A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO A COMPLEX SOCIAL MEDIA REBRAND, SUCCESSFULLY BRINGING MULTIPLE SUB-BRANDS UNDER ONE ROOF.
The story so far…
Exeter University is a Russell Group university that consistently appears near the top of national and international league tables. Our long-term client, Event Exeter, is the university’s umbrella organisation that oversees campus-wide events like internal and external conferences, accommodation, weddings, and awards ceremonies.
Like any university, Exeter is known for its vibrant live music and events, and its four main venues - the Ram Bar, Exeter Great Hall, Forum Kitchen and the Lemon Grove host a diverse programme of music, comedy and educational talks. Event Exeter wanted to bring these sub-brands under one roof (Live @ Exeter) as a one-stop shop to optimise the power and reach of the four venues’ collective marketing. It was a multi-faceted operation that called for social media strategy expertise.
WHY OPTIX?
Event Exeter has been a client of Optix for some time, so they already knew they were working with digital marketing experts they could trust. We invest heavily in building long-term, positive relationships with clients, so when they wanted to work with strategic social media experts who could deliver such a complex project, we were the natural choice.
OUR APPROACH
A project like this needed careful thought and planning before a single first step could be taken. From reviewing all four venues’ social media profiles, it was clear that the Lemon Grove’s social media presence was the biggest to leverage, already having 9,000 followers. The plan was to take the Lemon Grove’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter profiles, rebrand them to Live @ Exeter, and then incorporate the other three venues so they also sat under Live @ Exeter.
THE OPTIX SOLUTION
With technical challenges identified and overcome, we successfully managed the rebrand and merging of all existing social media channels. Alongside this, our Creative department worked hard to develop a fresh and engaging brand identity and website.
We developed a ‘social media best practice’ document that was packed with helpful guidance to empower anyone posting on Live @ Exeter’s channels to do so with confidence and consistency. This included tone of voice guidance, advice on when and what to post, and advertising/campaign tips.
Rather than the expected decrease, we saw a surprising increase in followers to 9.8k - an 11% rise and a 68% increase in content interactions. Harder to measure, but just as important, was the general perception of the brand - which is now on a far more positive trajectory.
Our work with Live @ Exeter has enabled them to combine their venues under one brand identity and move forward with a robust, consolidated social media presence. This foundation will help them proactively build connections with their community, with increased reach and positive engagement.
Optix Results (2023 vs 2022)
11% increase in followers
68.4% increase in engagement rates
224.8% increase in reach
A general increase in positive engagement
THE CLIENT'S VIEW
“Working with Optix on the Live @ Exeter project has been an outstanding experience. Their strategic approach to our social media rebrand was exactly what we needed. The team expertly consolidated our four venues under a single, cohesive brand, resulting in an impressive 11% increase in followers, increased engagement and bookings. Their professionalism and attention to detail ensured a smooth transition, overcoming initial challenges and driving positive engagement across all our channels. We now have a unified social media presence that effectively connects with our community and showcases our vibrant events. I couldn't be happier with the results.”
- Kate Jane, Marketing Manager, Live @ Exeter”
THE OPTIX VIEW
“This was a really satisfying project to work on, and it was great to use a strategic approach that drove such an increase in engagement. We’re seeing much less negativity and more ‘loves and likes’, and now all four venues are under one brand, Live @ Exeter’s social media will have more impact online.”
- Luke Stone, Head of Paid Media, Optix Solutions.
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