Brief

Mitchells and Butlers run many of the UK’s most famous restaurant and pub brands including Vintage Inns, All Bar One, Miller & Carter and Sizzling Pubs to name a few. Since the pandemic, the reputation and appeal of working in hospitality has been damaged, which made it harder for Mitchells and Butlers to recruit the staff they needed.

Challenge

Mitchells and Butlers had to change post-pandemic perceptions of working in hospitality by raising the brands profile in a crowded marketplace. Front of house, back of house and apprenticeships were all job groups that needed the most recruitment support and we focused on supporting the recruitment of 16–24-year-olds, who had been most affected by the pandemic.

Solution

We knew that the demographic spent a lot of time on social and used it as a platform to apply for jobs.

We moved away from the traditional ‘waiter holding a silver tray’ image and found an innovative new way to sell the industry through a range of engaging pieces of social content. Alongside thumb-stopping, organic and paid social content, we also focused on reactive activity. Content jumped onto popular culture moments, including key events such as Love Island and the Euro’s, which positioned the brand as more relatable and relevant.

Winner of The Springboard Awards for Excellence 2022

Best Recruitment Initiative Award

A key indicator for campaign success was maximising traffic to the Mitchells and Butlers website – ultimately driving job applications. The campaign delivered some impressive results…