Experience Snapshot — our work with Orleans Smokehouse

Our longstanding client, Mitchells & Butlers, was planning to open an exciting new restaurant concept in Solihull at the start of 2024. Using its heritage in the much-loved Old Orleans brand which first opened its doors in 1985, the new Orleans Smokehouse brand was being carefully created to better reflect the guest experience and dining expectations.

Challenge

Leopard Co was appointed in December 2023 to handle delivery of PR, social media, and event management activity to launch the new restaurant on 19th February 2024.

Our brief was to raise awareness of the brand and drive people to the restaurant. All work needed to be creative, trend-driven and showcase the unique brand personality.

With a competitor Smokehouse located in close proximity, we needed a plan to cut above the noise and make Orleans Smokehouse the place to go.

Solution

Leopard Co delivered an extensive social media, PR and event management programme:

• A proactive and reactive social content calendar to go live across Instagram and Facebook
• Social media monitoring and management across these two channels
• Management of two launch events: a family-friendly afternoon party, and an evening adult-only event
• Influencer management, overseeing all influencer reviews and output
• Proactive and reactive PR efforts to launch the restaurant in media locally and nationally

IMPACT

We achieved 3,000 new followers on the brand's social channels and reached over 197k people on Instagram alone. On Instagram, we managed a 445% engagement rate, an impressive 443% above the industry benchmark!

We secured more than 45 pieces of press and influencer coverage at launch. This resulted in a potential reach of around 32 million, with 100% positive sentiment throughout. Media titles were diverse and included The Guardian, The Morning Advertiser, Birmingham World, Birmingham Live, Birmingham Living, Microsoft Start, Secret Birmingham, Visit Solihull, and Nottinghamshire Live. The average engagement rate for our influencer work stood at 5.5%, well above the industry standard of 2%.

Over 200 guests were booked for the launch events, resulting in Orleans Smokehouse being named 'The Best There Is This Side Of The Pond' by a family influencer in the Midlands.

The best bit? The first week of launch was a sell-out at Orleans Smokehouse, which was fully booked all week.