Mr Bao – brand & marketing
Mr Bao, Daddy Bao, and Master Bao are neighbourhood Taiwanese restaurants in Peckham, Tooting and Westfield serving up London’s fluffiest Bao buns. When founders Frank and Abhi got in touch, they had some unique challenges for each of their restaurants and weren’t too sure how to structure their marketing team.
The Mr Bao group had a strong trajectory from the start, opening 3 restaurants in South and West London since 2016 they quickly grew a loyal local following. I really admire their commitment to design, both in the restaurants and marketing collateral, and the innovation clearly in their dishes. There was an element of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ as what they were doing was clearly working!
However, the three brands had started to become too similar, without a clear differentiation in the menu, imagery and tone of voice. Here’s how I tackled it:
A workshop with the founders, general managers and head chefs from each location to get a really clear understanding of each restaurant, their similarities and differences
Briefing the design agency to create brand guidelines for the three restaurants, making it clear how the photography, imagery and tone of voice should differ
A marketing strategy and plan tailored to each location and their unique audience and challenges
Encouraging a fresh approach at Daddy Bao - more events, collaborations and set menus to increase spend per head and attract more of the local crowd
Diversified marketing channels away from being overly reliant on Instagram – introducing email marketing, more printed collateral and local marketing
Hired an in-house marketing manager to take over management of all brand channels including organic and paid social media, influencers, email marketing, collaborations and events
Supported procurement of a new PR agency to co-create the communications strategy and prepare the brand for the next stage of growth
I work with the Mr Bao group on an on-going basis, supporting the in-house marketing manager with their personal development, reviewing guest comms and advising on campaigns and activations.
“Working with Clare has been excellent. She has a rare ability to view the whole picture whilst taking all the little details into consideration. We’ve seen marked improvements in our marketing and external communications in the year we have been working together. The experience she brings along with the tailored approach is invaluable. Highly recommend.”
