European Bartender School

In 2010 Swedish based bartending school “The European Bar School” (EBS) had unfortunately stagnated in growth.

Problem:

In 2010 Swedish based bartending school “The European Bar School” (EBS) had unfortunately stagnated in growth. While they had existing schools in Stockholm, Oslo and Helsinki, Greece & Thailand.

They had now reached their “capacity” in accurately targeting any more Scandinavian 18 to 21 year old young adults, who wished to become bartenders.

Their turnover in in the year 2010 was £ 1.2 million pounds. However they were Ambitious still and wished to open more Bar schools & expand into more countries.

Hence, they approached Facebook Ad Expert in late 2010, with the principal goal of Generating far MORE Customers & increasing Profits, in order to scale their business & attempt to grow Internationally.

Issues Identified

UVP: The European Bar School(EBS) was proud of the fact they were – in their own eyes – possibly the most “professional” bar school. They felt that both the length and depth of their course (6 weeks VS an average Bar Course = 4 weeks) and the degree of professionalism they delivered – was their true unique trait.

Professionalism. Hence their catch phrase phrase “Hard Work, Spirit and Soul”

However, we suggested that possibly in reality NOT that many 18 to 21 year olds looking to socialise or work as bar tenders – really fancied “Hard Work”

… it was really more the fun, social “life style” and “fun experience” side of the Bar Tending lifestyle that came out loud and clear to all involved etc.

Hence it was really the fun aspect of working in a bar and the fact that it is a “career that you could use to travel the world”that resonated more. Interestingly, the in-depth workshop we also uncovered a suprising fact:

75% of this students never went on to become bartenders – ???

Hmmm.

We also identified that the 6 x Week Course that cost £1,500. Was actually usually paid for in full upfront by “Mum and Dad”

Hence, their bar tending course was in some ways was (for about 75% of their existing Clients anyway) really just an opportunity for said Swedish 18 to 21 year olds – to get mum and dad to pay for an overseas Adventure “Holiday” in an exotic location… under the “guise” of becoming a bartender” and earning money, etc.

KEY POINT:
Hence, we recommended that the message should (in some ways) be more like 75% “Party “Holiday” … .and 25% the Professional Bar Tending VS the current 100% messaging primarily aimed at those Prospects with a desire to become a “Professional” Bar Tender

Step 1: The Facebook Ad Expert Growth Solution:

The first step in January 2011 was to visit their HQ in Stockholm and conduct a Marketing Communications Workshop (a three day workshop) with the EBS owner Rasmus Bergen. This was designed to identify The European Bar (EBS) School’s “Unique Value Proposition” (UVP)and craft a solid Marketing Communication plan.

The goal was to accurately identify and plan how to reach and speak effectively to the Psychographic Profile of their “ideal” Customer eg: Uncover their pains, goals, dreams, etc etc … and then Day 3 to Map a strategic Communications/Marketing and Execution plan.

The Opportunity:

Facebook Ad Expert’s Advice & Marketing Plan:

1) Change of Messaging:

We agreed to reposition the European Bar school – as far more of a “Party Holiday” abroad – almost a “Club 18-30” for Bar Tenders. eg: Come and enjoy an exciting Adventure. Get an opportunity to have the “Experience of a lifetime” & to make friends for life – all in a fun enviornment… while learning to be a Bar tender.

This message was then introduced and then balanced out with the pre-existing “Professional” bar tending education messaging.

2) Online Advertising, Remarketing, Online Experience and “Test Drive”

We also felt that rather than just trying to drive Customers towards the old website and just expecting them to book & immediately pay a whopping £1,500 online, due to nature of the Bar Schools – some of which had their own Bars, it made far more sense to leverage this and to create “Experiencial LIVE Events” as well.

Thus we recommend brining in far more of the Social and “Experienctial” aspect of Bar tending into the overall User/Buyer hourney.

The Execution:

In January 2011 the first step was to rebuild the Website and reposition messaging in both “the look and feel” and the “voice and tone” of the whole website, so as to communicate the fun, travel as well as the professional bar tending angle.

This was complted in February 2011. Then in March 2011 via our sister agency (POW Video) we shot a series of Professional Promotional videos for each of the more exotic School destinations London, Greece & Thailand.

Next, after building a number of NEW Video focused landing pages – each with the new Promotional videos and created online brochures (to be used as capture devices).

Facebook Ad Expert launched a number of Omni channel traffic generation awareness campaigns.

2) Online Advertising, Remarketing, Online Experience and “Test Drive”

Because we also felt, due to the Bar Schools venues – some of which had their own Bars, it made far more sense to create “Experiencial LIVE Events”. The Social and fun should be introduced directly into the Omni Channel Marketing mix.

So the Marketing plan became to drive “Awareness online” via Adwords and PPC and Social media for Capture BUT then as part of the Nurture, we drove them to come to “Try out” being a Bar Tender at their local BarTending school.

Here fun “Bartending Experience” events were organised monthly, where they got the experience of being a Bartender. The main focus was on the *social and fun aspect….

But Videos of the Destinations were played and “good looking” past students also attended (paid) …and spoke about their awesome experiences. These new Bar Tending Prospects got to socialise, tried real “Bar tending” mixed some drinks … and basically all had and great fun, *social time and all in all made some NEW friends.

Conversion rates here = 65%

Note: They were also *encouraged in emails pre-event to bring friends to these events thus doubling up the Bar Schools Brand & awareness

The Results:

As you can see in the Traffic Chart below, during the first year of executing this strategic Marketing plan.

The European Bar School went from £1.2 million in revenues to nearly £2.4 million in just 9 months April 2011 to 1st Dec 2011

We basically doubled traffic and boosted conversions…. And they Doubled Profits

By doubling profits the school was able to open more locations in more & more exotic destinations and over the next 4 to 5 years under Facebook Ad Expert’s continued traffic generation and conversion guidance, the European Bar School became the world’s largest bar school with venues in Las Vegas, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Spain etc.

The European Bar School is now the Worlds largest Bar School with schools all around the world….

Visit www.barschool.net