At Spice PR, we thrive on championing brands that are shaking up their industries and Raju Sauces is no exception. The Manchester-based sauce company is led by award-winning entrepreneur and founder Zee Ahmed, whose vision is to create a brand that is a catalyst for change.
In the words of Zee: “Whilst food and culture have always been intrinsically linked, our thinking around cultural perceptions and misconceptions, especially related to ethnicity and authenticity, have not always moved with the times.”
To raise awareness of the bold new brand and particularly its partnership with Ocado.com, Spice PR devised a multi-channel campaign and created a platform to challenge perceptions around ‘ethnic foods’.
Spice PR carried out independent research to explore views around authenticity and diversity in food. The key findings demonstrated that nearly seven in 10 people (67%) describe their taste as global and inspired by diverse flavours from different cultures.
Creating a forum for debate
The campaign centred around an event, celebrating Raju Sauces being newly available at Ocado.com, the world’s largest dedicated online supermarket.
As part of the event, Spice PR created a panel debate where Raju founder Zee Ahmed discussed the findings of the research and broader questions around diversity and food with other industry experts.
We supported this with a strategic social media campaign to build anticipation for the event and increase organic engagement. This included leveraging partners and panellists to promote the debate on their own channels, in order to spread the message far and wide.
The event proved to be a powerful platform for discussing evolving food trends and helped to reinforce Raju Sauces’ brand ethos and messaging. On the night, guests were able to sample all three Raju Sauces’ flavours: Hot Lime Pickle, Sweet Chilli Mango and Tangy BBQ Tamarind.
There was also a prize giveaway with fellow Manchester company, Fire Station Square Pottery – with one lucky winner taking home a trio of Raju Sauces and some custom-made ceramic bowls from the popular pottery brand.
Throughout the campaign, Spice PR liaised with the team at Ocado.com to ensure alignment. Ocado Retail’s oils, vinegars and sauces buying manager, Meri La Bella, said: “We're delighted to be the first major supermarket to stock Raju Sauces and are really excited to be introducing Raju’s range of flavours.”
Spice PR also liaised with NatWest Group, which hosted the event as part of its Accelerator programme that supports upcoming brands. Taking place in Manchester’s stylish Spinningfields district, guests enjoyed stunning views over the city skyline.
Feedback on the night was overwhelmingly positive, with one guest – editor of a leading food industry publication – saying: “Great event and a great story”. It doesn’t get much better than that!
Tempting the taste buds
Adding another aspect to the campaign was a series of recipes which Spice PR commissioned. This both engaged media interest and provided content for a prolonged social media strategy once the event itself was over.
Recipe cards were created for online use and the first of the series: Hot Lime Pickle Lamb Cutlets was released in time for Valentine’s Day and featured in leading lifestyle titles.
Overall, the campaign proved extremely successful, delivering not only increased awareness, media coverage and social engagement but, crucially, strong sales and spikes in web traffic.
Raju Sauces Zee Ahmed said: “We’re very pleased with the outcomes of the campaign which Spice PR delivered. The event was a big hit and we secured strong media coverage in key titles, as well as some great social media engagement. Spice PR worked collaboratively as an extension of our team and liaised with partners including Ocado.com to help ensure the best results.”
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