outside areas too, particularly in the summer.

Use marketing to full effect

If you're a city centre bar and don't serve food you won't be able to compensate for the impact of the ban by suddenly switching to being a child-friendly family pub. So take advantage of any marketing help you are offered by your pub company or suppliers.

We expect there to be a rush of new marketing initiatives that will help you manage the change, such as drinks offers, merchandise, themed promotions and new event ideas to add the extra "wow" factor you'll need.

Do it right and you should be able to maintain your existing business and perhaps attract new customers who might in the past have stayed at home.

• MDA is a specialist point-of-sale and promotional marketing company working with many of biggest names in pubs and drinks, including Punch Taverns, Enterprise Inns, Greene King, Whitbread, Pernod Ricard, InBev and Coca-Cola. Its new free brochure, Outdoor Marketing Solutions, will be available soon and looks at how the latest marketing techniques and equipment can help licensees cope with a smoking ban. For a copy, call MDA on 01254 277839.