Hendrick’s Refined Courtship Clinic

The Lounge recently ventured out to experience Hendrick’s Refined Courtship Clinic. The free pop-up was open for the second year running to offer etiquette tips to both singletons and couples looking to woo potential suitors and develop their relationships just in time for Valentine’s Day.

We found out about the courtship clinic online and immediately decided to register for the opportunity to experience the eccentricity one of our favourite brands first-hand. However, to our dismay we did not receive any confirmation. In a leap of faith, we decide to head up to Convent Garden anyway…

We were welcomed into the authentic feeling Victorian clinic by Dr Humphrey SixWivs. Who ensured everyone was offered a sample size Hendrick’s Gin & Tonic and an opportunity to browse the Victorian oddities on display. The brand were quick to provide us with an upgrade to full sized glasses, served from wonderfully quirky Hendrick’s teapots by dapper looking bartenders, in return for a bit of data capture.

The experience was truly quirky with novel props, a mass of cucumbers and actors in full costume and character setting the scene. We spent quite a lot of time waiting to see what the Courtship Clinic would offer. Would there be group lessons? Could we pick what they were? Eventually we were approached by the fantastic and witty Mrs Isabella Forlornicate who gave us our one-to-one advice on the proper etiquette of courtship including the hidden meanings of fan movements and a ‘how to’ on offering ladies gifts.

Hendricks continues to cement itself as a ‘heritage’ brand. Through its strong link with the Victorian era many consumers view this as a brand with history despite the fact it in its relative infancy (originating in 1999). The brand has cleverly tapped into the trend for vintage nostalgia, differentiating itself as a traditional yet eccentric British drink and this experience only served to reinforce this perception.

THE LOUNGE PERSPECTIVE: A good experience but it missed the opportunity to be a great one…

Information is key: If you encourage registration, respond! Consumers expect dialogue and are keen for information on events – consumers often won’t risk turning up somewhere if they aren’t sure if something is running or if they aren’t clear if they are ‘invited’ or not. Encourage attendance by sending out information about the event, activities and opening times to reassure consumers they are welcome.

Encourage interaction: Whilst Hendricks set a great scene and created a relaxed atmosphere the overall experience was a little lacking because it was so fragmented. There was not very much education on the product or engagement from the staff initially. Pulling people into the story and creating a show could have elevated the Courtship Clinic from good to great. Getting everyone in the environment together for the tutorials or running group lessons would have made for a more engaging experience.

Did anybody else go? What were your thoughts?