Tata Tea Reasserts No. 1 Status

The country's largest selling branded tea and the company's flagship brand - Tata Tea - took a new initiative to take its number one position in the market to newer heights. The brand has revamped its packaging and communication.

The new communication endeavors to define and add meaning to the company's "Bush to cup" vision. It emphasises on the detailing and the R&D efforts to ensure the finest quality leaves, manifesting the company's passion for providing the best value to its consumers. A commitment that is reflected in the consumer's fondness and liking for the brand across the nation. A relationship that has been nurtured over the years through a consistent delivery of great taste in every sip.

The communication aligns the brand with the modern day consumer by portraying a vibrant, youthful and a modern user imagery. While it cues upper middle class personality to build stronger aspirational values, it still retains an essence which is relatable by the cross section of its varied users.

Over the years Tata Tea has come to stand for trust coupled with a strong and credible plantation tradition.

The brand enjoys strongest mind-share among tea labels (2001 ET-ORG survey) and has the highest penetration in various markets (2001 IRS survey). Through its new communication Tata Tea is therefore rightfully laying claim on being the nation's first choice in tea.

For Tata Tea this is the right time to re-energize itself and make a clear statement. There has been significant erosion in the tea market due to the cyclical nature of the commodity. There has been an explosive growth in the number of small regional players offering mediocre products but with the lure of attractive promotions or very low prices.

Through the new communication campaign Tata tea intends to put the bigness of the Tata Tea story in front of the consumer - bigness in terms of size and taste; bigness in terms of Tata Tea's vision and commitment to bigness in terms of the tremendous R&D which goes into the product. The re-launch platform is therefore rooted in the "number one" status of the brand and the communication seeks to bring out the width and depth of the Indian consumer's relationship with the taste of Tata Tea.

To further strengthen the Tata Tea platform, the packaging construct has been significantly upgraded for better barrier properties. The package graphics have been modernized and updated to relate better to the contemporary consumer. Pertinently, Tata Tea revolutionized branded tea retailing in India by offering the country's first poly-packed tea in the mid-eighties.