About Almond Family Pubs
The Three Bears, Fletcher’s Arms, Puss in Boots, Spread Eagle, The Hesketh Tavern….
You’d be forgiven for thinking we were listing fairytales, not the five award-winning pubs that make up The Almond Family Pubs. Though much like their fairytale namesakes, these pubs are full of family fun, good cheer, and the comfort of tradition.
In a nutshell, The Almond Family Pubs:
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Was first opened in 2002 by James and Vicki Almond, along with their father Doug
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Has since been run by family; for families, all across Stockport, UK
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Takes pride in providing top-notch food in a friendly location, by even friendlier staff.
We sat down with Marketing Manager, Kate Evans, to understand The Almond Family Pubs’ secret for building a successful brand that welcomes all.
The Almond Family Pubs’ challenge: no ‘typical’ customer
There’s no such thing as a ‘typical customer’ for Almond Family Pubs. Like many food and beverage businesses, they have the daily challenge of catering to a diverse customer base.
“Our customers range from children to pensioners, from business men to ladies who lunch”, Kate explains to me. “It’s important that our atmosphere is inclusive for all of these people”.
The Almond Family Pubs achieve this through offering a diverse menu, mixing the comfort of traditional pubs with a contemporary feel, and importantly – getting their music spot on. They realised early on the value of music to their business and in creating a competitive customer experience.
“Our customers range from children to pensioners, from business men to ladies who lunch. It’s important that our atmosphere is inclusive for all of these people”
“Music sets a scene. It affects the atmosphere of any environment”, says Kate. “With a client base such as ours, it’s important that our music offends no one but is recognisable to the majority of our customers, without being in your face.”
This is a tough balance to strike, and something that Almond Family Pubs feel their previous music supplier didn’t get quite right.
“We were having a number of problems with the playlist at a few of the pubs,” Kate says. “We had no option to skip tracks, an issue when there were a number of inappropriate tracks!”
The Almond Family Pubs needed a new music solution that would:
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Engage customers, without overpowering a space
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Cater to a variety of demographics and trading patterns (without being downright bland!)
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Amplify brand values around family-friendliness, quality and tradition
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Give back music control to skip and change tracks when needed
Ambie’s Solution: variety and versatility
Catering to a wide customer base doesn’t mean your music has to be bland. We helped Almond Family Pubs get the most out of their music through strategic scheduling.
“When we set up with Ambie, we had a thorough chat with the team to discuss our customers at different times of the day,” Kate says. “Ambie listened to us. We have been more than happy with the playlists so far.”
“Ambie’s service has been second to none. From the sales guys to our account manager, we have not had any issues. The music has been perfect”
By tailoring music around the Almond Family Pubs’ trading patterns, we were able to accommodate for the eclectic tastes of their guests. And when trading patterns change out of the blue? That’s when our Ambie technology comes into play.
“Ambie allows us to monitor our music and give live feedback on tracks”, explains Kate.
Our easy-to-use web apps also give the staff the ability to skip tracks, override playlists and make volume changes to match the room atmosphere when it shifts.
Ambie helped solve Almond Family Pub’s challenges through:
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Curation and strategic scheduling to reflect an eclectic customer base
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Track and playlist control, to always match room dynamics
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A no fuss solution, perfect for floor staff always on the go
And we’re thrilled that Almond Family Pubs have been loving our solution so far.
“Ambie’s service has been second to none. From the sales guys to our account manager, we have not had any issues. The music has been perfect – and even if it hadn’t I’m certain nothing would have been too much trouble to sort”.
Well, we’ll cheers to that. Thanks Almond Family Pubs!
Curious to know how Ambie could benefit your business? Let us show you. Request your free sampler here.
