Senior leadership embedded at the core

What began as a three-month consultancy quickly evolved into a senior leadership role, working directly alongside the owners and executive team.

Jackie took full ownership of the group’s marketing function—bringing structure, clarity and direction at a time when the business needed both immediate stability and long-term vision.

Rebuilding the marketing engine

Jackie’s first priority was to establish a best-in-class marketing ecosystem:

• Built and led a multi-disciplinary team across PR, social, creative, design and content
• Leveraged an extensive network of trusted specialists and industry partners
• Introduced a more strategic, data-led approach to campaigns and communications
• Created a consistent brand voice across all channels and locations

This transformed marketing from a reactive function into a proactive, revenue-driving engine.

Modernising systems, data and customer journey

Beyond brand and campaigns, Jackie focused on the operational backbone of the business:

• Upgraded and integrated the booking platform and reservation systems
• Optimised the CRM and loyalty programme to drive retention and repeat visits
• Aligned email marketing and social channels for more targeted, measurable engagement
• Streamlined internal processes to ensure consistency across all customer touchpoints

The result was a more connected, efficient and insight-driven business.

Repositioning an icon for today’s audience

Balans’s strength has always been its heritage—but unlocking future growth required careful repositioning.

Jackie led the development of a strategy that:

• Honoured Soho roots and legacy while evolving tone and visual identity
• Refined site-specific positioning across Soho, Kensington and Westfield locations
• Introduced experience-led programming, events and late-night activations
• Built brand partnerships across food, drink, entertainment and culture
• Delivered a more social-first content strategy to engage younger audiences

Crucially, this wasn’t a rebrand—it was a strategic evolution, designed to retain loyal customers while attracting a new generation.

The Impact

Stronger, more relevant brand positioning

Balans successfully re-established itself as:

• A modern Soho destination, not just a legacy brand
• A leader in all-day to late-night dining experiences
• A brand that resonates with both long-standing regulars and new audiences

Improved commercial and operational performance

Through the integration of systems, strategy and creative execution:

• Increased customer engagement and repeat visits
• More effective data capture and targeted marketing
• Stronger alignment between marketing activity and on-site performance

A unified multi-site business

Jackie’s work brought cohesion across the group:

• Clearer site-level identities and messaging
• Consistent brand experience across locations
• Stronger collaboration between head office and on-site teams

The Difference

Jackie Clode-Dickens’ role at Balans went far beyond traditional marketing consultancy.

She operated as a senior strategic partner, bridging the gap between brand, operations and commercial performance:

• Deep expertise across hospitality, nightlife and London’s F&B landscape
• Ability to translate brand into experience, both digitally and in-venue
• Proven skill in modernising legacy brands without losing authenticity
• Hands-on leadership across teams, systems, creative and partnerships

Her impact can be seen not just in campaigns—but in how the business now operates, communicates and evolves.

Key Results

• Fully restructured and elevated group marketing function
• Integrated systems across CRM, bookings, loyalty and communications
• Stronger, more relevant brand positioning across all sites
• Increased engagement from both loyal and new customer audiences
• Successful repositioning of Balans as a modern Soho institution