Project Overview

Stonegate Group sought to revolutionise guest engagement in the hospitality sector by creating a unified mobile app that encouraged customers to discover and earn loyalty rewards across their diverse portfolio of pubs, bars, and late-night venues. The core concept aimed to make it seamless for users to discover high-quality local venues, access exclusive deals, and earn meaningful loyalty rewards, ultimately driving footfall and repeat visits.

Following a successful pitch win by Digitas, I joined the project during mobilisation in May 2023. The brief was ambitious: build and launch a groundbreaking app before the critical Christmas hospitality season, integrating discovery, booking, queue-skipping, gamified missions, and loyalty across 850+ managed venues.

The result was MiXR – the UK's first hospitality app to combine venue discovery, personalised rewards, and VIP experiences at scale. Launched just 6 months from discovery in November 2023, it has since transformed on-trade interactions, attracting younger demographics while appealing to traditional pub-goers.

My Role: Senior Delivery Manager

As Senior Delivery Manager at Digitas, I led cross-functional workstreams encompassing brand development, UX/UI design, native app build (iOS & Android), QA, and the marketing launch video. I managed a core team of 13 specialists.

I reported into senior leadership (CPO, Head of Product, Executive Creative Director) and served as the day-to-day bridge to Stonegate's stakeholders, including their Product Owner and Project Manager.

Beyond my direct team, I participated in the broader Stonegate Programme Group, coordinating with peer delivery leads to manage the overall programme plan and RAID log – often navigating tough conversations to keep dependencies aligned.

My focus was clear: deliver on an aggressive timeline through proactive leadership, resourceful problem-solving, and collaboration.

Approach & Execution

Brand Development 

We kicked off with workshops and immersive research – including on-site interviews with pub managers and bar staff to ground the creative process. Led by our new Chief Creative Officer, the team developed a playful, inclusive brand identity that balanced nightlife energy with community warmth. I orchestrated timelines, resourcing, and client feedback loops to keep momentum.

UX/UI Design & App Build

Design and development ran in parallel, with UX one sprint ahead. Core journeys prioritised venue discovery (the most complex, due to backend dependencies) and rewards integration. Key principles: playful visuals, speed, and low-light usability for real-world bar scenarios.

We built native iOS and Android apps sharing a Contentful CMS and API integration layer. UX research via prototypes refined journeys, while weekly demos and in-person client visits accelerated decisions.

I played a pivotal role in building and maintaining collaboration with Stonegate's Product Owner and our team – facilitating in-person workshops that established an effective working rhythm.

Results & Impact

MiXR launched successfully in November 2023, powered by clear branding, a compelling free-drink signup offer, and in-venue QR code signage.

• Over 1 million downloads in under a year (reaching 1.6M+ by mid-2025)

• £1.8M in points redeemed within nine months

• Transformed guest loyalty, with strong adoption among 18-34s and proven sales uplifts (e.g., 13% during EURO 2024 campaigns)

• Won Best Use of Technology at the MCA Hospitality Awards 2025

Personal highlight: Visiting a bar post-launch, seeing customers actively using the app, and hearing from staff that it was popular with zero technical issues.

MiXR has positioned Stonegate as a digital innovator in hospitality – and I'm proud to have led Digitas' delivery in making it happen.

This project exemplifies my ability to lead complex, multi-disciplinary teams to ambitious deadlines, navigating challenges with leadership, collaboration, and unwavering focus on success.

If you'd like to discuss how I can bring similar impact to your organisation, get in touch.