Apr/May 2023
CLH News
13
Research Finds Sport is Key in Driving Mid-Week Custom As the UEFA Champions league kicks off again, new research from KAM, in partnership with BT Sport, has found that showing live sport can be a more important driver of footfall for pubs during weekdays than at weekends. The research showed that 43% of sports fans say watching live sport is the main reason they go to a pub mid-week whereas at the weekend there are many other factors at play. Although still a significant reason to visit, with 35% saying live sport was the biggest driver at the weekend. 92% of sports fans said that showing live sport during the week positively influences their visit frequency to a pub. Katy Moses, Founder/MD KAM (www.kammedia.co.uk): “Midweek trading has made the headlines recently, as operators explore options to reduce opening hours and therefore associated costs, and understandably so. But If operators are looking at ways to pull people off their sofas and into venues in the week, then the opportunities to attract sport fans and associated spend during traditionally quiet mid-week times is huge. The research highlights that showing mid-week live sport should be looked at as a vehicle for driving true incrementality and also loyalty.” Phillip Thorley Director of Thorley Taverns: “Sport during the week gives customers a reason to come out and visit. It gives our customers a compelling reason definitely helps.”
additional visits as opposed to the repurposing of social spend, with 74% saying visiting the pub for sport midweek doesn’t affect visits at other times during the week. And sport fans are very valuable customers, 85% said they spend more on drinks in pubs when watching sport. Research shows midweek sports drives footfall into venues in both city centre and local settings particularly following the increase in numbers of people working remotely. 85% of office workers said live sport influences the time they spend in town/city centre pubs as it attracts them to visit as part of the after-work occasion and 91% said the same for local/community pubs as an opportunity to get out the house after working from home. Showing live sport can also play a part in driving loyalty and repeat visits; 73% of respondents said if they have a positive experience watching sport in a pub then they are likely to re-visit for non-sport occasions. 75% said they’d stop going to their local if it stopped showing sport. The research suggests that football is by far the biggest footfall driving sport to pubs, of those who watch sport in a pub, 89% do so to watch football. Rugby is the second most popular at 32%. 62% say they support a 'Big 6' football team hence why the Premier League and UEFA competitions are key to attracting fans. Matt Jagger, Marketing & Guest Experience Manager, Punch Pubs: “Sport is one of our key drivers as part of our rhythm of the week. Premier League football is a really big draw to our pubs, and outperforms other major sporting competitions, including international tournaments like The World Cup & The Euros. Add to that the midweek fixtures in The Champions League & Europa League, and there is almost wall to wall sports for fans to enjoy in the comfort of their local.”
Alasdair Collis, Director of Commercial Customers, BT Sport said “In tough economic times every penny spent counts. The more insight we have and that we can offer into consumer behaviour, the better we are able to help our customers keep the drinks coming and the tills ringing. This report illustrates just how key live sport is to driving footfall and incremental spend for pubs during what can be, quieter midweek evenings.”
Katy Moses, Founder/MD, KAM: “It’s not news that the hospitality sector is facing unprecedented challenges from all angles at the moment, but despite pressures on the bottom line there is a great opportunity to look to grow the top line. With sport driving additional custom over the season as well as the halo effect of repeat visits and loyalty, live sport can be a game changer for many pubs, especially during the quieter mid-week days.”
The KAM research suggests these mid-week visits aren’t cannibalising weekend visits either – that they are
The full whitepaper can be downloaded here: https://kam-media.co.uk/midweek_sport/
Thatchers Digs Deep for Pub Gardens Thatchers, the leading family cider maker in the UK, is continuing its support for pubs this spring and summer with the launch of a new competition that offers the chance to win one of three top prizes of a £10,000 garden makeover. Each winner will be offered a bespoke makeover of their outside space, ensuring the design meets the needs of the winning pub and its customers. There will also be 10 runners-up prizes of a garden parasol kit, comprising a sought-after Thatchers jumbrella and five eye-catching premium parasols. All the winners and runners-up will receive a Thatchers sampling event for their outlet. As British consumers continue to show their love for premium ciders, 1 in every 7 ciders sold in the UK on–trade is from family run cider maker Thatchers, with brands including Thatchers Gold, Thatchers Haze and its new Fusion flavours Blood Orange, Cloudy Lemon and Dark Berry, To enter the competition, pubs simply need to purchase three 50-litre Thatchers draught kegs from participat-
ing wholesalers before the closing date of 30th April 2023. For the list of participating wholesalers and the full terms and conditions visit www.thatcherscider.co.uk/pub-garden-makeover Pubs can enter the competition as many times as they like during the promotion period. James Palmer, Head of On Trade at Thatchers says, “A pub’s outside space, whether a garden or courtyard, however large or small, has an increasingly growing appeal to customers. The addition of plants and shrubs creates an attractive and welcoming environment, with items such as garden furniture, umbrellas and planters adding interest throughout the year. “The winning pubs will each receive expert advice from our makeover team, who’ll work closely with them to implement the new design in time for the summer season, to create the perfect pub garden for the perfect pint of Thatchers.” The cider maker’s continued investment into pub support follows its Pledge campaign during the Covid restrictions, which saw over 6,000 pubs receive a free keg of cider.
