Federal Café was looking for a PR partner to launch its first café outside Manchester, marking a major milestone in the brand’s expansion strategy. The Leeds launch offered an opportunity to introduce the much-loved brunch brand to a new city while establishing immediate credibility within a competitive and well-established independent food scene.
PGHL was tasked with delivering a launch campaign that would build strong brand awareness in Yorkshire ahead of opening, drive footfall and demand from day one and secure meaningful media, influencer and social coverage.
PGHL delivered a phased PR launch designed to build anticipation, drive opening-day footfall and maintain momentum well beyond launch. We engaged key bloggers and creators with curated gift boxes filled with branded coffee cups, merchandise, gift vouchers and sweet treats sparking social chatter and building momentum ahead of launch. This was followed by a dedicated press first-look day, giving media and influencers advance access to the café, menu and interiors to encourage feature coverage.
Opening weekend activity included the first 1,000 drinks free to generate excitement and an invited mix of bloggers, influencers and local corporates were hosted maximising awareness. Influencer and press bookings were then carefully staggered ensuring a steady flow of reviews, features and social content that kept the opening message live well beyond the initial launch period.
Working with Jordan and the team at PGHL delivered exactly what we needed. As we opened our first café outside Manchester, we required a partner who understood the Leeds market and could deliver strong coverage and local insight. Jordan and the team were consistently available for guidance throughout the launch and helped us execute our most successful café opening to date.
Andrew Tyson – Ecommerce manager
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The campaign secured strong pre-launch and launch coverage across Leeds, Yorkshire and lifestyle media, supported by organic influencer advocacy that introduced Federal Café to a new regional audience. Opening-day footfall was driven by the first 1,000 drinks free activation, while staggered press and influencer visits sustained awareness beyond launch, positioning Federal as a destination opening, and a must-visit in Leeds, setting a clear blueprint for future UK expansion.
· 110- pieces of media coverage
· 1.17m total estimated views
· 24k- social engagements
· 439k- estimated social views
· 107k– TikTok plays