Run a Pub with Robinsons

Branding & DesignDevelopment

“Your business, our support.” It was our job to develop the pub partnership area of the corporate website that made people want to work at Robinsons – the independent, family-owned brewer of almost 200 years – while starting a successful pub landlord journey of their own.

Here’s how we refreshed pub vacancies with an optimised website area: Run a Pub. From pouring pints to registrations and visits pouring in…

Project achievements

Share of views+19%

Tenancy page views+40%

A GIF of the Robinsons website video banner in motion on a laptop.

Brief

In short, the challenge was to create a new section on the Robinson’s Brewery website that would entice potential or existing pub landlords to Run A Pub, encouraging the uptake of vacant pubs within the Robinson’s umbrella.

This was about showcasing the benefits of buying and running your own business in a more engaging way, ensuring that the new section of the site:

1. Has an intuitive navigation & UX
2. Deploys a mobile-first approach
3. Has a welcoming & engaging appearance through the inclusion of colour & animation
4. Has an image-led design
5. Reflects the warm, friendly & welcoming energy of the industry/brand

A selection of slides from the digital review research.

A pub-specific listing for Wagon & Horses being shown on a phone screen.

Approach

Ultimately, Brew collaborated with the client to ensure all the aims and objectives of this new website section were met, including a:

• A warm, welcoming video banner
• A better balance between content, design, and intuitive UX, encouraging scrolling and dwell time
• A mobile-first website with clear touchpoints to continue the user journey

A hand holding a phone with the Current Vacancies page displaying. To either side, another section of the mobile website.

A GIF of a hand holding a phone as the vacant pubs are swiped through on its screen.

Solution

Now, the Robinson’s Run a Pub section provides all the information someone would need to decide whether this business opportunity is right for them, including:

• Testimonials from current landlords
• Filterable search results
• FAQs

However, this new section still feels like it belongs, seamlessly integrating with the look and feel of the larger website.

This same level of attention continues into the pub listing pages, boasting clean, modern, designs with condensed information, never overwhelming the reader, while still providing key pub landlord details:

• Weekly and annual rent
• Agreement length
• Potential turnover
• A narrative overview of the venue
• Facilities
• Simple revenue splits (e.g., accommodation vs beverages vs food)
• And more!

And for those moments requiring a little more reassurance and social proof, there are plenty of quotes from existing pub partners about responsiveness, monthly BDM visits, and the “family feel” behind the brand. Ready to run a pub?

A women smiling while pulling a pint behind the bar of a Robinsons pub.

What our clients say

Holly Richardson

Robinsons Brewery

We have seen some good uplift since the launch of our new Run a Pub section. We also started paid ads and improved our email comms, so the whole approach has been improved and we have seen some good applicants off the back of the site. Internally, people are happy.

I think, between us, we managed the project really well, and the final product met our expectations and delivered what we’d hoped.

Need a pub partnership website? Let's brew something new together.

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