Babur

Challenge:

Babur, a phenomenal Indian restaurant in Forest Hill, has been one of London’s best kept secrets for nearly 40 years. The restaurant had never invested in PR or marketing and was only known through word of mouth.

Over the years, Babur has received high praise from the likes of the Michelin Guide,Good Food Guide and Hardens, and has kept up a loyal fanbase of locals and those lucky enough to stumble upon it. However, going into 2023, they wanted to become more than just a hidden gem and introduce their incredible dishes to more of London and ultimately, drive more footfall to the restaurant throughout the week.

Objectives:

Cru was taken on in October 2022, and tasked with securing top notch press and influencer reviews as well as profiling Executive Chef, Jiwan Lal, who has been with the restaurant for nearly 20 years. The owner wanted major cut through, with high-impact media coverage, demonstrable social media buzz, memorable seasonal events attended by the right movers and shakers and of course, measurable results.

What we did:

We delivered a three-point plan that has exceedingly smashed expectations including:

Media relations: We drafted a general press pack about the restaurant, its key USPs, special dishes, etc and used it as a tool to tell the restaurant’s story and secure media reviews. We booked in a host of publications to visit, and each review has been a resounding hit, resulting in fantastic widespread media coverage in target titles.

Profiling: Our other challenge was to increase Chef Jiwan’s profile in trade titles. We invited key trade titles in to experience the food and interview Jiwan, yielding great coverage and future opportunities. Results include: Profiles in The Caterer, BigHospitality, The Staff Canteen and Sheerluxe.

Social Media: We took over Babur’s social media, injecting more fun, professional imagery that reflected what they’re all about. We have invited in top influencers to review, creating content to build the following and deliver buzzworthy reach. The Babur account has grown 15% since October 2022.

Results: 60 pieces of coverage, 303.9 million unique website visitors, 7.7 million, coverage views on social, 1.1 billion total monthly website visits, 155.1k total social engagements, 13.6k Facebook shares, 40.2k Facebook likes, 109.1k total social shares, 4.3 million coverage views on dark social (i.e. Whatsapp).

Coverage Highlights include: Evening Standard, Conde Nast Traveller, Time Out, The Nudge, Country & Town House, City AM, Metro, Secret LDN, and more.