Finalist for Small Business Social Media Campaign of the Year: Yakinori to Birmingham
SHC Digital’s campaign for relaunching Yakinori to Birmingham was one of the finalists in the Small Business Social Media Campaign of the Year category at the Social Media Marketing Awards 2025.
What was the strategy behind the campaign, what was the involvement of influencers, what’s next for Yakinori and SHC Digital? We spoke with the team to learn more:
The Yakinori New Street Relaunch campaign marked the triumphant return of Birmingham’s much-loved Japanese restaurant to the heart of the city after a two-year hiatus.
Run by SHC Digital, the campaign set out to reintroduce Yakinori to Birmingham audiences in a bold, authentic, and culturally resonant way.
This wasn’t just about reopening a restaurant – it was about reigniting a connection with a city. Positioned on “Brum’s Maddest Munch Strip” during the height of the festive season, Yakinori needed to stand out amid fierce competition and the crowds of the German Market.
By combining hyper-local insights, bold creativity, and community partnerships, the campaign successfully turned the relaunch into a Birmingham-wide moment – re-establishing Yakinori as a true staple of the city’s food scene.
The Challenge
Yakinori faced a unique challenge: relaunching in a prime but highly competitive location during Birmingham’s busiest time of year.
The New Street site had previously opened in 2022 but was forced to close just six weeks later due to flooding. Two years on, the brand needed to rebuild momentum, restore awareness, and reconnect emotionally with local audiences.
The opportunity was clear – to leverage Yakinori’s strong Midlands reputation and use the reopening as a platform to reignite local love for the brand, while positioning the restaurant as both a value-driven and experience-led dining destination.
The Strategy
Our approach was rooted in community, creativity, and cultural relevance.
Audience insight: Using restaurant data and social analytics, we identified that Yakinori’s primary audience – Gen Z diners – were cost-conscious but experience-driven, and heavily influenced by local voices.
Cultural connection: We recognised that Brummies take pride in supporting independent businesses, especially those that give back to their community.
Creative hook: Our hero activation was the £1 Katsu Curry opening offer, exclusive to Yakinori Club Members – designed to cut through Christmas noise and generate unmissable city-wide buzz.
Charity partnership: To reinforce authenticity and goodwill, all opening-day takings were donated to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, highlighting Yakinori’s long-term local commitment.
Multi-layered activation: We integrated paid, earned, owned, and experiential channels to deliver a 360° experience – from teaser content to street activations and post-launch offers.
Channels and Activation
Paid social: Highly targeted paid social campaigns used a 2-mile geo-fence around Birmingham City Centre, reaching commuters, workers, and shoppers with tailored creative.
Creator & media partnerships: Collaborations with trusted local voices like Birmingham Updates and Birmingham-based creators added credibility and organic reach.
Experiential & guerrilla marketing: Interactive “hidden gift card” treasure hunts brought the campaign to the streets, sparking local participation and online buzz.
Video & social content: Vox-pop clips captured Brummies reacting to the £1 Katsu offer, while short-form videos showcased Yakinori’s interiors and prime location near New Street station.
Community events: Preview events, including a saké-tasting evening led by a local expert, welcomed creators, fans, and hospital staff to experience the new space firsthand.
CRM & Loyalty: Membership-exclusive offers drove ongoing engagement, database growth, and repeat visits beyond launch week.
The Results
The campaign delivered outstanding results across every key metric:
Over 900 £1 Katsu Curries sold in four hours, with queues spilling out onto New Street – bringing the campaign’s ambition to “stop the city” to life.
£1,000+ donated to Birmingham Children’s Hospital from opening-day takings.
6,060 new Yakinori Club Members onboarded, providing a valuable local database for future loyalty marketing.
1 million+ social views across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Snapchat.
677 redemptions of the post-launch 25% off offer, driving £23,818 in additional revenue.
Widespread media coverage via Birmingham Mail, Yahoo News, MSN, Visit Birmingham, and Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity News.
We’re proud that this campaign did more than drive footfall – it rekindled local love for a brand that Birmingham had missed. Seeing queues form on a freezing November morning, creators celebrating their “favourite curry’s return,” and Yakinori proudly donating its first day’s takings to charity encapsulated everything the campaign stood for: community, generosity, and connection.
What We Learned
We learned that local authenticity is the ultimate amplifier. No amount of paid reach can replace genuine community connection. Campaigns that integrate seamlessly into city culture, empower local creators, and deliver meaningful value – both experiential and financial – are the ones that truly resonate.
We also saw the power of exclusivity: tying the £1 Katsu offer to Yakinori Club Membership not only built buzz but long-term marketing capability through data capture.
What’s Next
Building on the success of the relaunch, Yakinori and SHC Digital plan to:
Expand the Yakinori Club loyalty programme across all locations.
Continue creating city-specific activations that celebrate local culture.
Use insights from this campaign to shape future experience-driven offers across digital and in-restaurant channels.
We’re also excited to evolve our creator partnerships and storytelling, making every Yakinori experience – from the first reel to the last bite – uniquely shareable and unmistakably Birmingham.
