1.5m views and an award shortlist for Butlers Wine Cellar
A Brighton wine merchant whose social media now matches the shop itself, with 1.5m views, 4.7k new followers and a Drinks Retailing Awards shortlist.
- Views, Jan to Sep 2026
- 1.5mViews, Jan to Sep 2026
- Accounts reached (+607%)
- 695kAccounts reached (+607%)
- New Instagram followers
- 4,700New Instagram followers
- Content interactions
- 77kContent interactions
Where they started
Butlers Wine Cellar is an independent wine merchant in Brighton with deep product knowledge and a loyal local customer base. Their social media didn't reflect that. Posting was irregular, content was mostly static photos, reach was low, and very few new people were finding the shop online. The team were busy running the business and had no capacity to film, edit and post every week.
What we did
Took over social media management and video editing in January 2026, with content filmed in batches so one session produced enough footage for several weeks of posts
Built content around the team and their expertise, planning and scripting concept videos around moments only a specialist wine shop can offer. The clearest being opening a bottle of 1946 wine on camera
Edited every video for Reels: a strong hook in the first second, fast pacing, on-screen captions for sound-off viewing and vertical framing for mobile
Published on a fixed schedule and reviewed performance each month, making more of the formats that worked
The result
Between January and September 2026, Butlers' content was viewed 1.5 million times, a 454% increase on the previous period, with 695,300 accounts reached (up 607%) and 77,000 interactions (up over 1,200%). The account gained 4,700 new Instagram followers, up over 2,700%. In April, a scripted Reel of the team opening a bottle of 1946 wine broke out with close to 100,000 views in a single day, and a second breakout followed in late July. After each spike, the baseline stayed higher than before. Butlers was also named a finalist for Best Social Media Campaign at the Drinks Retailing Awards 2027, with winners announced on 2 February 2027.
Common questions
Still got a question?
Ask us directly. You'll speak to the people who'd do the work.
How long did it take to see results?
The first three months built a consistent posting rhythm and a content library. The first major breakout came in April, around three and a half months in, with a scripted Reel of a 1946 wine being opened.
Which platform performed best?
Instagram, by a wide margin. It delivered 98.7% of all views, mainly through Reels.
How much time did the Butlers team need to put in?
Very little. Filming was batched into planned sessions, and we handled editing, captions and publishing.
Does short-form video work for small independent shops?
Yes. Short-form video lets a small team show expertise and personality, which helps them stand out against larger competitors with bigger budgets.
Can you turn organic content into paid ads?
Yes. Top-performing organic videos make strong Meta ads because they have already proven they hold attention.
Want results like these?
Book a 20-minute call and we'll look at where your enquiries could be coming from.