Time: Feb 2019 - Feb 2020.
Client: Bootlegger Coffee Company
Project: Develop marketing strategy to position the business for expansion
Impact: Positioned Bootlegger for long-term growth by building scalable storytelling systems: doubling Instagram followers in a year, and creating guiding principles that ensured the brand’s voice and values carried through every customer touchpoint.

As a consultant, my focus was on building Bootlegger into a brand that felt as distinctive and consistent as its coffee. I developed a storytelling and marketing strategy that unified internal and external communications — uncovering the brand's stories and values, then connecting them with customers across every touchpoint: menus, social media, the website, events, waiter training, and beyond.

That meant establishing a clear brand voice and visual identity, producing all content across social media, photography, and design, and reinstating internal communications channels that fostered culture and connection. I brought back the beloved Barista Champs, revived the in-house newspaper, and curated events across stores in Johannesburg and Cape Town to strengthen the brand's presence on the ground.

A large part of my work centred on store launches, developing a repeatable approach that eventually became the foundation of the franchisee playbook. Each launch covered local influencer and food blogger outreach, community and neighbourhood engagement, local press coverage, social media launch plans, and waiter and staff brand training.

Alongside digital growth, I also set out to grow Bootlegger's after-dark presence, driving footfall through dinner menus and evening experiences across stores nationwide. I hosted over 30 sold-out events around the country, including Majozi performing live in Sandton, a jazz evening with Gerald Clark in Stellenbosch, and nationwide gin tastings in partnership with premium brands.

With ambitious franchise expansion, I built a full marketing playbook and plug-and-play systems for incoming franchisees — covering brand voice, visual identity, launch toolkits, and communications guidelines, so new owners could hit the ground running without compromising the brand.

By the end of twelve months, Bootlegger had a strong, identifiable brand identity, a content and story pipeline, doubled social media following, a franchisee marketing playbook, and a replicable events system — everything in place to support their ambitious growth.