Case Study: Starlight Room
Developing a Brand Strategy & Voice for a Multi-Function Rooftop Venue
Client Overview
Starlight Room is a luxurious, multi-functional rooftop experience offering craft cocktails, flexible event space, and energetic music-driven nightlife located in a prime location of San Francisco’s Union Square.
Designed to offer an exceptional experience for both social and corporate events, the space needed a comprehensive brand strategy and voice to position it as a premier destination for a sophisticated, eclectic crowd.
The venue aims to blend stylish, upscale cocktails with dynamic event programming, providing a versatile space for everything from intimate gatherings to high-energy nightlife events.
Our Challenge
As part of its pre-opening strategy, Starlight Room needed a cohesive brand identity that communicated the venue's sophistication, versatility, and elevated experience while standing out in a competitive market.
The brand needed to resonate with both corporate and social audiences while maintaining a consistent voice across various touchpoints—from marketing materials to uniforms and menus.
The challenge was to create a brand voice and strategy that would:
1. Set the tone for a luxurious, yet accessible space.
2. Ensure that all aspects of the venue—cocktail offerings, events, design, and staff—were in alignment with the brand.
3. Establish the venue’s unique position in a competitive city skyline of rooftop venues and nightlife spots.
4. Preserve the venue's rich history while revitalizing it and shifting the perspective toward a more modern era.
Our Solutions
The hospitality, bar, and restaurant consultants at Alias devised multi-faceted solutions and strategies to address the challenges at hand. Here’s how.
1. Brand Strategy Development
The foundation of Starlight Room’s brand strategy was built around the themes of luxury, versatility, and urban energy. The vision was to:
Create a space that feels both exclusive and inviting.
Seamlessly blend elegant cocktail experiences with an ever-changing lineup of dynamic events.
We aimed to reflect the cosmopolitan, chic nature of the space while also infusing the essence of a playful and vibrant nightlife atmosphere.
Key components of the brand strategy included:
1. Brand Voice: The venue’s voice would be sophisticated yet approachable, refined yet fun. It was essential to strike a balance between luxury and approachability, allowing it to appeal to professionals seeking an upscale experience and groups celebrating social milestones.
2. Visual Identity: The brand’s aesthetic leaned into sleek, modern design elements with silver accents, white marble tones, and minimalist décor. The typography and logo were crafted to embody elegance while maintaining contemporary appeal.
3. Target Audience: A mix of urban professionals, young professionals looking for sophisticated socializing spaces, corporate event planners, and socialites seeking an exclusive nightlife destination.
2. Pre-Opening Programming and Tie-In Activation
To build excitement ahead of the opening, we developed a pre-opening programming strategy that would start building the venue’s reputation early on.
Our strategy included:
1. Influencer and Media Partnerships: We engaged with local influencers and lifestyle media outlets for exclusive sneak-peek events to generate buzz. Through invite-only launch events, we targeted high-profile socialites, influencers, and corporate event planners to build anticipation and awareness.
2. Exclusive Pre-Opening Offers: We developed VIP pre-opening packages offering early reservations, limited-edition cocktails, and discounted event bookings to secure early adopters and build word-of-mouth.
3. Soft Launch Events: We coordinated a series of soft launch events, each designed to showcase different aspects of the venue—cocktail tastings, art shows, live music nights, and corporate networking events. The goal was to demonstrate the venue’s versatility and attract multiple types of customers before the official grand opening.
3. Uniform Design
The uniforms were designed to reflect the venue’s chic and contemporary atmosphere while ensuring comfort and functionality for staff. The design incorporated:
1. Stylish Yet Practical: Tailored suits in neutral tones with gold accents mirrored the venue’s luxurious aesthetic. Female staff wore sleek, modern dresses with metallic accessories to complement the upscale but relaxed environment.
2. Branded Touches: Each uniform featured subtle branding elements like custom lapel pins, providing a consistent and polished look while reinforcing the identity of Starlight Room.
3. Staff Training on Brand Voice: All team members underwent training not only in customer service but also in delivering the venue’s brand voice—elegant, knowledgeable, yet personable.
4. Menu Design and Cocktail Concept
One of the key features of Starlight Room was its cocktail menu, designed to enhance the brand’s identity and deliver a high-quality experience to guests.
1. Signature Cocktails: We created a menu featuring both classic and inventive cocktails inspired by the venue’s cosmopolitan vibe. Each drink told a story through its ingredients and presentation, highlighting premium spirits and rare infusions that mirrored the exclusivity of the venue.
2. Seasonal Offerings: Seasonal, themed cocktails were introduced during special events / pop-ups to keep the menu fresh and exciting.
3. Menu Design: The menu design was sleek and minimalist, featuring elegant fonts and rich paper with metallic foil accents to complement the venue’s luxurious atmosphere. It also included a curated selection of wines and spirits, highlighting prestigious French Champagne houses and Northern California’s renowned wine heritage, along with unique pairings that gave guests the freedom to try the vast offerings.
5. Event Programming & Activation
As an event-driven space, Starlight Room was designed to offer a range of programming options, from upscale cocktail hours to high-energy nightlife events.
1. Corporate and Social Event Programming: We built tailored event packages for corporate clients, social groups, and private gatherings, offering everything from intimate dinners to grand corporate functions. Each event type had bespoke services and pricing.
2. Signature Experiences: To differentiate the venue from other rooftops, we curated signature experiences, including live music, mixology masterclasses, and “live” art pop-ups, reinforcing the venue’s commitment to cultural programming and the magical allure the venue had always been known for.
3. Event Branding: Each event was thoughtfully branded to align with the venue’s overall identity, while being customized to meet the specific needs of the occasion, ensuring a unique experience for each client while maintaining a cohesive brand presence. For our corporate clients, six cutting-edge digital displays were available, allowing them to collaborate with our design team to showcase company logos through dynamic motion graphics. These flat, two-dimensional logos were transformed into stunning three-dimensional art pieces, enhancing the event’s visual impact.
Results
Through strategic restaurant consulting, Alias accomplished several objectives while advancing Starlight Room’s branding, bookings, offerings, and so much more. Some results included:
1. Brand Recognition
Prior to opening, Starlight Room gained attention through influencer partnerships and media coverage, creating a buzz that contributed to a highly successful grand opening.
2. Increased Bookings
The pre-opening campaigns generated significant interest, leading to a high number of early bookings for both private events and regular guest reservations.
3. Positive Feedback
Feedback from guests and influencers highlighted the venue’s strong brand identity, seamless integration of programming, and unique cocktail offerings.
4. Strong Brand Presence
Post-launch, Starlight Room quickly became a sought-after destination for both corporate clients and social events, earning its place as a top-tier rooftop venue in a competitive market.
Conclusion
Through a comprehensive approach to brand strategy, event programming, and design elements, Starlight Room successfully launched as a premier rooftop venue.
By aligning all aspects of the venue—from uniforms to cocktails, event programming to brand voice—we created a seamless brand experience that resonated with its target audience and set the stage for long-term success in the competitive rooftop cocktail and event space.