Client: DOMVS, Sheraton Towers Singapore

Issues:
The Italian restaurant was launched the same time as Sheraton Towers Singapore in 1975. Management wanted to update the concept and food to meet changing consumer tastes. They totally renovated the restaurant for the first time in its history, got a new chef and a new menu to boot. BANG planned a PR campaign to secure extensive media coverage and inform the public about the new chef, new menu and new approach to dining – and drive diners to the restaurant.

Challenges:
Many other Italian restaurants were also revamping their menus during the same period. Italian dining outlets are fairly commonplace in Singapore – we had to think carefully about positioning the new restaurant to the media.

Strategic Insight:
By extensively engaging the management and the new chef, we were quite clear as to the positioning of the new restaurant, the desired clientele and also a better understanding of the heritage of the restaurant. What stood out was Chef Lino’s approach to food – he is Sicilian and cooks in the Sicilian style, which is quite different from the classical Italian style – and he uses very different ingredients as well.

So from the start, to distinguish itself from other Italian restaurants, we highlighted the fact that the restaurant provided an authentic Italian culinary experience for diners – in Sicilian style. Chef Lino was the best ambassador to let diners know more about Sicilian food. He engaged the media and explained the rich and unique culinary heritage of his birthplace, Sicily. We also highlighted the quality of food on offer – more than 70 percent is imported from Sicily, the Mediterranean Sea and Italy. Unusual ingredients like the Sicilian Prickly Pear and the Ox-Heart Tomato set the restaurant apart from other Italian dining outlets.

Campaign:
Extensive media engagement and media tasting sessions were arranged – singly, in small groups – or once with about 24 journalists, for a tasting. Some interviews with Chef Lino were arranged – notably a radio programme on food, where he spoke in-depth about his approach to food and the Sicilian style of cooking. A soirée dinner event was also held for partners and socially prominent people to come and experience the new DOMVS and Sicilian fare, with the Italian Ambassador as guest-of-honour.

Results:
Much media coverage was garnered – most food reviews were very good and encouraging. There was also very good word-of-mouth generated – resulting in the restaurant increasing business by 40 percent three months after its launch in March 2007.