The Challenge

Launching a new restaurant in Ann Arbor means navigating a very specific audience: parents visiting students, alumni returning to campus, and a slightly more mature, discerning local diner who values quality, atmosphere, and consistency over trends.

La Serre needed to differentiate itself in a competitive dining market, appeal to a mature audience without feeling dated, convert digital discovery into reservations, and build systems that an opening-phase restaurant team could realistically maintain.

The Strategy

We built a focused brand and marketing system grounded in three principles: know the audience, respect the setting, and design for longevity.

Every decision, from visual pacing to content formats, was shaped by Ann Arbor’s dining culture and La Serre’s target guest. The strategy leaned polished and intentional, with subtle creative moments designed to gently push the brand forward without alienating its core audience.

Design

We developed La Serre’s visual identity to support its role as a neighborhood brasserie with elevated sensibility. Design strategy emphasized warmth, simplicity, and confidence, creating a look and feel that feels timeless rather than trend-driven. The visual system was built to support both daily service and long-term brand recognition.

Digital Marketing

We established a clear content identity rooted in La Serre’s audience and context. Positioning, tone, and visual direction emphasized simplicity, warmth, and confidence — but never at the expense of personality. The brand needed to feel timeless rather than trendy, while still leaving room for charm, wit, and a little indulgence.

This balance was especially important for La Serre’s core audience: parents, alumni, and hotel guests who value quality and trust, but still want to feel like they’re discovering something special. The result was a visual and tonal system that felt elevated and inviting. Polished, but not precious.

With that foundation in place, we built a digital marketing framework that connected organic social content, influencer partnerships, and seasonal moments into one cohesive, easy-to-manage system.

Social Media + Content Creation

Social execution followed a Reels-first strategy designed to increase reach while maintaining a calm, considered pace aligned with the audience. Content focused on food quality, service moments, and atmosphere — always with a sense of play.

Subtle humor, indulgent visuals, and sensory moments allowed La Serre to feel alive and current without chasing trends or overwhelming followers. The strategy prioritized consistency and enjoyment over volume, making it sustainable for an opening-phase restaurant team.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer and event collaborations were intentionally selective, prioritizing credibility and audience alignment. They were also built to be fun, uncommon hospitality experiences. The goal wasn’t just reach; it was creating moments that felt social, celebratory, and true to the brand.

Collaborations were designed to generate high-quality, reusable content while reinforcing La Serre’s positioning as a place that feels special without trying too hard. To keep everything cohesive, we created supporting collateral that aligned creators with brand guidelines, ensuring third-party content matched the look, feel, and tone of La Serre’s owned channels.

Project Notes

Launching a restaurant inside a hotel requires discipline. The biggest takeaway from La Serre’s launch was that clarity outperforms complexity.

By grounding decisions in audience insight and building systems that were simple, focused, and repeatable, La Serre entered the Ann Arbor market with confidence supported by strategy, not just good-looking content.