Brand Repositioning & Integrated Marketing Campaign

Lincoln Yard | Union Joints Restaurant Group

Role: Media Marketing Manager | February 2026

Business Challenge

Lincoln Yard launched with a brand positioning and awareness challenge. Located outside Birmingham’s primary dining district, the restaurant lacked a clear identity in-market and needed a stronger reason for guests to choose the brand. Before driving awareness, the guest experience needed to align with the brand promise.

Strategic Approach

Aligning Brand Experience + Operations

Partnered with operations to ensure the guest experience, hospitality standards, and menu execution supported the relaunch strategy before scaling marketing efforts.

Building Brand Differentiation

Identified the pot pie as a signature hero product and used it as a storytelling anchor to create stronger brand recognition and memorability. Reframed Lincoln Yard’s location outside the traditional dining district from a perceived limitation into a brand advantage, positioning it as “the kind of neighborhood spot you wish was in yours”.

Developing Audience-Led Messaging

Created “The Craving Queen,” an audience persona based on social insights and customer behavior, guiding messaging, creative direction, and influencer strategy.

Executing an Integrated Campaign

Launched a multi-channel campaign across social media, email marketing, paid media, influencer partnerships, in-store experiences, signage, and local media outreach.

Results

• Generated 46 reservations (158 guests) within the first 8 days

• Increased website traffic 2X during launch month (1,469 → 3,119 users)

• Increased Instagram Reel views 194%

• Increased new followers 267%

• Increased social interactions 1,334%

• Expanded non-follower reach from 42% → 53%

Key Takeaway

By aligning brand strategy, operations, and audience insights, Lincoln Yard transformed from a low-visibility concept into a destination brand with measurable demand growth.

Campaign Elements

Photography Direction

For the photography direction, I wanted the visuals to feel as inviting as the experience itself. We focused on comfort food, the feeling of your favorite neighborhood spot, and the freshness and richness of the ingredients. I also wanted to create content that felt feminine, fun, and naturally share-worthy for our “Craving Queen” audience.

Social & Influencer Strategy

Using an organic-first approach, we built anticipation with teaser content before making a bold launch-day splash. We partnered with local creators who had highly engaged audiences, with every collab featuring our signature pot pie to reinforce our hero product. Crushed it in February (launch month)!