#PRAwards 2021 spills: Burger King Indonesia takes pride in being the voice of the silent

Diversity and inclusion is increasingly becoming a topic of concern for companies globally. Staying true to its core value of being an inclusive brand, Burger King Indonesia decided to put its money where its mouth is by hiring differently-abled people and individuals. This initiative also came at a time where the employment rate in Indonesia has been impacted as a result of COVID-19. Nonetheless, Burger King still stayed true to its values and carried out a three-phase campaign to show its support for the community. This led the brand to win gold for Best CSR communication and Best PR campaign in the F&B sector at MARKETING-INTERACTIVE's PR Awards 2021. 

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, head of brand and media at Burger King Indonesia, Tanushri Rastogi (pictured) shared about the brand's proudest achievement in 2020, and what communications trends she sees potentially being carried on post-pandemic. 

This interview is done as part of MARKETING-INTERACTIVE’s winners and finalists’ interview series for PR Awards 2021. To find out more about the awards, click here.

What would you say was the biggest accomplishment for the whole PR/communications community in 2020?

Rastogi: Crafting a relevant brand story has always been of utmost importance in accomplishing maximum media coverage. However, given the turbulent and unpredictable times, even to this day, constantly re-defining and anticipating “relevance” have been some of the biggest challenges the PR industry is facing and aiming to solve.

Considering the delicate balance between understanding people’s psyche, emotions and complexities amidst the pandemic and how a brand’s key message would fit into a narrative worth publishing has been a key accomplishment.

Introducing innovative ways of bringing brand stories alive virtually through webinars, has played a pivotal role in strengthening relationships with journalists, influencers and consumers alike.

What would you say was your proudest achievement of the year?

Rastogi: During the time of heightened uncertainty in the job market and rising unemployment rates across the globe, we at Burger King Indonesia, launched a campaign to promote the hiring of differently-abled people.

We decided to stick to our core purpose of being an inclusive brand. The purpose of this initiative was to promote equal opportunity in the workforce. We took on the role of being the “voice of the silent” and encouraged companies to consider hiring people with disabilities, leading by example, on the occasion of International Day of Disabled persons. Amidst the pandemic, we also opened a restaurant in Jakarta, that is run by our deaf and mute crew, having a total strengthen of 103 differently-abled crew across our stores in Indonesia. 

Seeing the response for this campaign was certainly the proudest achievement of the year for the entire team. The outcome was terrific, with more than 70 companies signing up and the campaign went viral.

However, most importantly, I felt proud seeing all our teams, partners, and agencies coming together, putting their best foot forward for a cause, they all believed in.

What are some communications trends you see carrying on post-pandemic?

Rastogi: Content consumption patterns will keep evolving due to a paradigm shift we are witnessing in the way we work, i.e. remote working versus office. Due to this, short-form snackable content will continue getting more traction versus long-form content.

Further, with the democratisation of content creation, individuals are trying to increase their share of voice in their respective areas of expertise. Micro-influencers have seen engagement rates increase by an average of 130% across channels.

Given their success, in terms of engagement and conversions, brands would maintain spends on micro-influencer campaigns as an always-on strategy. This could also be utilised as ephemeral content from the brand, replacing expensive video productions.

How will the role of communications professionals evolve as we move into a rather uncertain future?

Rastogi: Given the ambiguity, leaders ought to be bolder and braver than ever before whilst taking calculated risks in pushing boundaries. Moreover, instead of being reactive, they must act proactively to be "ahead of the curve". By not just riding on trends but actually creating them.

Work that commands executive thought leadership, and solidarity, especially in the case of Indonesia, has become invaluable as customers seek to do business with and align themselves with organisations that share similar values and beliefs as them.

The stir created by "Order from McDonalds" campaign exemplifies this. The earned media value generated from this campaign without any investment is the dream of any marketer.

What can we expect from your company in 2021?

Rastogi: At Burger King Indonesia, we will continue to engage in initiatives that help make your way, way better! Keeping our guest at the core of everything we do, we’re looking forward to some exciting product launches and campaigns. We recently introduced the plant-based whopper in Indonesia and challenged meat lovers to spot the difference! The response has been extremely positive and we hope to continue delighting our guests.