The Client

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SaffronStays is a micro-hospitality brand founded by entrepreneurs Devendra and Tejas Parulekar. The brand partners with owners of second homes, curating every aspect to turn them into lavish stays with the perks of a hotel but the comforts of a home. They currently have a network of over 30 properties across Maharashtra, Goa and North India.

The Challenge

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The SaffronStays business model was a unique one which had never before been tested in Indian markets. When we were brought on board, the brand was relatively unknown and therefore, awareness needed to be created from scratch. The co-founders were first-time entrepreneurs who required appropriate positioning in the media as faces of their brand.

Our Approach

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At the outset, our primary focus was on media relations. We facilitated several bridge-building meetings with key media personnel in a short span of time to create awareness of the brand. We also organized regular familiarization trips to various SaffronStays properties for the media. While we geared our efforts towards the hospitality sector, we simultaneously focussed on two other areas: building a name for the organization in trade media so as to help them in their growth phase; and creating strong thought leadership for the founders through interviews with select media such as PTI, CNBC Awaaz and Entrepreneur Magazine. We also supported the co-founders in floating India’s first awards for vacation homes — SaffronStays Select.

The Result

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SaffronStays now has a strong brand recall with both the media and the public. It is regularly featured in magazines, newspapers, online portals and on TV channels, such as Conde Nast Traveller, New Indian Express, Outlook India, Little Black Book and CNBC Awaaz. The brand has gone on to win multiple awards, including the IE20 by London and Partners. By supporting the success of SaffronStays Select, we helped create a pipeline of new properties for the company to partner with. The co-founders too enjoy strong media mileage and are seen as thought leaders in the hospitality space.