Think of what constitutes British culture and once you get past good manners and queuing, the pub isn’t far behind. Focal points of communities for centuries, they still play a large part in our leisure time. But while popping to the local for a quick pint is all well and good, one pint per customer isn’t likely to set the tills ringing and the money flowing in. With that in mind then, how do you go about 1) getting people into the pub and 2) getting them to stay?
The best methods we’ve found (other than offering outstanding customer service and a fine array of drinks/food), are promotional. You need to give people a reason to be there that goes beyond the standard offering.
A tried and tested method, and one that many pubs resort to, is that of a happy hour. An hour of discounted drinks, while not as much of a boost for the coffers as full-priced drinks, often gives people the thirst for more. After all, how many of us really go for one and stick to it? Even if people do display iron willpower though, a drink that’s bought with a lower profit margin is better than one that isn’t bought at all…
Not everything, however, has to revolve around a discount. After all, your drinks are priced the way they are for a reason so you’d like to sell as many as you can at that level. What options are out there then to entice normally priced business?
Sporting events are a godsend for pubs. The World Cup this summer and England’s relative success was a real boost for pubs and bars around the country. And while not every game has the draw of a competitive England international match, there are plenty of things going on that you can tap into. The beauty of a sporting event is that, generally speaking, they last long enough to justify several rounds – so investing in sport television packages is often a must.
On the flipside though, with sporting events you’re beholden to the fixture list, while also competing against other venues showing the same game.
If you have the opportunity, it’s much better to develop your own offering, which isn’t being provided by a rival at the same time. This is where our Entertainer system can really help out.
Pub quizzes – a pub classic for a good reason. Practically everyone likes a pub quiz and they’re perfect for quieter midweek nights. Through the Entertainer, pub quizzes don’t need to take hours of swatting up and formulating a balanced set of questions – the Entertainer does it for you. And what’s more, our Pronto app helps to cut out the smartphone cheats through its fastest finger first function that rewards those with the quickest answers through additional points.
Karaoke – a source of fun which has had its ups and downs in popularity over the years is recently coming back to the fore. Karaoke nights offer an alternative and, while this verges towards gender stereotyping, karaoke may offer a more encompassing appeal that perhaps a Premier League football match might not have. The Entertainer also facilitates karaoke, meaning it’s a simple process for the locals to start belting out their favourites. To keep people engaged beyond their one song though, why not put on a competition? As people wait with baited breath for the winner…they might just spend a bit more at the bar.
Bingo – another popular potential midweek option. Bingo is often associated with an older demographic, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s suitable for all ages – and could be an opportunity to entice families during school holiday midweek afternoons, or earlier in the day at weekends. Again, Bingo is something the Entertainer offers so it’s simple to host.
Our offering also includes Disco Bingo for added entertainment. No more two little ducks, 22, this replaces the traditional numbers with song snippets, and artists and song names on your bingo cards, making it great entertainment for all ages.
That’s a few brief ideas then, all fairly common, but common for a reason. And while we’ve focused on pubs, the fact is these are suitable options for a broad array of hospitality venues, including holiday parks (big fans of Disco Bingo!) and the like. To make it a smooth process to put on this kind of entertainment, why not get in touch to see if our Entertainer system is one for you?
