Our Focus Is On Creating Authentic And Bespoke Experiences: CBO, The Leela Palaces

Sneha Patro Mar 16, 2023

Aujasya by The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts is a unique program that stays true to the brand’s ethos of Atithi Devo Bhava - placing the guest at the centre of everything while curating experiences that resonate with the evolving needs of today’s discerning luxury travellers. The programme has been curated in partnership with ThinkRight.me by JetSynthesys, one of India’s meditation and mindfulness platforms guiding people to live a happy and balanced life.

As per the program, guests can seamlessly access these exclusively curated sessions during their stay at The Leela properties. The program also has a special section for children called Aujasya Junior that encourages children to take mindful steps towards a happier and calmer future.

In an interview, Anjali Mehra, Chief Brand Officer, and Senior Vice President of Marketing said that Aujasya is a signature wellness programme aimed at redefining the road to holistic wellbeing.

Let's have a look at the excerpts:

Q. Tell us more about your recently launched program?

Wellness has come to take centre stage in our lives. We, therefore, launched Aujasya by The Leela, a signature wellness programme aimed at redefining the road to holistic well-being. A unique blend inspired by traditional and modern practices, Aujasya is built around the two Rs of well-being – Restore (Food) and Renew (Mindfulness). It encompasses a collection of authentic experiences that build vivacity and promotes the vigour of life.

Last year, we launched our first pillar Restore, built around food and nutrition and developed in collaboration with Dr. Ankita Jalori, an eminent food and nutrition consultant.

Recently, we launched the second pillar Renew- Mindfulness in partnership with ThinkRight.me by JetSynthesis with content that has especially been curated for The Leela. This consists of guided Meditation, Sound Healing and Yoga. Guests can seamlessly access these exclusively curated sessions during their stay at The Leela properties. The program also has a special section for children called Aujasya Junior encourages children to take mindful steps towards a happier and calmer future.

Q. What marketing strategy has the organisation opted for this wellness program?

The second pillar of our signature wellness programme - Aujasya by The Leela – “Renew – Mindfulness is curated in partnership with ThinkRight.me by JetSynthesys, India’s leading meditation and mindfulness platform guiding people to live a happy and balanced life. This programme focuses on a balanced mind and body, and the importance of thinking right.

We introduced this programme at an intimate event held at The Leela Palace New Delhi with a talk by spiritual mentor and guide, Sister BK Shivani focusing on the power of the mind and the importance of thinking right. Sister Shivani is an extremely popular and well-spoken spiritual teacher of our times. The talk centred around the importance of mindfulness and self-awakening.

We believe that travellers today are looking for authentic and transformative experiences and events and activations such as the talk with Sister Shivani are far more engaging and help build emotional connections with the brand. Our focus has therefore been curating experiences and creating insider access through events that bring to life the unique touch points of our brand. This is far more compelling, long-lasting and impactful as the world has gravitated towards experiential marketing.

Q. What benefits will partnership with ThinkRight.me bring to your organisation?

At The Leela one of the marketing strategies we have adopted successfully are association and celebration. We have associated with like-minded brands and events that are in synergy with what our brand stands for and a representation of India’s richness and we celebrate this spirit through experiential programming and brand activations.

Associations allow us to help elevate the guest experience and strengthen the positioning of the brand and create brand differentiation by building a narrative for the end consumer to remember. Alliances and associations with credible platforms and partners bring in that authenticity to build and enhance trust.

The key however is to associate with brands that complement each other, and that target a similar audience not just by demographics but also psychographics. Partnering with ThinkRight.me was possible as we share similar values and a shared passion that helped both brands to connect logically. Through this wellness experience, we only aim to create value for our guests and all our stakeholders. Holistic Wellness is the most crucial and the need of the hour and in ThinkRight.me we found a strategic and committed partner with a strong convergence of ideas.

Q. Do you think Aujasya will attract more guests?

The Leela has always been focused on curating experiences that resonate with the evolving needs of today’s discerning luxury traveller. As the brand gears up to embrace the next phase of its growth trajectory, it continues to evolve and focus on experiential programming and conscious luxury while remaining true to its ethos of “Atithi Devo Bhava – Guest is God.”Through Aujasya by The Leela we have created a program that is relevant both in today’s environment and to the priorities our guests seek. The two pillars, food and nutrition and mindfulness, we believe resonate with our guests who want to make informed choices that will help them elevate their experience while staying on the road. Our Aujasya food menus have kept in mind great taste and presentation while finding healthy alternatives combining the concept of food synergy and the nutritional values of food.

The mindfulness content on the other hand is easy to follow and has a lot of variety from yoga, to chants to sound healing. The program allows you to follow and embrace wellness at your own pace and aims to start our guests on a holistic wellness journey, before, during and after their stay. This has been very well received so far and the response has been very encouraging.

Q. Any upcoming marketing plans?

The Leela is a pure luxury brand, and our focus is on creating authentic and bespoke experiences that help us activate the passion points of the brand, be it art, culture, heritage, cuisine or artisanal crafts. Our marketing plans are therefore focused on experiential marketing which will help us create emotional connections with our brand whether by strategic alliances and collaborations or through events. This we believe will be a true differentiator and will allow us to connect with our guests through their passion points, be it sports, literature, music, art or culinary.

India art fair, Jaipur Literature Festival, #PoloInThePinkCity, Icons of India by The Leela, and private music concerts with Ricky Kej, Anoushka Shanker and Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash are all steps in the same direction. We will continue to forge more strategic alliances and curate events and activations with like-minded brands and partners that are meaningful to our guests as a marketing strategy.