Coffee Lab, an independent café in the heart of Winchester, came to BOA with a clear goal: grow beyond local footfall and become the café people talk about, search for, and travel to.

With limited digital marketing and no consistent content system, they needed visibility, a stronger identity, and a way to reach a younger, social-first audience. In just 90 days, Coffee Lab saw a 1,052% increase in impressions, a 122% rise in reach, and clear lifts in foot traffic driven directly from social. Across this period, Coffee Lab generated 500,000 views, reached 100k accounts, grew to 2k followers, activated 15 creators, and after a year of consistent strategic social efforts, doubled monthly revenue from £30k to £60k.

Platform-Led Social Content

We developed a cross-platform content system built around TikTok and Instagram Reels, a mix of trending formats, lo-fi moments, cinematic visuals, and staff-led storytelling. This made the café feel warm, relevant, and consistently present in people’s feeds.

Identity Building Through Story & Culture

We leaned into humour, the team’s personality, and premium coffee culture to create a recognisable tone.
Impact: Stories alone contributed 52.2% of engagement, signalling a stronger brand connection.

Local & Micro-Creator Seeding

We partnered with local students, young professionals, and creators to spotlight Coffee Lab’s atmosphere and drinks. This built authentic social proof and expanded reach beyond core locals. In total, 15 successful creator visits helped extend reach, build trust, and bring new audiences into the space.

Social-Driven Footfall Activations

To turn attention into visits, we launched digital-to-store campaigns such as Secret Sip Wednesdays and the Insiders Channel, amplified through Reels, Stories and targeted DMs.

Impact: A 108% increase in in-store visits, with clear increases in profile clicks and repeat customers.

Impact

By blending platform-native content, creator credibility, and simple on-the-ground activations, Coffee Lab grew from a local coffee spot into a café with genuine demand pull. A clear identity, consistent storytelling, and intentional strategy built the kind of demand.