OTS p28-29 Music Jun09.qxp 28/05/2009 15:22 Page 29
music and entertainment · feature
course is a win-win situation for all As part of a £79 per week rental feature from the Touchmaster and the
concerned.” agreement, the outlet gets features, chances are they won’t want to move
The Touchmaster is a multi ensuring not only the venue has on.”
entertainment touchscreen system, organised entertainment, but they also Among the features are DJ Master,
which is installed into a pub’s existing have the luxury of doing impromptu which can play playlists created by the
amp/speaker systems and TVs. Any entertainment, all at the touch of a pub; a karaoke system with over 4,500
venue which is paying for screen. “You can have complete and songs; a quiz with tens of thousands of
entertainment on a weekly or instant flexibility over when you put on questions; a raffle that can be drawn
fortnightly basis could benefit from an event,” says George. “Furthermore, on TV screens in the pub; as well as a
swapping their host-based, paid-for when your venue is busy and you host of other games such as Spin The
entertainment to the Touchmaster, want to keep your customers from Bottle, Bingo, Lucky Keys, Racing,
according to George. going elsewhere, simply select a Chalkboard and Hi Low Cards.
Run of the mill
UIforwardX marks the spot
When it comes to offering entertainment in your pub
then why not try and replicate one of the most popular
TV shows in the country? That’s the question The
Collective in Dunfermline asked itself when looking to
boost Friday revenues earlier in the year. This led to a
12-week long X-Factor competition for locals that
ended last month with Laura White, a hotel
receptionist in the town’s Windlestrae Hotel, walking
away with the £2,000 first prize after winning the
audience vote over eight other finalists.
Over 80 people entered the competition and it led to
unprecedented levels of success at the venue, which is
owned by independent operator Dark Star. Sean
Cairnduff, the venue’s general manager says: “We
trebled takings on Friday nights, it was incredible. The
purpose of the competition was to promote the
rebranding of the venue and get involved with a local
The Mill campaign from MGD
community.” With 550 customers through the door for
is still going strong.
the final it certainly managed to achieve its aim.
“There was a lot to do in terms of organisation, and
There is a long established link wanted to do this in a different way by
there were a few overheads that went with it but it’s
between alcohol brands and music, going back to grass roots. We don’t
been a huge success and it’s something we’ll look at
from Tennent’s sponsorship of T in the sponsor The Mill, we created it with
making an annual event.”
Park to brands ‘experience’ nights such people in the know in the music
as those carried out by spirits like scene.”
Laura White won Dark Star’s
Smirnoff and Havana Club where And there lies the key to its success.
X-Factor competition.
bands and DJs take centre stage. 9,000 people have been through the
With practically every festival having doors since it launched last September,
at least one tent sponsored by a drinks while 150,000 tracks have been
brand it can be difficult to find new downloaded from the website and
ways of communicating an association Bluetooth pods in venues across
with music to consumers. This is Glasgow and Edinburgh.
something that prompted Miller “From our perspective it’s been a
Genuine Draft to launch the hugely huge amount of work and a huge
innovative The Mill programme, which commitment but it is paying off,” says
has seen two pubs – Oran Mor in Richard. Brand awareness in the cities
Glasgow and Cabaret Voltaire in among key consumers has shot up
Edinburgh – take on the guise of The says Richard, helped in no small part
Mill once a week, while a programme by the constant advertising and 20,000
of up and coming bands, both signed flyers that are produced for the events. And importantly, venues that have
and unsigned, take to the stage. Entry “It’s incredibly important to target our been used to drive The Mill have seen
is free via the MGD website while key consumers. MGD has been on the an uplift in sales of MGD, and when it
tracks by the performing artists are market for 20 years now and the target all boils down, that’s the whole
available. audience has obviously changed in the purpose of the initiative. “Licensees get
Richard Ingrim, MGD marketing that time. It’s proved to be hugely footfall and the extra sales and we get
manager says: “Conceptually we knew popular. It’s free to get into so that to connect to the right consumers. It’s
beer and music had been going alone allows people to try it, and that about them supporting us, and us
together for a long time but we reintegrates them with the brand.” supporting them,” says Richard.
www.55north.com · june 2009 · ots · 29 ·
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