This week seems to have been the week for some much needed common sense from the great and good in the pub scene.

Instead of the usual bombastic pronouncements about the death of the great British pub, etc. with no useful counters towards their apparent inexorable demise, we actually have a couple of articles published this week with some common sense ideas involved instead. Both of which a separate pieces but have a common thread – “diversification”.

Ed Turner, Commercial Director for the Young’s brewery exemplified in this article that pubs which have a “personality” tend to be successful and goes on to mention some special events that pubs have laid on for their locals that have proved to be popular and managed to increase custom through word of mouth recommendations.

Perhaps more encouraging is the CAMRA piece also in the Morning Advertiser which has the by-line of “CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, is looking for examples of publicans who have diversified their businesses to make them more successful.”

I’ve got to say that CAMRA have to be applauded on this front as they are attempting to provide actionable advice for pub businesses to drum up trade rather than the usual doom mongering sound bites for the media. Essentially the Community Pubs Month is part of a scheme whereby marketing packs are being sent out (6,000 so far) with details of different types of marketing activities that can be used to help increase trade.

One of the main areas that CAMRA have been focusing on is how different pubs have been increasing custom through diversification into other (sometimes totally unrelated areas) such as incorporating libraries or hairdressers into their pubs. Additional stories and case studies of how pubs have been diversifying will be collated and no doubt gobbled up by the press in due course.

Funnily enough there is a pub not far from me that has a barber’s attached. I’ve never personally thought of getting a short back and sides whilst slurping on a pint but if it works, who am I to argue.

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