Escape iQ Brand Launch

Overview

Escape iQ's owners were opening a brand-new entertainment concept — team-based, real-life escape rooms — in a city that had never had one. The objective was twofold: introduce a largely unfamiliar activity to a local audience, and convert that awareness into steady bookings and revenue within the first few months of opening.

The Challenge

Escape rooms were an established idea in Riyadh and Jeddah, but not in this city, so there was no existing local demand to tap into — it had to be created.

• Awareness gap — Many potential customers didn't know what an "escape room" even was, particularly older audiences, so the brand needed to educate as much as it needed to sell.
• Open field — Indirect local competitors (arcades, gaming lounges, family entertainment spots) had a limited, unpolished social media presence — leaving the opportunity to become the professional, unmissable "first mover" wide open, if Escape iQ moved decisively before anyone could copy the concept.

The Strategy

The approach was built on a detailed audit of both direct competitors (established escape room brands in major Saudi cities) and indirect local competitors, plus a SWOT analysis and defined buyer personas (thrill-seeking young adults, friend groups and families, and corporate/school teams). That research shaped three deliberate choices:

• A mystery-first brand identity — Dark, cinematic visuals, a black-red-white palette, and a "solve it yourself" tone of voice — to stand out from competitors leaning on generic "fun and smiles" content.
• A platform-specific role split — TikTok for viral reach and discovery, Snapchat for real-time behind-the-scenes access, and Instagram for polished brand storytelling.
• A phased rollout — A mystery-driven pre-launch teaser campaign to build curiosity, followed by a conversion-focused growth phase once the doors opened, with a longer-term plan for loyalty and regional expansion.

Execution

I planned and wrote the full content operation behind this strategy, including:

• Pre-opening teaser campaign — Countdown posts, cryptic short videos, and an influencer seeding program inviting local creators to experience the venue before launch and generate buzz.
• Brand identity and style guide — Covering visual tone, color palette, typography, caption style, and hashtag strategy.
• Monthly content calendars — 15–30 pieces per month mixing entertainment, storytelling, and direct-response content, each fully scripted with visual concept, on-screen copy, and captions.
• Recurring engagement campaigns — Weekly puzzle contests, interactive "guess the answer" posts, and user-generated-content pushes designed to turn customers into promoters.
• Seasonal and promotional campaigns — Tied to national holidays, Ramadan, and back-to-school periods, plus group-booking offers and last-minute, urgency-driven discounts.
• Monthly performance reporting — Across Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, used to identify what was working and adjust the following month's plan.
• A proposed marketing budget structure — An initial 10,000 SAR/month split across awareness advertising, conversion-focused ads, and influencer partnerships, to guide paid media alongside organic content.

Results

Within the first few months, the brand moved from a standing start to measurable traction across every platform:

• TikTok — Became the primary discovery channel, with monthly views reaching as high as 298,000 in a single month, alongside roughly 9,000 new likes.
• Instagram — Reach to non-followers grew by up to 48.2% month-over-month, showing the content was consistently breaking outside the existing follower base.
• Snapchat — Story and Spotlight views posted triple-digit growth in strong months (up to +227.6%), with the vast majority of viewers coming from outside the existing follower base — evidence the brand was reaching genuinely new audiences.
• Sales — Stabilized at a steady, high monthly revenue with a consistent base of 600+ visitors, giving the business a reliable revenue floor to build from, alongside a clear plan to raise average spend per visit through group packages and time-limited offers.

My Role

I acted as the social media and content strategist for the project end-to-end: conducting competitor and audience research, defining the brand's visual and verbal identity, building the pre-launch and monthly campaign strategy, scripting all posts and videos, planning promotions and contests, and analyzing monthly performance data to continuously refine the approach.

Key Services

• Social Media Strategy
• Brand Identity & Positioning
• Content Strategy & Copywriting
• Competitor & Market Research
• Campaign & Promotions Planning
• Influencer Collaboration
• Performance Analytics & Reporting