Blind Tiger Inns, finalists of the 2020 Morning Advertiser Best Community Pub Operator award, have launched ‘Tiger Talk’, an online group to share best practice and ideas amongst the head office team and pub managers.
Tiger Talk is a closed Facebook group that was set up immediately after the Government announced the closure of pubs on Friday 21st March. The group aims to share ideas and good practice as well as keeping everyone engaged and spirits high.
One of the first things to arise from the chat was changing the Blind Tiger Inns company logo to ‘Blind Tiger (Staying) Inns’; a clever play on words but very appropriate in the current climate. Other initiatives such as turning the pub Facebook logos blue every Thursday and playing “We’ll meet again” through the outdoor speakers to show support to the NHS and key-workers are now happening weekly.
Activities in the Tiger Talk group have included a virtual quiz, online bingo, live music performances and biographies from each member. Ideas from the group have been seen on individual pub pages including live DJ sets, performances by popular pub entertainers, virtual quizzes and Easter Egg competitions, along with videos of managers and staff sending love to their local communities.
The most popular initiatives have been the live DJ sets and the virtual quizzes which have attracted thousands of viewers and are gaining new ones each week.
Although Tiger Talk was created predominately to keep in touch during the Lockdown; the feedback from managers has been amazing and will continue once the pubs reopen.
Managers Gary and Suzanne from the Rising Sun in Hazel Grove commented on the group:
“Tiger Talk has given us the opportunity to connect with everyone in the Blind Tiger family, reassuring us that ‘we’ve got this!’ We share best practice and ideas, but most of all; it’s about communicating. From just checking in to sharing pictures of us in the beer gardens or doing repair work in the pub, we can interact and still feel connected. We are glad it is going to continue even when our pubs reopen.”
