Drifting in for a pint at the local

Now here’s dangerous ground!  Mess with local tradition and it will drive you to drink!

Take a bastion of community life, a pub with huge local heritage and loyalty, named in a way that really does ‘do exactly what it says on the tin!”  Surround it with a centuries old regional custom, then try to persuade the new owners, the staff and the locals to change the name and refresh the customer experience.

As easy as falling off a horse? Not really…but a really brave project for all concerned; the only real trick we needed to pull off was to get it to work in the hearts and minds of all involved. So, with all that background, Idealogy’s Head of Client Services, Anna Ecuyer, set off to talk ‘rebrand’ to New Forest Hotels, the owners of The Beaulieu Road Inn, a local hostelry in the grounds of their Beaulieu Hotel, and a focus for New Forest life for many, many years. To quote one of the staff, “It’s obvious where it is, even if you don’t know the area”. It’s hard to argue with that kind of logic…but argue we did!

Following meetings with New Forest Hotel’s marketing team and an extensive round of local research, Idealogy found their ‘pewter mug’. The Beaulieu Road, and in particular the Beaulieu Road Railway Station, had for centuries been the focus of the New Forest Drift – the round up of local ponies to be wormed (ugh!), branded, tailed and often auctioned. Commoners who live within the bounds of the Forest own all the ponies and ownership rights are jealously guarded; passed down through generations of families. Then we discovered what we thought were a number of New Forest Pub Bands. The Agisters, who organise The Drift, and The Verderers, who employ The Agisters and who have complete control of all the stallions in the New Forest. At this point, we were in danger of uncovering a new episode from Lord Of The Rings, so we drew a line under the local history and turned for further insight to the local Beaulieu Road Inn patrons and the people responsible for managing the customer experience – the Pub staff.

And, as you’d expect, at first we met fairly stiff resistance to any form of change. Our joint research gave us some interesting options, including a proposed name change to The Drift Inn – simple, evocative and a perfect way to breathe new life and appeal into a hidden gem of the regional experience. 

Well, they said yes and a significant re-brand followed! Today, the Drift Inn team are responsible for bringing their new brand, newly refurbished pub (and menu) and indeed the experience itself to life, telling the story of The Drift and creating the atmosphere for patrons who, for so long, have been supporters of a regional stronghold.

Now that’s worth a glass of Old Thumper, don’t you think?

Cheers.

Posted by Anna Ecuyer