India Gate

How a popular Basmati rice brand made a successful entry into the healthy food segment through a sustained and consistent PR strategy

The Case

In 2018 India Gate, the world's largest manufacturer of Basmati rice entered into the health food segment with the launch of 4 products - Chia Seeds, Flax Seeds, Quinoa, and Sprouted Brown Rice.

Known predominantly as a rice brand, consumers had to be educated about the new range.

Moreover, they had to reach out to a different segment of the audience that was more inclined towards health and wellness and were either already into healthy eating or looking to make healthy dietary changes.

Objectives

Matrix PR was tasked with the following communication objectives:

To effectively build and strengthen the message on the new offerings from the brand in the UAE

To generate media focus on the new healthy product range namely Quinoa, Chia Seeds, Flax seeds and Sprouted Brown rice

To create top brand recall amongst the target media in the region to gain preference over other competitors

To create goodwill for the brand amongst target media and audience

Challenges

Strong association of the brand with Basmati Rice hence it was tough to educate the target audience about its entry into the healthy food range
Lack of connect with western expats
Building trust and credibility within the media and consumers
Competitive market

Research

Strong legacy and brand equity. High quality and competitive pricing.

Well established brand name within the Asian and expatriate communities.

Evolving lifestyles and consumer preferences towards healthy food items.

Media open to covering brands that promote healthy lifestyle.

Campaign Strategy

The agency formulated a strategy anchored on four key areas – Value, Viability, Variety and Virtue.

Positioning through image building
Awareness through media relations
Visibility through events and collaborations

Execution & Tactics

Execution

Image building

Industry Stories, comments from spokesperson and nutritionists in publications covering lifestyle news.

Media Relations

- Press Releases to announce and promote the launch of the healthy food range
- Regular media reviews with key English and Arabic editors and food bloggers
- Creative media alerts to push the unique recipes using India Gate’s new range

Events and Collaborations

- Enhance brand awareness by collaborating with mums groups and communities such as Dubai Ladies Club to connect directly to the target audience
- Maximize visibility on social media through collaborations with food and lifestyle bloggers as they support the brand with reviews