Optimising operations with integrated collaboration.

Issue
Until 2019, Premier Inn had no dedicated social team or coordinated strategy. Social content was managed by the commercial arm, which focused solely on short-term revenue. Organic channels were inconsistent and underutilised, missing key engagement opportunities, especially with under-35s.

Insight
Reaching under-35s required operational discipline and seamless cross-functional collaboration, not just creative ideas. Social platforms demanded integrated workflows to ensure relevance and authenticity.

Idea
We built a dedicated in-house brand marketing social team aligned with Studio for creative oversight and strategy. The core operational upgrade was the deployment of HeyOrca, a collaborative platform connecting internal teams, stakeholders, and external partners – including The Social Shepherd – within a unified, transparent workflow.

HeyOrca centralised content planning, approvals, and performance tracking, replacing disjointed processes with a single source of truth. Structured workflows enforced visibility and input from marketing, compliance, and leadership, removing bottlenecks.

Clear roles, shared templates, and scheduled review cycles ensured accountability and speed. The four content pillars – Inspire, Entertain, Promote, Educate – provided consistent creative alignment. TikTok launch was integrated into this operational framework, enabling agile, trend-led content without compromising brand standards.

Impact
These robust processes and collaboration tools transformed social into a seamless, cross-functional operation. Streamlined workflows and shared visibility accelerated turnaround times, improved content quality and ensured aligned stakeholder engagement.

TikTok gained over 15,000 followers in six months with multiple viral videos. Instagram engagement rose sharply. Social became a fully integrated channel, supporting the customer journey from inspiration to booking.