How Hudson underwent a marketing transformation in 6 months
+1000%
ROI: by optimizing based on a data-driven strategy.
+3
Locations planned for expansion.
+8000
New savers in the loyalty program.
Doina Jonkman-de Gier
Co-Owner Hudson Bar & Kitchen
“We liked working with a party that would tell us how to do it, instead of us having to figure everything out ourselves.”
Turning ambition into action
Hudson Kitchen & Bar is a successful hospitality chain with ten locations, mainly in South Holland. The restaurants are known for their atmospheric American concept and spacious venues, ideal for large groups and events of up to hundreds of guests.
To increase their online visibility and accelerate growth, Hudson partnered with The Culinary Agency. Our goal? More reservations, successful events, and a strong launch of new locations with a well-thought-out online strategy.
Analysis & Strategy
Before we got started with marketing for Hudson Kitchen & Bar, we began with a thorough analysis. This is an essential pre-phase within our Marketing as a Service-approach. We analyzed the market, target audiences, and Hudson’s online performance to gain insight into opportunities and areas for improvement.
Based on this analysis, we developed a strategic recommendation. We identified growth potential in focused online advertising, an optimized website experience, and a strong loyalty program. We also saw an opportunity to give new locations an immediate online boost at launch. With these insights, we laid a solid foundation for an effective, data-driven marketing strategy.
Doina Jonkman-de Gier
Co-Owner Hudson Bar & Kitchen
“The strategy felt structured and well thought out. They kept coming back to our core values and identity.”
Advertising
For Hudson, we set up local advertising campaigns for each location, so we can target the specific audience per venue. Our goal is to attract new customers and optimize campaign performance for reservations, walk-ins and group events.
With Google Ads we focus on searches from people looking for a restaurant nearby, planning a group dinner, or needing an event venue. Because the ads are also visible in Google Maps , Hudson is found right away by people searching for a restaurant in the area. This has led to a strong increase in walk-ins, as guests spontaneously decide to visit one of the locations.
Meta
For Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram), we continuously test different ad variants per location to discover which perform best. By optimizing continuously, we maximize visibility, engagement, and conversions. By using visual content and targeting options strategically, we reach the right audience at the right time.
ROAS 7,4
ROAS 5,6
ROAS 4,1
ROAS 8
Thanks to our extensive experience in the hospitality industry and the strong collaboration with Hudson, we achieved an ROI of +500% though advertising, and still increasing.
User Experience
A strong online presence starts with a user-friendly, conversion-focused website. For Hudson, we looked at improvement points in the user experience (UX) to make the website even more effective for reservations and group requests.
Through a thorough analysis, we identified bottlenecks in the customer journey and developed UX designs that improve navigation and increase conversions. We worked on, among other things:
Clear call-to-actions (CTA’s) for reservations and group bookings.
Faster, simpler navigation so visitors find what they are looking for more quickly.
An optimized mobile experience, essential because a large share of visitors comes via smartphone.
Thanks to these improvements, the website is now not only more attractive, but also more functional.
Email & loyalty
After a successful first six months in which we achieved strong results with advertising and UX-optimalisation, we added email marketing as an extra growth channel. This enables Hudson not only to attract new guests, but also to retain existing customers and drive repeat visits.
With targeted email automations, we keep guests engaged with Hudson. We send, among other things:
Personalized offers and promotions based on previous visits.
Updates on events and seasonal specials.
Loyalty rewards via Leat to motivate guests to come back.
Hudson Keeps Opening. We Keep ’Em Coming.
Hudson’s growth ambitions reach beyond its existing locations. That is why we not only help strengthen current venues, but also support the launch of new locations with a strong online strategy. We do this by:
Early visibility through local online campaigns, so potential guests are already familiar with the new location before it opens.
A strong launch campaign with targeted ads and social media activation to quickly generate reservations and walk-ins.
Smart customer segmentation through email marketing, where we inform existing guests and attract new customers in the area.
Doina Jonkman-de Gier
Co-Owner Hudson Bar & Kitchen
“The collaboration led to a clear professionalization and refinement of our core values and vision.”
Hudson Did It. So Can You.
Thanks to smart advertising, thoughtful UX, and targeted email marketing, their online visibility grew rapidly, with more reservations and walk-ins as a direct result.
And this does not only work for Hudson.
Other hospitality businesses with multiple locations also benefit from this data-driven approach.
Want in on this growth? Lets talk.
Hudson shows what happens when you take marketing seriously. Ready to accelerate your own growth?
