SunRice has launched its first dedicated multicultural community marketing campaign, tapping Sydney experiential agency Faction to connect directly with two of Australia’s most influential rice-consuming audiences, Chinese and Indian communities.
The initiative, which kicks off to mark the start of Lunar New Year and will continue through Holi Festival activations in Sydney and Melbourne, signals a deliberate shift toward grassroots engagement, cultural partnerships, and influencer-led storytelling as the FMCG brand seeks to strengthen its relevance in core consumption segments.
Faction’s appointment marks its first campaign with SunRice, and underscores a growing appetite among heritage FMCG brands to move beyond broad-reach media and into culturally precise, community-embedded marketing.
From brand sampling to community endorsement
At the centre of the campaign is a partnership with Burwood Chinatown, one of Sydney’s most prominent Chinese cultural precincts, alongside collaborations with charity CASS Care and a Xiaohongshu (RedNote) influencer program designed to reach audiences on culturally specific platforms.
Rather than traditional brand activations, the campaign embeds SunRice directly into community spaces and experiences. As part of the Burwood Chinatown sponsorship, participating restaurateurs will exclusively serve SunRice products, effectively turning local businesses into brand advocates.
Faction managing director Tony Gordon said the strategy reflects a deliberate move away from conventional sampling tactics.
“It’s an innovative take on activation. Rather than the brand having a stall and saying ‘please sample our food’, we have local restaurateurs effectively recommending the product – that’s a powerful endorsement”.
The approach reflects a broader shift in experiential marketing, where credibility and trust are increasingly earned through community validation rather than brand-led messaging.
A strategic play for high-value consumption audiences
For SunRice, the campaign is rooted in commercial reality as much as cultural connection. Chinese and Indian communities account for a disproportionate share of rice consumption, making them strategically critical audiences for long-term category growth.
SunRice marketing director Jeci David said the brand’s focus is on authentic engagement rather than surface-level visibility.
“Chinese and Indian communities are heavy rice users, and make up a significant proportion of category volume. We’re committed to contributing and engaging authentically at the grassroots level, to establish SunRice as the trusted rice experts”.
He added that cultural timing and community credibility were central to the campaign’s design.
“Burwood is a key centre for Chinese-Australian culture, and Lunar New Year is a moment to demonstrate genuine relevance, not just visibility. Faction and their team of cultural consultants have ensured we’re partnering with the right organisations and key opinion leaders, and are speaking to local communities in their own language”.
Multicultural marketing moves from optional to essential
SunRice’s move reflects a broader recalibration across Australia’s marketing landscape, as brands recognise multicultural audiences not as niche segments, but as foundational drivers of category growth.
Platforms like Xiaohongshu are also emerging as essential channels for reaching diaspora communities, particularly younger consumers who operate across dual cultural and digital ecosystems.
By embedding its brand within cultural celebrations and trusted community networks, SunRice is effectively repositioning itself from a legacy staple to an active participant in contemporary multicultural Australia.
The campaign was developed by Faction with support from James Philip Creative and signals the agency’s growing presence in culturally-led experiential marketing, an area increasingly central to brand growth strategies in Australia’s evolving consumer landscape.