Brand Communication programs for Maple had to initially cut through trial inhibitors such as limited awareness about pure maple syrup from Canada. Viewed as an expensive product, the brand was not easily available as well. The PRactice’s objective was to enhance market penetration of the brand to 100 per cent in India and position it as a nutritive, gourmet product. To achieve this, we launched a Strategic Communication program, which focussed on amplifying health, nutrition and culinary benefits of maple syrup. This strategy was brought to life through direct to consumer activations, digital engagement, media relations and stakeholder engagement. Annual market study and perception audits were conducted as well to customise marketing and promotional strategy in India.
The PRactice’s objective was to enhance market penetration of the brand to 100 per cent in India and position it as a nutritive, gourmet product.
Our Strategic Media Relations programincluded successful collaborations with leading English newspapers to run syndicated articles, and with a TV channel and radio to promote maple dishes. Our Stakeholder Engagement program vigorously tapped key influencers — chefs, nutritionists, bloggers and celebrities (Sonam Kapoor, Malaika Arora Khan Jacqueline Fernandez etc.,) to champion maple syrup as a healthier option on their social media handles. In just three months, from September to December 2017, we had reached over 31.5 million people purely through the celebrity stories.
The Digital Engagement program initiatives concentrated on strategic amplification of news coverage through different social media platforms. We targeted 35,000 people but we achieved a fan base of 209, 838 on Facebook and notched up 1,84, 998 YouTube views in the course of one year. The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers conducted a consumer audit in India and their findings were significant: the awareness of maple syrup in India had shot up from 17 per cent in 2016 to 37 per cent in 2017.
