Traditionally, Africans did not have a written calendar and that is the reason (I believe) we are neither subject nor prey to the western superstition surrounding Friday the thirteenth. Friday the thirteenth of October brought good tidings that made me grin from ear to ear. The news had something to do with tea. The part of Kenya I come from doesn’t produce any tea but is reputed to be a major consumer (I have never proved this). Well, tea does qualify as a social drink and we are social people. I may not have the figures at hand but could bet a good sum of money that even with the festive season coming, tea shall still beat alcohol on the volumes of consumption for the year.

Back to the good tidings, one tea brand has definitely got it right and seems well positioned for the future and hopefully, the global tea market. “Sasini finds a winner in branded products” read an article penned by Kaburu Mugambi in the Daily Nation of Friday the thirteenth of October. I will quote generously from Mr. Mugambi’s article:

“A recent venture into branded tea and coffee is proving a winner for a listed agricultural firm. Sasini Tea and Coffee says it is earning 10 times more per unit of its new branded tea and coffee products than it was making from bulk sales of the commodity. The company said the value addition initiative it began three months ago has enabled it make up for fluctuating international coffee prices.” 

The Managing Director, Peter Muthoka, noted that companies have lost millions of shillings when selling bulk coffee and tea to exporters who repackage them, ship them back and sell at a higher price. "We have gone into blending and packaging of tea, which is giving us better returns, and the initial response from the market has been positive," he told reporters at his Nairobi office. He said Sasini’s objective is to control the entire chain of production: from the actual growing of its tea and coffee to processing, packaging and sales to consumers and exports.  

Presently, the company has three varieties of tea, and seven varieties of coffee, including instant coffee. It has a packaging plant in Mombasa for tea, and is building a Ksh100 million coffee milling factory in Kiambu district, to be commissioned at the end of the month. Sales and marketing manager, Arun Deshpande, said they had set aside a "huge" budget to facilitate marketing and retail trading of their products [brands]. 

Did you read that Sasini is earning 10 times more per unit on its new branded tea and coffee products than it was making from bulk sales of the commodity! The power of branding can hardly be better demonstrated.

Did you know that the largest tea brand on this planet is called Lipton and is owned by the giant multinational, Unilever? Lipton makes tea appear a funkier drink than Coca-Cola or even the Fanta brand with its “Bamboocha” campaign. The Lipton brand does things with tea that many of us would not even imagine.

Well, now you know that we may be up there in tea production but our own brands rank nowhere in the real race – the race of the brands. Does it have to be this way? What are we doing wrong? What do we need to do to be up there with the best? Which is the way forward for our tea? A peek into the “funky” world of the Lipton brand may give us some fresh ideas.

Unilever’s Lipton tea boasts of over a dozen different brand extensions. The brand ensures that there is a tea brand for virtually every occasion and environment and this positions tea as “the true healthy any time drink.” Some of the brands include Black Tea, Flavoured Black Tea, Green Tea, Herbal Tea, Iced Tea to go, Chailatta, among others in an ever expanding range of teas. There is obviously more to tea than what we currently see in the local market and developing effective brands is the way to exploit this product for the benefit of the industry players right from the farmer to the retailer. 

Lipton is currently running a 'Heart Al Fresco with Lipton Ice Tea' campaign in London. This is a new concept that aims at creating a summer beach-style zone. The Lipton brand has a “Ground Patrol promotional team” in various London locations where parasols, deck chairs, picnic blankets and games are provided to give people a chance to relax in the shade whilst being refreshed by Lipton Ice Tea. One can even get a thirst quenching Lipton Ice Tea, whilst having a refreshing massage by the Lipton Ice Tea therapists at some chosen locations. Incidentally, Lipton Ice Tea’s slogan is “Drink Better”. This is because it is made from real tea leaves and provides a source of antioxidants. It also has 35 percent less sugar than most regular soft drinks, absolutely no artificial coloring, preservatives, or sweeteners. Liptons Ice tea thus qualifies as a truly healthy drink. There’s so much more to tea than “two leaves and a bud.”