Characteristics of tea Essay

The issue of healthy life styles has considerably contributed to marketing and is becoming an important factor of modern lives. Today many companies claim potential health benefits from tea drinking. Consequently, big suppliers concentrated on the health awareness of consumers and have positioned their marketing strategies to maximise this potential. For instance, Tetley has teamed up with St. Ivel and Warburtons to develop a website aimed at healthy living. In 2002 PG Tips’ packaging has been redesigned to emphasise ‘healthy’ characteristics of tea. It informs the consumer that tea is an antioxidant source. Antioxidant in tea, so-called ‘flavonoids’, are supposedly vital for a healthy diet. On the other hand, researchers from the University Dental Hospital of Manchester have found out that certain teas [especially herbal tea] may destroy teeth by dissolving enamel [Published in the Journal of Dentistry and Daily Mail 19/11/2001]. In addition to emphasising health issues, KJM foods will differentiate by tapping into another human need: relaxation and peace. The pace of life is accelerating and nowadays many people complain about very fast and hectic lifestyles. People in today’s world barely have any time to relax or be for themselves. Advertising messages should play upon this lack of time and freedom and emphasize on the ‘relaxing ritual’ of brewing tea and enjoying ‘a cuppa’. According to Mintel, consumers are increasingly willing to pay for products and services which provide them with more free time and which make life easier. There is an overall trend to be noticed: one takes a salary cut back in order to have more time, or moves into suburbs to live quieter, people escape into nature, explore the world of ‘Yoga’, take part in ‘Relaxation classes’, do ‘Aromatherapy’ and so on. ‘SOUL’ tea perfectly fits into this new lifestyle trend and its advertising and packaging will emphasize SOUL’s relaxing character and explain that different infusion times will have different effects. For example, the packaging will instruct to increase infusion time in order to change the usual effects of tea into strongly relaxing and soothing effects. This is a niche the other big brands are not considering at present. The ‘Brand Steering Wheel’ by ‘Icon Brand Navigation Ltd. ‘ as per appendix 4 summarizes the desired perception of SOUL by its target groups. It shows all aspects of the brand’s identity and will be used in this report as a future-oriented positioning platform supporting to drive KJM’s marketing and copy strategy.