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Email Marketing - Case Study
As a leading email marketing agency specialising in the hospitality sector, we partnered with Flat Cap Hotels to grow their subscriber engagement, increase direct bookings, and drive repeat visits through a strategic email marketing programme.
With multiple boutique venues across Cheshire, Flat Cap Hotels wanted to maximise their database of loyal guests and local customers. The goal was to deliver beautifully branded, highly targeted campaigns that informed, inspired, and converted – while keeping the essence of the Flat Cap brand at the forefront.
Through consistent campaign planning, audience segmentation, and ongoing performance analysis, we’ve built and managed an email strategy that delivers measurable impact month after month. The result? Over 71,000 active subscribers, 400,000+ emails sent monthly, and strong engagement with an average open rate of 31% and a click-through rate of 2.1%.
Challenges & Market Landscape
01
Underutilised Email Database & Limited Segmentation
When Flat Cap Hotels approached us, they had built a strong subscriber base but weren’t making the most of it. Campaigns were being sent in bulk with minimal segmentation, meaning many guests were receiving irrelevant messages. This reduced open rates, diluted brand perception, and missed opportunities for direct conversions.
Low Engagement & Inconsistent Campaign Performance
Email performance was inconsistent, with fluctuating open and click-through rates across campaigns. Lack of strategic planning, inconsistent design quality, and unclear calls-to-action were all contributing to reduced engagement. There was no established performance benchmarking or optimisation strategy in place.
02
03
No Automated Flows or Loyalty Nurture Strategy
There was no automation in place to nurture customers beyond their booking – no welcome sequences, no post-stay feedback loops, and no birthday or seasonal touchpoints. As a result, valuable engagement opportunities were being lost, and Flat Cap Hotels were not capitalising on repeat bookings from loyal guests.
Strategic Approach
To drive consistent engagement and maximise return on investment for Flat Cap Hotels, we implemented a multi-layered email marketing strategy focused on segmentation, automation, and continuous optimisation.
01
Audience Segmentation & Targeted Campaign Planning
We started by auditing the existing database and implementing clear segmentation based on customer behaviour, booking history, and preferences. This allowed us to send more relevant, personalised content that reflected guest intent and increased the likelihood of conversion.
Key Tactics:
- Behaviour-based tagging and grouping of subscribers
- Creation of customer personas for targeted messaging
- Scheduled campaigns tailored to venue, offer type, and seasonality
- Personalised subject lines and email content to increase open rates
Automated Flows & Lifecycle Email Sequences
To improve guest retention and re-engagement, we introduced automated email journeys that nurtured the customer lifecycle. These included welcome series, pre- and post-stay emails, seasonal promotions, and birthday offers.
Key Tactics:
- Automated welcome sequences to onboard new subscribers
- Pre-arrival and post-stay emails to enhance the guest experience
- Re-engagement campaigns targeting inactive users
- Time-sensitive offers and loyalty rewards to encourage repeat visits
02
03
Design Consistency & Performance Optimisation
We built custom-designed templates aligned with Flat Cap Hotels’ branding and implemented A/B testing to refine content and improve results over time. Metrics were closely monitored and used to inform future campaign decisions.
Key Tactics:
- Custom HTML templates for brand consistency across all devices
- Ongoing A/B testing of subject lines, visuals, and CTAs
- Campaign benchmarking and monthly performance reviews
- CTR and open rate optimisation through design and copy refinement
Results
Key Metrics
What These Results Show
These email marketing results highlight a highly effective strategy for guest engagement, brand reinforcement and direct sales for Flat Cap Hotels. In short, their emails are now reaching more guests, driving more interaction, and creating stronger connections with their audience.
A subscriber base of over 71,000 active users means Flat Cap Hotels now have a powerful owned channel through which they can consistently engage a loyal and growing audience – without relying on paid media.
Sending over 400,000 emails each month demonstrates the scale and consistency of the campaign – with regular updates, offers and branded content keeping Flat Cap top of mind throughout the guest journey.
An average open rate of 31% shows strong subject line performance and highly relevant content – significantly above the industry benchmark, and a clear indicator of trust and interest from their audience.
A click-through rate of 2.1% reflects meaningful engagement – with thousands of users interacting with offers, exploring venues, and making bookings directly from email campaigns.
Taken together, these results demonstrate the success of a carefully structured, insight-led email marketing strategy – designed to boost loyalty, increase direct bookings, and elevate Flat Cap’s position as one of Cheshire’s leading hotel groups.
“Staunton Rook have been instrumental in elevating the Flat Cap Hotels brand. From strategic marketing advice to beautiful creative execution across digital and print, their team has consistently delivered with professionalism, flair, and a deep understanding of the hospitality sector. They’ve helped us tell our story in a way that truly resonates with our guests. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to any hospitality business looking to stand out.”
DOMINIC HEYWOOD
FLAT CAP HOTELS
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