With multiple sites, multiple price points and multiple products, pub and
restaurant operator Mitchell & Butlers (MandB) needed a cost-effective
solution to the POS print for its Locals Pubs' estate.
Print management specialist etrinsic worked in partnership with
communications agency McCann-
Erickson to develop a system that
delivers bespoke packages of
promotional material to more than 400 outlets every six months.
Ardon Rainbird is based at McCann's operation in
Solihull and has been working on the M and B
account for nine years. A fully-integrated
communications agency and part of the global
McCann-Erickson group, McCann's West Midlands'
office specialises in business-to-business, consumer retail, Public Relations and people marketing. M and B is the UK's largest operator of managed pubs and pub
restaurants offering eating drinking and entertainment at over 2000 outlets.
While sharing a common ethos, each pub has its own distinct personality. More than 80 varieties of lager and ale are stocked and prices differ depending on the individual pub's location and market positioning. This means that virtually every piece of POS material -
including items like posters, COREX external signage, till cowls and beer mats - has to be bespoke-printed for each outlet.
McCann-Erickson developed the creative look for the POS and commissioned specialists, etrinsic to manage the print. Key to the continuing success of the project is the strong working relationship between the two companies.
Also based in Shirley, Solihull, etrinsic supplies a wide range of print and logistics services including design,
printing, direct mail, storage and distribution.
The company manages more than 650m printed
documents annually for clients.
McCann provided etrinsic with the base artwork for the M and B campaign together with a spreadsheet
detailing all the products and price codes relevant to each pub. "We selected a variety of different printers from our extensive portfolio of approved suppliers to print the dozen different items," comments Dan Birks, etrinsic Account Manager.
With multiple print suppliers, policing the consistency of output - such as brand identity and colour consistency - is another important management role for etrinsic.
The company has specialist equipment and technical staff to ensure standards are maintained.
Once printed, etrinsic assembles, packs and delivers the kits to each of the 400+ pubs. This is another fairly detailed operation requiring the packaging of up to a dozen different elements in varying volumes. |
