Designing the operating model behind a high-growth social channel.

Issue
Until 2019, Premier Inn had no dedicated in-house social function. Organic social was managed reactively by the commercial team, prioritising short-term revenue over long-term brand engagement. Processes were fragmented, approvals were inconsistent, and the absence of a structured workflow limited scalability.

As social platforms evolved rapidly, particularly among under-35 audiences, the business needed a coordinated, governance-led operating model to support growth without increasing risk.

Insight
Social performance is not driven solely by content. It depends on structured collaboration, defined accountability and integrated workflows across creative, marketing, compliance and external agency partners.

Without operational clarity, social activity remains reactive. With the right framework, it becomes a scalable growth channel.

Idea
I supported the creation of a dedicated in-house brand marketing social function, structurally aligned with the creative studio to ensure strategic oversight and brand consistency.

The operational foundation was the implementation of HeyOrca as a centralised workflow and approval platform. This created a single source of truth across internal stakeholders and external agency partners, including The Social Shepherd.

Structured content calendars, approval checkpoints and clearly defined roles ensured visibility and accountability across marketing, compliance and leadership. Review cycles were formalised, templates standardised, and governance embedded into the lifecycle of every post.

The launch of TikTok was integrated into this operating framework, allowing agile, trend-responsive content creation while maintaining brand guardrails and sign-off discipline.

This was not simply channel expansion. It was the introduction of a scalable, risk-aware social operating model.

Impact
Social transformed from a fragmented activity into a structured, high-performing channel. Turnaround times accelerated, approval friction reduced, and stakeholder confidence increased through improved transparency.

TikTok achieved over 15,000 followers within six months, with multiple viral videos. Instagram engagement strengthened significantly, and social became fully integrated into the broader customer journey.

Most importantly, the channel evolved from reactive promotion to a strategically governed brand platform – enabled by clear process, structured collaboration and operational discipline.