Bengaluru-based boutique communications and marketing strategy agency PNJXN has bagged the digital marketing portfolio of the Stok Palace Heritage Hotel, a 200-year-old palace of the Namgyal Dynasty that ruled over Ladakh for a thousand years. The agency will be responsible for the entire digital marketing revamp of the palace hotel, including website redesign, SEO, SEM and Social Media Marketing from the perspective of brand building, storytelling and lead generation to increase sales.
Built with deference to indigenous architecture that has withstood the extremes of climate in the highland, cold desert of Ladakh, Stok Palace is today a heritage hotel showcasing the best of the mountain state. The palace stands on a cliff face in the village of Stok overlooking Leh and it is still home to the Namgyals. One wing of the Stok Palace is open to the public as a museum, which houses antiques dating back to the Silk Road times. Another wing with 6 authentically restored beautiful suites operates as the Stok Palace Heritage Hotel while the 2-bedroom villas amidst the apricot orchards play host as Chulli Bagh Orchard Villas. Providing the authentic experience of Ladakh, both from the royalty and regular life of this mystical land, Stok Palace also houses a monastery on the top floor, which is a personal temple to the royal family.
PNJXN will be responsible for managing the digital portfolio of both Stok Palace Heritage Hotel and Chulli Bagh Orchard Villas. Talking about the partnership with PNJXN, Stok Palace Heritage Hotel’s owner Stanzin Namgyal said, “We have followed the work of PNJXN for a while and we think that the agency is the perfect fit for building the brand of Stok and Ladakh in its entirety. Their work with RARE India was enough testimony for the quality they offer. The detailed plan of action with a result-oriented approach even when it comes to storytelling impressed us enough to award the contract to them. We look forward to a long term and fruitful relationship.”
Expressing her excitement on bagging this prestigious account, PNJXN’s Founder & Chief Strategist Pooja Nataraj Suri said, “We are thrilled to be working with Stok Palace Heritage Hotel and the Namgyals. Stanzin is a wonderful client to work with, young and in harmony with the modern world while grounded in a rich heritage. Winning the contract for the Stok Palace is tantamount to winning the contract for Ladakh in our minds. Every interaction with the Namgyals leaves us in awe of how deep-rooted their connection to the land is!”
She added, “Stok Palace Heritage Hotel is a part of the RARE India Community of conscious luxury hotels in India and the subcontinent. Since PNJXN is a RARE India Synergy Partner and owing to our in-depth understanding of the responsible and sustainable tourism narrative and storytelling, it made us the natural choice as the Palace’s digital partner.”
For the Namgyals, it is important to connect Stok Palace and Ladakh as the two are inextricably linked. The Namgyals are proud of their land and their role in facilitating the transformation of Ladakh over the millennia. Going into the new era, they continue to stand by the land and people and this narrative is central to the Stok Palace. Therefore, their digital and social media campaign will focus on telling the story of Stok Palace and Ladakh, keeping true to history and their role as sentinel throughout the generations. They want to showcase the complex and coloured past of Ladakh, which is generally lost on travellers seeking ‘adventure’ in the mountains. Through an effective social media and digital marketing campaign, the Namgyals aim to bring to focus in entirety the rich heritage, culture, history and ecology of Ladakh, portraying it as a destination that is far beyond just the adventure road trip getaway it has come to be painted as in the past.
Regarding their plans for the digital marketing campaign for the hotel, Pooja said, “Our mandate is to create awareness about the richness of Ladakh as a destination for not just adventures but an ecological, historical and culinary wonderland! During the first call, it was made clear that it is not a competition contract but a cooperative contract, giving us the directive to focus on Ladakh, Stok will automatically stand to gain. Knowingly or unknowingly, Namgyals hit upon the inbound marketing strategy. That is what we intend to deploy along with SEM and SMM campaigns when necessary.”
Launched in January 2019 by Pooja Nataraj Suri and Nandish Ratkal, PNJXN specializes in creating a coherent communication programme essential for any marketing exercise. The PNJXN team believes that why a story be told is more important than the instruments used for it. That is why the agency stresses on calling itself storytellers above all else. With 30 years of cumulative experience, the founders have braved the rough seas of last year during the pandemic. PNJXN has worked with over 50 clients from various sectors, including hospitality, travel, healthcare, design consultancy, FnB, FMCG, development, education, manufacturing and EMS. Apart from Stok Palace Heritage Hotel, the agency works with some other reputed hospitality brands, including RARE India, Responsible Tourism Society of India, Jehan Numa Group of Hotels, Rakkh Resort, Red Earth Retreats and more.
