Mini Punjab resorted to one paid
partnership with a globally famous food blogger, My Taste Test for their Dara
Singh Thali. The attention received by the video back home and internationally,
helped the restaurant get influencer and media coverage through earned media
efforts. Mini Punjab started with just three dishes and is now serving
over 100 dishes. The family business has grown in size and business with the
third generation managing it all. They wanted to create a presence online that
was unified and in line with the brand legacy and style. Dara Singh
Thali is one of their premium offerings. Don’t be fooled by the name of
the restaurant, it may be there’s nothing small or tiny about the Dara Singh
Thali that they serve. With over 40 items on the thali that includes four
beverages, do you think you can finish it? If you do, you don’t pay for it! Punjab is the most well known Indian state in the
West for two reasons – it’s cuisine and it’s music. Bhangra has become very
popular in recent years. There are even workout routines called the Masala
Bhangra workout, as well as Bhangra beats being incorporated into Hip Hop and
other American/British music forms.
Unless it is clearly identified as a South Indian restaurant,
you cannot go to any general Indian restaurant in NY and not find Naan, Samosa
& a variety of Paneer recipes. However, I also wanted to introduce some
other Punjabi dishes that would be new to most or at least it was new to me like Pakora Kadhi.
They introduced Dara Singh Thali
introducing flavours from the Northern Region of India. The region is
synonymous with food and its thali is a lot like its people rich
and full of life. They wanted to represent a cultural exploration on a
plate that might be too large for even the biggest eaters! International
influencers were invited to try the thali and share their experience on the
social media platform. The active promotion aimed at building buzz and
relationships with visiting patrons& potential audience globally. With an
aim to reach out to a larger audience, the restaurant had a healthy mix of
influencers consistently adding content before and during the launch of the
iconic thali.