THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Tourism has made an unusual pitch for a dedicated emoji representing the state’s traditional sadya, seeking to take the iconic feast to a global digital audience through Apple’s iPhone ecosystem.
The tourism department made the request through its official social media handle in response to a post by Apple CEO John Ternus after he assumed office on September 1. Kerala Tourism urged John Ternus to consider introducing an emoji depicting sadya, traditionally served on a banana leaf and featuring an elaborate spread of vegetarian dishes.
The post has already crossed 50,000 views, giving the department’s pitch considerable visibility beyond its conventional tourism audience. The move is part of a larger digital marketing strategy aimed at placing Kerala’s cultural identity in global conversations, says tourism official.
“This isn’t necessarily about whether Apple will instantly launch a sadya emoji; it’s about a deliberate digital marketing strategy. The goal is to participate in high-visibility global conversations and place Kerala right in the middle of them,” said an official.
The department has been experimenting with such real-time interventions to leverage events and conversations that are already attracting public attention. Recently, it also used the episode involving a flight stranded at Thiruvananthapuram airport as a social media marketing opportunity, drawing attention to Kerala.