Patak’s Foods Ltd. is the world’s leading brand of packaged Indian food for the retail and foodservice markets. Its authentic curry pastes, cooking sauces, and vegetable curries are sold in grocery stores and supermarkets in more than 45 countries worldwide, including the UK, Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the US.
The challenge
Founded in 1956, Patak’s enjoys strong brand recognition in the UK where Tikka Masala has surpassed fish and chips as England’s #1 take out food. The company began selling its products in North America in the late 1980s and quickly established a strong presence in the niche ethnic food market. By 1999, Patak’s was ready to move into the mainstream and looked to Whalebone Productions to help establish its name as the leading brand of packaged Indian food.
Strategy and execution
Recognizing that the packaged Indian food category in North America was largely undeveloped, Whalebone developed a public relations strategy that focused on raising awareness of Indian food in general and the Patak’s brand in particular.
Our approach was to reinforce Patak’s credibility as an internationally recognized company. We developed several story ideas and identified strategic opportunities for the company to present its story to the public through press releases, easy to use recipes and appealing photos, appearances on television cooking shows, and special events.
Meena Pathak, co-owner of the company, made several visits to Canada as part of a series of collaborations with prominent chefs and restaurateurs, and influential food writers and editors were invited to join her on a tour of India’s spice regions. Other initiatives included developing a Canadian website, fostering an awareness of significant Indian cultural events as a way to experience Indian food, and launching two Indian cookbooks written by Meena Pathak.
Results
The ongoing strategy has proven extremely successful in raising the profile of Patak’s in Canada. Numerous product profiles and recipes using Patak’s products have appeared regularly in consumer magazines across Canada. Meena Pathak has made several appearances on regional and national television shows, and feature articles on Patak’s have appeared in daily newspapers.