Is your business in sync with the local market?

16-May-2013 - Last updated on 11-Mar-2017 at 17:52 GMT

Pavli: "Once your customers have gone elsewhere and had a taste of what they want, it’s will be hard to get them back into your pub"

It was only a few months ago that I was standing on my soapbox and using this column to highlight the fact that behind every successful business is a quality business plan that is reviewed regularly by the owner. I’m following that with the frustration I have with business owners who don’t listen to customers they are trying to attract, or worse still, existing customers.

This is the mistake I see time and again with new licensees taking on a pub who invest cash into making changes he or she thinks the outlet needs to succeed.

They may have good intentions, and an eye for quality in terms of drinks offer, food menus, internal décor and the events they are going to run, but if this is tailored to their own tastes and not that of the consumer the pub hopes to attract, this is likely to be a costly and possibly fatal mistake.

Understanding the demographic profile of local consumers, those that are current customers and those you are trying to attract, is essential when deciding what type of pub you are going to operate.

There is really good demographic data available for free online and you should use this to shape the design, feel and offer of your pub. You can also use it to form your marketing strategy and ensure you send the right messages out to your target market, using the right communication channel.

Some examples I have seen over the past year include a pub in central London with six out of 10 dishes on the menu having a Scottish theme. This was not a Scottish-themed pub, was not in a highly-populated Scottish neighbourhood, but it was run by a lady from Scotland.

When I asked her why she had such a strong Scottish offer, she replied: “That’s what people around here want,” which was interesting seeing as our conversation started with her telling me how slow trade was. This is an extreme example, but not an isolated incident where businesses aren’t in sync with their local market and talking to customers.

Ask yourself:
■ When did you last take a step back and have a look at what you offer your customers?
■ Is it still relevant? What do they want from your pub?
■ Does your offer make them return to your pub more often?
■ Does it make them spend more money on each visit?

You can be sure of one thing, if you haven’t got the right offer and are not communicating the right messages to your target market, someone else will.

Once your customers have gone elsewhere and had a taste of what they want, it’s will be hard to get them back into your pub. So do all you can to make sure this doesn’t happen, keep them engaged with your business and they will return time and time again.

Paul Pavli is operations director at Punch Taverns