Planning for a crisis is not always a business priority. But after reading about the unfortunate events which occurred at Melbourne theatre restaurant, Witches In Britches last year, you may change your mind about where crisis management planning lies on your list of things to do. We talked exclusively with Witches In Britches owner Maurizio Termina, who turned to Sensis to help them advertise the refurbished building and refreshing new brand.

The background

Witches In Britches is a gothic theatre restaurant offering live performance together with food and drink in West Melbourne since 1989.

Witches, mummies and various horror characters serve up a menu of laughs, food, performance and frivolity.

Maurizio was a high profile Security Manager at Crown Casino until he was tempted to help his uncle in running Witches in Britches. By 2001, he’d bought half the business.

A few years went by and Maurizio was hooked. He was ready to take control. In June 2006 Maurizio was about to buy out his uncle, when disaster struck.

The Witches In Britches building almost burned to the ground when an abandoned cigarette started a fire. Unfortunately, the building contents were perfect fuel for the fire, including polystyrene, foam, plastic sets and costumes.

Witches In Britches Director, Paul Moder was trapped in the blaze but managed to telephone triple zero. When the blaze was extinguished, wreckage was cleared but the business suffered $400,000 worth of damages. Unfortunately, the insurance policy did not cover all of the damages either.

The show must go on

Maurizio said, “I had to find a way to open again. My own bank said no, so I eventually mortgaged my home with another bank to fund the renovations.”

The whole team threw their weight behind Maurizio - labouring, donating materials and working weekends to get the business back on track.

Their first show premiered on 21 April 2007 and it was all hands on deck to get everything ready for the opening night. Rehearsals continued amongst carpenters, electricians, and plumbers, who worked frantically to have the restaurant ready for business.

Re-launching

Maurizio and Paul recognised the need to use media to tell their story and they understood how important advertising was to inform customers that they were back in business.

Witches In Britches needed to be easy for customers to find and as Maurizio said, “The brand needed as much publicity as possible.”

Seeking Yellow™ advice

Senis Media Account Executive Teen Thompson has been working with Witches in Britches for a few years and wanted to help Maurizio and Paul during this difficult time. Teen answered some questions about her role.

What does a Sensis Media Account Executive do?
We assess our customers' business needs by asking key questions about their business and using this to recommend an optimal solution.

How do you typically help a client?
We help by making sure that their advertising program is suitable for the current and ongoing direction of their business.

Where do businesses typically go wrong when developing their marketing strategies?
Many clients base their marketing strategies on dollar spend only. Branding plays an important part of business growth and advertising so ensuring businesses have consistent messaging is essential.

Does the Yellow™ Directory attract genuine buyers?
The Yellow™ Directory attracts buyers who are ready to purchase or engage in a service. Yellow™ is available 24/7 via www.yellow.com.au and the Directory.

Teen discussed several options for Witches In Britches and put together a clear marketing plan, incorporating advertising across the Sensis network. Witches In Britches agreed to advertise in the following mediums:

• Yellow™ Directory, with 3.8 million viewers per month in Melbourne;
• www.yellow.com.au with 1.1 million viewers per month in Melbourne;
• Yellow Mobile;
• Voice Service;
• Sensis 1234;
• White Pages; and
• Citysearch 

Now

Witches In Britches is drawing crowds from all over Melbourne. Their publicity plan and advertising schedule ensures their brand is top-of-mind for their audience. 

Crisis management information

This case study reminds us all of the importance to plan for the worst.

The following websites may assist you in preparing your business for a crisis:

• www.jacksonwells.com.au/crisis-simulation.ashx
• www.crisismanagement.com.au
• www.prinfluences.com.au

 For further information on Yellow advertising books visit www.yellowadvertising.com.au