Starting off as a hotel and restaurant tea supplier, Tealeaves redirected its business to include the individual tea lovers in their consumer segment due to market pressure. How? By investing $1.5 million into short films that would direct its consumers through the tea journey, from the tree to the cup.
In their short films, Tealeaves features activities such as yoga, touring, and even eating, to allow consumers to feel like the tea story is relatable. This, in the long term, can contribute to brand recognition and even brand loyalty, as long as consumers think about Tealeaves’ tea when doing such activities.
Videos from Tealeave’s Website
Coming from a culture that drinks tea daily and a family that is also a tea supplier, I feel that Tealeaves’ redirection of consumer segment was necessary if the company wanted to expand. A lot of individual tea lovers, like myself, take joy in the ability to brew tea whenever and wherever, at a restaurant or not. Thus, Tealeaves’ redirection is making this ability its value proposition.
Tealeaves is also using the differentiation strategy, because what makes Tealeaves’ products different from other tea companies’ is that its products are relatable, via short films, to its consumers. Thus, by investing in short films, Tealeaves is allowing its customer segment to expand and building its reputation in the tea industry.