World famous Hard Rock Cafe uses UGC to increase engagement and credibility

Restaurant and bar chain Hard Rock Cafe is a worldwide known concept, where people from the entire world come to enjoy the company of friends, good music and great food in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

David Björkeryd, E‑Commerce & Digital Manager at Hard Rock Cafe in Gothenburg, Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki, wants more people to be able to enjoy the authentic Hard Rock Cafe experience. In order to make that happen, he has increased the engagement from their audience on social media with over 900 % and to use it in a way that benefits the business.

- Before I started here, there was no common thread in our digital communication. And now, we have all the marketing teams focusing on relevant content, high quality pictures and our own tonality. As a result, the engagement on Facebook has increased with 900 % in the last 12 months.

Apart from managing Hard Rock Cafes own digital channels, David Björkeryd sees the value of user generated content solutions.

- People are more likely to trust a recommendation from another person over branded content, it’s clear to see how far the trust between people and marketers has stretched. Now we have the possibility to share our customers authentic photos, comments and reviews. That gives us a better chance to show off the authentic experience of Hard Rock Cafe.

Chances are higher that they decide to book a table when they see the naked truth, says David Björkeryd.

This is the reason why David Björkeryd decided to implement UGC (user generated content), provided by Flowbox, on all Hard Rock Café´s unit websites. The solution collects Instagram pictures with the hashtag #hrcgothenburg #hrcoslo #hrchelsinki #hrcstockholm and the geo locations (check-ins). Then we ask our customers if we can share it on our website.

When clicking on a picture, users are able to book a table directly through a link next to the picture.

- The biggest benefit with Flowbox’s UGC solution integrated on-site is the increased credibility that it brings. We receive great reviews and the UGC does a great job showing off our satisfied customers. Our online bookings have increased with more than 100 % and I can tell that Flowbox’s UGC-solution has a big part in the results. So, I’m really happy that we have gone from mainly phone bookings towards more online bookings. It’s saves us a lot of time, says David Björkeryd.

David Björkeryd has recently started his own company (Strategi Digital AB) to share his knowledge within Digital Marketing.

- People from other companies were reaching out to me and needed help with their digital marketing strategies so I finally decided to go out on my own. Now Hard Rock Cafe Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki and Gothenburg, O’Learys and Joe Farelli’s are my clients, and I aim to repeat the same success for all my customers, says David Björkeryd.

- We are very excited about Hard Rock Cafe’s success thanks to Flowbox. This is proof that our platform is right in time, says Marcus Carloni, CEO & founder. Flowbox.

For more information, contact:

Helena Nordh Myhrman, Head of Content, Flowbox
070-4402523, helena.myhrman@getflowbox.com