SOCIAL’s innovative collaborations drive engagement with Gen Z and Millennials

In an interaction with Adgully, Divya Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer, Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality, the parent company of various food chain outlets (such as Social and Smoke House Deli), delves into Social’s recent brand collaborations, creating a strong bond and engagement with Gen Z and millennials, bringing new global trends to the Indian audience, adapting to evolving consumer preferences, and much more.

Could you provide insights into Social’s approach to adapting to evolving consumer preferences in the Casual Dining Restaurant industry?

Today, we cater to the youth, whether they are Gen Z or millennials. Our strategy is to provide our platform and spaces as creative hubs, where people can come, dwell, and innovate. These spaces are designed to inspire creative thinking and collaboration, allowing people to connect with individuals from diverse communities.

This aspect resonates well with today’s youth culture, which values community building and collaboration. The creator community has gained significant importance, with even the government focusing on its development. This aspect is at the core of what Social platforms represent. We focus on popular culture and upcoming trends, which are integral to the ethos and essence of our brand.

What inspired Social to launch the #LoveAll campaign, and how does it differentiate from traditional Valentine’s Day celebrations in your venues?

This was the second edition of #LoveAll campaign. We had initiated this concept last year, focusing more on diversity and inclusivity. We emphasised that love can transcend any gender, which was the essence of Love All at that time. This year, we took it a step further by highlighting that love isn’t limited to just romantic relationships between couples. Love exists in all types of relationships, whether it is between friends, family members, colleagues, or neighbours. Considering how much time we spend at work or with our neighbors, this idea became the ethos of Love All this year – that love is the foundation of all relationships.

We dedicated this year’s Love All campaign to celebrating different types of relationships. We introduced several interesting elements, such as a menu that reflected the seven stages of love, as depicted in Urdu literature, with each dish dedicated to a specific stage. Additionally, we curated an experiential atmosphere inside our spaces.

We set up special tables, where couples, friends, or anyone who loves each other, could engage in activities like “How well do you know each other?”, using cue cards that we provided as giveaways. This created an interactive and engaging experience for our guests.

These are the kinds of activities that people enjoy when they visit our establishments. Providing engaging experiences adds to the overall enjoyment of their outing. We also produced a film that evoked emotions, aiming to showcase what our brand stands for and the kinds of relationships that are fostered here.

Places like cafes, restaurants, and other offline spaces are where communities and connections thrive. They are where we go to meet friends, have official meetings, and build on these connections. This is precisely what we highlighted and celebrated on Valentine’s Day this year as part of our Love All campaign.

What inspired Social to collaborate with Netflix and Spotify, and how do these partnerships align with the brand’s growth strategy?

When we collaborate with brands like Spotify and Netflix, we’re specifically targeting like-minded audiences, particularly the youth. We’re engaging with Gen Z and millennials, who are already avid consumers of Netflix, Spotify, and other OTT platforms in their daily lives. Music, entertainment, and OTT shows are integral to this generation’s lifestyle and interests.

These collaborations not only provide us with additional exposure, PR, reach, and engagement, but also align with our brand ethos. For instance, our collaboration with Netflix centered around the movie ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’, which has become a youth anthem on friendship and the theme of disconnecting to connect. This theme resonates well with our brand, which offers spaces for people to disconnect from digital distractions and engage in meaningful conversations offline.

We integrated our activities with Netflix, including post-movie integrations and launch promo integrations, to enhance the overall experience for our customers. Similarly, our collaboration with Spotify is rooted in music, which is deeply ingrained in the essence of our brand. We host performances by various artists and have been a platform for many artists to kickstart their careers.

Spotify, along with YouTube, plays a significant role in shaping the music landscape in India. One of Spotify’s notable initiatives is the ‘Spotify Wrapped’ feature at the end of the year, showcasing users’ listening journey and favourite personalities.

We leveraged this by curating unique cocktails based on the personalities revealed in users’ Spotify Wrapped cards. Customers could redeem a free cocktail from a specially crafted menu by showing their Spotify Wrapped card, adding an interactive and personalized touch to their experience.

These collaborations were chosen strategically because they resonate with our target audience and enhance our brand’s appeal to our customers.

Social also partnered with Sony Sports Network for the Australian Open. How does the platform plan to enhance the viewing experience for tennis enthusiasts through its collaboration with Sony Sports Network?

The unique thing about spaces and restaurants is that they foster community building and shared experiences like no other place.

We have a significant marketing strategy centered around sports and sports screenings, which is an important lever for us. We’ve focused on cricket screenings, as it is a major draw for us, along with Formula One and football screenings.

This year, in collaboration with the Australian Open and Sony, we ventured into tennis screenings. This aligns with our goal of being a gathering place for sports enthusiasts, offering diverse sports experiences at different times. We strive to create an environment and menu that enhance the overall experience, appealing to all senses.

For instance, during sporting events, people enjoy munching and sharing food, so we curate menus that cater to these preferences. We also pay attention to the ambiance, providing conducive settings. Small touches like offering whistles and face paint during cricketing tournaments add to the immersive experience.

After successfully focusing on cricket, Formula One, and football, we decided to expand our sports offerings to include tennis through our collaboration with Sony. This partnership allowed us to showcase tennis screenings at our venues. In return, we gained exposure through TV time on Sony Sports for advertising, including Ashton and banners, which helped us increase reach, consideration, and brand salience.

What motivated Social to collaborate with Nestle India for the test launch of Maggi Professional’s plant-based range? How does this collaboration fit into Social’s broader strategy for its offerings?

One thing we’re always focused on is staying ahead of the curve by bringing new global trends to the Indian audience. Plant-based protein is a phenomenon sweeping the Western world, and we collaborated with Nestle, known for Maggie, a beloved brand in India, to co-curate a menu featuring their plant-based protein products.

While Nestle specializes in the product itself, we understand consumer preferences and restaurant dynamics. This led to a menu that combines Nestle’s expertise with our knowledge of consumer favourites, now available across our outlets.

This partnership allows us to offer customers a unique experience in a restaurant setting, where they can easily try new products in a conducive environment. It is about introducing experimentation and new cuisines, often adopted at home after trying them out in restaurants. This collaboration reflects our commitment to staying innovative and offering exceptional experiences to our customers.

Please share some success stories or notable achievements of Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality in driving growth and expanding its presence in the market? How was 2023 or the company, and what are the projections for the year ahead in terms of growth plans and achievements?

I can mention some important collaborations that we’ve undertaken, like those with Spotify, Netflix, and Prateek Kuhad, who’s an iconic figure for many youths. We hosted a fan event and exclusively launched his new album, called ‘Mulakat’, which was notable.

Last year was significant as Social reached its 50th outlet, expanding into major cities like Kolkata, Hyderabad (our 50th outlet), and Goa. Our strategy includes opening 15 to 20 new outlets annually, focusing on depth and width by expanding in existing cities and entering new ones.

We’ve been involved in national campaigns like Valentine’s Day, IPL, and the World Cup, partnering with different teams and brands such as Fancode during IPL as the official merchandise partner.

Our focus is on creating innovative projects, engaging with like-minded brands, and nurturing the creator community, driving our efforts in the coming year.