lower case socials - social media for hospitality

So much of social media and marketing happens behind a screen. I spend 90% of my time on Slack, Zoom, Google Meet, Teams (gross), email, and apps - my screen time is shockingly high. Hopping on the recent Irish Whiskey Genius trip @thedeadrabbitny gave me the chance to hang out with bartenders I usually only message with about work - IRL! Truly, every stop was a highlight, but particularly the Guinness Storehouse VIP Tour (I’d done it before, but never with @foxatronic , who was the best host ever). The family at @boanndistillery were so welcoming, not forgetting the father-and-son whistling performance, which had us in tears. Not pictured - pints at @maddensbarbelfast_home_of_trad , reminding me why it might just be my favourite pub in the world. Huge thanks, @mark_whiskey , for letting me crash your trip, and for the amazing itinerary! 📸 by @drinkin.creative

New client - @sanpatriciosNJ . It’s absolutely wild to me how one client can turn into seven - such is the case with @thedeadrabbitNY and its ever-expanding empire! This week saw the launch of San Patricios, a brand new concept in Jersey City, announced just two months ago. I’ve been obsessed with this brand since first hearing the idea, and seeing it come to life has been a joy. Like The Dead Rabbit, it’s steeped in storytelling - my favourite thing - layered with authenticity, and built on all the hallmarks of a great bar.
 I won’t unpack the inspo and history here (the @sanpatriciosNJ Instagram and new website cover it all), but I’d highly recommend diving in - it’s super interesting, culturally relevant, and very cool. 
Ops - @laurartorres Strategy - @grainne.o.neill Drinks - @aidanunderpressure and @diego_livera Design - @alliesstudio Photography & Videography - @drinkin.creative PR - @foxglovecomms The boss @jackmcgarry1 
And lastly, a shoutout to the lcs freelancers @maxbhowe , @itsjustaggy , and @catcpac for working bts on other projects, so that this one runs smoothly - and to @luuk__ot for being my Irish translator! lower case socials for San Patricios, social media management and copywriting ✍🏼

Sharing a stage (table) with @sandraelawrence and @helloclairewarner was a real highlight of my time with the @worldclassgreatbritain Top Ten last month - but the best bit was getting to know the brilliant finalists and seeing them represent themselves, their ideas, and their bars with such passion and creativity.
 We all know how hard it is to put yourself out there - to share something personal and then invite critique. Every single one of them nailed it, and I don’t envy the judges one bit.
 Congrats to *all of the entrants* - and a huuuuuge well done to @cocktailswithlele , the very deserving GB winner.  lower case socials for World Class GB, social media management and copywriting ✍🏼

Despite not posting since March, things have been happening! In fact, that’s kind of why we haven’t posted since March.
 We’ve welcomed new clients, hit some milestones, and lined up a few big projects. Most recently, we had the pleasure of working on a brand-new menu for The Dead Rabbit.
 While we’ve worked with them for over six years in various ways, this was the first time we were entrusted with writing their full menu, and it was a joy. The TOV here is fun and playful, tongue-in-cheek, and less serious than in years prior. As is The Dead Rabbit way, we’ve woven storytelling through absolutely everything, but kept things accessible and engaging, putting the guest experience front and centre.
 Design: @alliesstudio Photography: @drinkin.creative Strategy: @grainne.o.neill Drinks: The Parlor team Copywriting: @rebekkahdooley

🍸 Finally, some GOOD social media news. Ending the week having switched all my social planner grids from square to portrait, failed Dry Jan, solved the 4:5 / 4:3 mystery, survived the TikTok ‘ban,’ and - here’s the good news - you can now add collaborators to posts *after* the content has gone live. I don’t know when this happened, but a win’s a win. 📸 by @roman66and6 - who else?

PSA! The new GRID format isn’t 4:5 (1080 x 1350); it’s 1080 x 1440, so 4:3. The FEED is 4:5.

For years, we’ve had to create assets that look good in the feed (4:5 was always ideal for this - as the ‘largest’ image you can post, it takes up the most space, so is the most attention-grabbing) - but the assets also had to look good as square (1:1), when viewed on the grid. I won’t go through the minutiae of why this was a challenge - social media managers already know, but it mainly impacted design assets with writing, and using Photoshop Generative Expand to avoid annoyingly cropped pics. 

This new update doesn’t solve this issue as there are still two dimensions to keep in mind, but it is an improvement. What does this mean? Essentially, not much - keep posting in 4:5, but be aware that your images will be cropped on the grid. 
Thank you @roman666and6 for helping me to investigate this very important mystery, and a reminder to SMMs to always keep a private account for testing!

Because IG is all about grids of three, and we don’t actually have anything new or exciting to post, here are some INs and OUTs for 2025 (inspired by everyone else and @weareRHC ) 📸 @threesheetsbars Dirty Martini by @itsjamiehendo

✨ This time last year, we had six clients - The Dead Rabbit NY, The Irish Exit, and the four Lyan bars. Fast forward 12 months, and we’ve retained those, and added a few more - The Pinnacle Guide, Mr Lyan Studio, The Dead Rabbit TX, Jameson HOSTS, two books (eyes peeled for 2025), Ceylon Arrack, Colombo Gin, SIP UK, Tours of Ireland, plus seasonal work for London Cocktail Week, Crown Creative, and Drink In. Of course, it’s not about the quantity - it’s about doing work we genuinely enjoy, with people we really like. lower case socials kind of began as an accident - one full-time job and one freelance client that grew into two, then three - fast forward to now - 17 projects, one founder, and two incredible freelancers. Of course, it’s rewarding, but it’s not without its challenges. For the new year, rather than growing the company or taking on more clients, we’re committed to creating excellent work with our existing partners - because without their continued trust and support, lcs wouldn’t exist ✌️

Fabio, Daniel, and the team at @drinkin.official create all the videos (and some of the photos) you see on the @thedeadrabbitNY , @thedeadrabbitTX , @theirishexitpub , and @toursofireland feeds - but they work for a bunch of other great clients, too. Back in July, we were asked by Drink In to write the scripts for nine @JamesonHOSTS videos, titled the ‘Bartending: The Unwritten Rules’ covering service, round building, career progression, and more. This short-term project has since grown, with lower case socials writing the copy for the Jameson HOSTS Instagram, and Drink In looking after *everything* else, including planning, scheduling, and content creation. Partnering with Drink In continues to be a delight - their approach to thoughtful storytelling aligns with our own, as does their passion for all things hospitality and advocacy - with a shared penchant for Irish brands and bars. lower case socials for Jameson HOSTS, social media copywriting, July 2024 - present day ✍🏼

November marks two years of working with the Lyan group! Having been a regular at White Lyan back in 2013 (frequently visiting for Zoe’s ‘crack’ cheese as well as the cocktails), we jumped at the opportunity to work with Lyaness, Seed Library, Silver Lyan, and Super Lyan - and more recently, @mrlyanstudio , too. Well-acquainted with the London Lyan bars, we have since visited all four, and had the pleasure of working on projects including the Lyan X 10-year birthday party, and The Dead Rabbit’s recent pop-up at Lyaness - a collab featuring three lower case clients! The best bit, though, is the team. As anyone who has worked with James Wheeler can attest, he’s diligent and organised, focused and determined, but he’s also kind, generous, and sometimes - funny. Thank you, James, Ryan, Alex and co for your trust, for teaching us something new every day (fried chicken, sumo stew, skateboarding, and the history of potatoes come to mind), and for welcoming us with open arms. 10/10. lower case socials for Lyaness, Seed Library, Silver Lyan, and Super Lyan, social media management and copywriting, November 2022 - present day ✍🏼

Now that the insanity of October is (almost!) over - a look at what we’ve been working on. @toursofireland , a concept created by @thedeadrabbitNY and @mark_whiskey , officially launched a couple of weeks ago, following over a year of research and development. This seven-day trip showcases the Emerald Isle through a contemporary lens, celebrating modern creatives and time-honored makers, with incredible food, luxury hotels, world-class pubs, innovative distillers, and more. This is a dreamy project with an all-star team, including Mark McLaughlin (an Irish Whiskey oracle), @drinkin.official (content geniuses), @grainne.o.neill , Director of Strategy at The Dead Rabbit and The Irish Exit, and @jackmcgarry1 - the boss. Not surprisingly, the first tour sold out, but the second will be announced very soon 💚 lower case socials for Tours of Ireland, social media management and copywriting ✍🏼 📸 by @drinkin.official

Now in its 15th year, London Cocktail Week has grown and evolved exponentially since its inception, but one thing remains the same - Hannah and Siobhan. A powerhouse in all things events, strategy, community, and comms, this award-winning dynamic duo continues to lead the way in city-wide cocktail celebrations, but perhaps most importantly, they’re a genuine pleasure to work with. Often imitated, never bettered.