Cateys 2023: Best Marketing Campaign: The Genuine Dining Co

The Genuine Dining Co wins the Best Marketing Campaign sponsored by Amadeus

This year’s Best Marketing Campaign Award goes to a business that saw an opportunity to help break down the stigma attached to conversations regarding mental health, help customers and colleagues with practical advice, as well as giving the company a strong USP to strike up new conversations with clients.

The Genuine Dining Co agreed a deal in partnership with its client The Office Group (TOG) to launch the world’s first mental health coffee shop in Whitechapel in London in 2022.

Working with a new mental health social media platform Just Ask A Question (JAAQ), the caterer was able to get its innovative technology – which offers answers to 50,000 interactive questions across 50 topics, from depression to anxiety and addiction – in front of thousands of people as they stop by to get their caffeine fix.

JAAQ-branded coffee is served at the site, which also offers interactive screens with free access to the JAAQ app with its voice recognition and AI technology. All JAAQ baristas receive mental health first-aid training.

A modest budget of £12,500 was set aside by both JAAQ and Genuine Dining for the launch of the coffee bar, to cover the costs for an interactive digital screen and speaker, redesign of the tables and counter, as well as branded uniforms, merchandise, coffee cups with QR codes, posters and signage.

Sales have rocketed by 400%, while gross profit rose by over 60%. As well as sharing access to mental health advice and guidance to both customers and team members, the campaign aimed to spread the word of JAAQ Coffee to the Genuine Dining Co’s existing client portfolio – including global media and law firms, tech companies and insurance businesses – demonstrating how it could be part of a workplace wellbeing strategy and catering solution. In fact, the business has seen JAAQ Coffee takeovers at three of its most prestigious client sites in central London, engaging with over 3,000 customers on a daily basis.

Contract turnover from new business aligned with JAAQ Coffee is set to break sales targets, while the return on investment far outweighs the original budget, with significant increase in turnover and contract gains. But one of the key indicators of this innovative marketing campaign’s success is the 10,000 or more log-ins to the JAAQ digital portal during the time of the campaign.

As the Genuine Dining Co quite rightly points out, the most important facet of the sector is its people: “If we are not supporting their mental and physical health, then we are letting down the hospitality industry, which is why something like JAAQ is so important.” Which is why this thoughtful campaign is so deserving of this year’s Catey.

What the judges said

“An innovative campaign bringing mental health, marketing and hospitality together cleverly to change the way people access information and support on such a crucial matter.” Alix White

“What a brilliant concept. That JAAQ Coffee delivers for the business financially as well as supporting mental health is very admirable indeed.” Sarah Collins

The shortlist

• The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Sutton Coldfield
• Corinthia London, the Genuine Dining Co
• The Grove, Hertfordshire
• The Real Food Café and Forth Valley Food & DrinkStirling

The judges

• Hannah Bewhay, the Seren Collection
• Sarah Collins, Rick Stein Group
• Jeremy Gibson, Hospitality Action
• Simon Houston, Houston & Hawkes
• Diane Howarth, Cottage in the Dales
• Hayley Scriven, Amadeus
• Alix White, the Seren Collection