SOUL Deli

One of the key objectives was creating awareness of SOUL Deli’s unique offerings – and the owners’ aim to turn the spotlight on Korean-Australian food and products. The fact that SOUL Deli was also borne out of a COVID/lockdown pivot also provided us with a springboard for piquing the interest of the media.

We developed a strategy that included media and select blogger/influencer outreach and famils. Key tools were a media release and backgrounder that focused on SOUL Deli being the city’s first Korean brunch/deli, in addition to its unique offerings that deliver on its owners’ desire to make Korean food and culture a part of everyday life.

We also leveraged the growing local appetite for Korean food and culture – particularly their signature offerings, such as SOUL Deli’s house-made kimchi, pickles and tofu.

In addition, we created tailored pitches for our mainstream and trade media audiences, such as providing hacks for making, storing, and enjoying kimchi, to capture a broader audience. Not only that, but we arranged for a number of journalists to receive ‘goodie’ bags including some of SOUL Deli’s most popular and signature products.

The media were intrigued by the concept of a Korean café/deli, and keen to experience it. Many also enjoyed the freedom to choose when and how they would like to experience SOUL Deli. And because of COVID restrictions, this was the best and safest way to launch the venue, rather than holding an event.

As a result, we were successful in securing massive coverage in mainstream, lifestyle and entertainment, travel and trade media, in addition to select blogs. These included articles on the opening of SOUL Deli, reviews, and profiles about the owners’ business pivot.

SOUL Deli’s Instagram page’s opening post received 119 likes, and followers quickly soared to over a thousand within a couple of weeks of opening.

‘How did we ever live before Korean delis?’ Good Food’s Candice Chung

 ‘If your bumper sticker reads ‘I’d rather be eating kimchi’ then do we have a brunchy Korean/Australian café/deli for you!’ wrote Jill Dupleix in Good Weekend Magazine’s

Eat/Drink who calls SOUL Deli’s kimchi ‘addictively fiery fermented cabbage’.

 ‘SOUL Deli … A necessary addition to the local café scene …

For many cafes, it takes years to develop the kind of passionate following that SOUL Deli has built in just a matter of months. The hype isn’t surprising…’
AU Review’s Chris Singh