About the project

Severndroog Castle, a Grade II-listed 18th-century Gothic tower is a heritage site on Shooter's Hill in south east London. It offers panoramic views across London and a unique visitor experience. As part of an organisational resilience project, Alix Slater Consultancy & Training worked as an Associate of Cultural Consulting Network (CCN) to strengthen the site's business operations and audience engagement.

The consultancy's role

The consultancy led the development of the business and marketing plans, carrying out extensive analysis of visitor behaviour, secondary spending, hire conversion rates, and social media reach to provide baseline data. The consultancy assessed the potential of paid-for events, weddings, venue hires, and the café to improve financial sustainability, which informed the operational business plan. With input from Alison Guilfoyle, a retail consultant, a new retail offer was developed which would work in such a small space.

To support the promotion of these new opportunities, the consultancy developed a marketing plan focused on increasing audience engagement and improving revenue streams. The consultancy wrote a social media plan and a training plan for volunteers, including a practical, hands-on guide to using social media advertising to extend Severndroog Castle's reach and attract new visitors. A new brand identity was developed in partnership with the team. As formative evaluation, the consultancy tested the logo designs on site with the public, which informed the final choice. That identity is still in use today.

This project shows how using audience insights, consultation and piloting, the consultancy is able to provide a detailed plan based on evidence to help sites become more efficient and raise their profile.