How 23.5 Degrees Brewed a Smarter Local Marketing Strategy with SocioLocal

23.5 Degrees Streamlines Local Social Media with SocioLocal

23.5 Degrees is Starbucks’ first UK franchised business partner. Since opening its first store in February 2013, the company has grown impressively (now operating 116 stores, including 59 drive-thrus, with ambitious plans to scale further). In Q4 2024, Starbucks officially acquired 23.5 Degrees, bringing a high-performing franchise under its corporate umbrella. This strategic move allowed Starbucks to learn from 23.5 Degrees’ operating model and potentially replicate its success across its wider UK portfolio.

Even during and after the acquisition, the team at 23.5 Degrees has remained focused on three key priorities: operational excellence, brand consistency and strong community engagement. One area they identified for improvement was local social media management across their growing network of stores. That’s where SocioLocal came in!

Our Head of Marketing, Kate, recently spoke with Laurence, Brand Ambassador at 23.5 Degrees, about how the partnership helped transform their social media management, making it more secure, efficient, and scalable than ever before.

Managing Growth Without Losing Control

Before partnering with SocioLocal, managing local social media across 100+ Starbucks stores was complex and time-consuming.

Kate Scully, Head of Marketing at SocioLocal: Before using SocioLocal, how were you managing local social media across stores?

Laurence Winch, Brand Ambassador at 23.5 Degrees: “It was all manual. We used Meta Business Suite and maintained massive spreadsheets of usernames and passwords for every Facebook and Instagram page. When people left, we’d have to remove access manually. It became a nightmare with more than 100 stores in the mix.”

Security and visibility were key pain points. The 23.5 Degree team needed a platform that allowed them to revoke access when staff left instantly, maintain oversight of all activity and generate reliable reporting without hours of manual work. Having that level of control has worked really well for 23.5 Degrees. It’s far better than telling people they can’t have an Instagram page and then having them set one up anyway. 

How SocioLocal Simplified the Process 

With SocioLocal, 23.5 Degrees gained the structure, control and scalability they needed.
Kate: How has SocioLocal changed your workflow?

Laurence:  “Now I can see all posts at a store level, download reports per location, and even push a single post across many stores. Tasks that took hours now take minutes. We give store teams the freedom to post locally, but within guardrails. The content still reflects Starbucks’ values (fun, joy, belonging, craft), but in a grounded, community-relevant way.”

This visibility allowed Laurence and his team to maintain brand standards across all stores while empowering local managers to post community-relevant content.

Balancing Brand Consistency with Local Creativity

SocioLocal gave 23.5 Degrees the tools to strike the perfect balance between creative freedom and brand control.

Kate: What feedback have you had from store managers or district leaders? 

Laurence: “Each store manager has a login. District leads can post across their region. And super users like me can see everything. This structure gives oversight without suffocating local creativity and helps with GDPR, consent, and risk management.”

Store teams now have the confidence to post authentic, community-led content, knowing that everything they share aligns with Starbucks’ tone and brand values. This approach has also strengthened local engagement and brand advocacy among staff.

Looking Ahead: Scaling Further and Staying Connected

23.5 Degrees isn’t stopping there. The next step is to expand its digital footprint even further. The company’s vision for 2025 is clear: to give stores the tools they need to manage content safely, effectively and creatively, all while reflecting the Starbucks experience customers know and love.

‍Kate: What’s next in your social media strategy?

Laurence: “We want every store active on Instagram, posting regularly. We’re exploring Google integrations so stores can manage reviews and responses. TikTok is also on our radar as we’d prefer the ability to allow it with guardrails rather than ban it outright.”

Local Marketing with Global Standards

23.5 Degrees’ story is one of growth, innovation and balance; scaling rapidly while staying grounded in community. Their partnership with SocioLocal shows how technology can bridge the gap between central strategy and local execution, creating a model where every store can act locally while contributing to a unified brand presence.

“It’s about giving stores the tools to manage content safely and effectively, while reflecting the Starbucks experience our customers know and love.” - Laurence Winch, Brand Ambassador, 23.5 Degrees

We’re proud to partner with 23.5 Degrees as they continue to evolve their local marketing approach. One franchise, one story, and one community at a time.

☕️ Ready to simplify your multi-location marketing?

Book a Demo to see how SocioLocal empowers local teams while keeping brand consistency at scale.