Stash Tea
IN BRIEF
The Ask:
To help Stash Tea become more culturally relevant.
Challenge:
While Tea is slowly becoming popular in the U.S., nobody knows about Stash Tea.
Solution:
Develop a unique brand voice and point of view for Stash Tea.
Background
Stash Tea was founded in 1972 in Portland, Oregon, by two hippies seeking “tea Euphoria .”It was then purchased later by the Yamamotoyama Tea company.
Yamamotoyama Tea company is known for its global popularity due to its premium tasting tea. They’ve been selling green tea since 1690. While Yamamotoyama is known globally, its U.S. brand, Stash Tea, isn’t as well known, especially in the U.S.
Stash Tea needs to develop a unique point of view and a selling point that’ll allow them to stand out in the tea aisle.
Stash Tea is just like everyone else
What's the Tea?
“We’re injecting a lot of money in Stash to bring it to a national level, give it a voice and point of view, and compete.”
-Nami Yamamoto (CEO of Stash’s parent Company)
Digging Deeper
Zack Ackerman (Strategy)
Around the world, tea is seen as a social drink, whereas in the U.S., it's viewed more as a solitary drink, which is because, in the U.S., social drinking is associated with alcohol, which isn’t for everyone.
As a result, consumers have been moving towards non-alcoholic alternatives. These alternatives consist of mocktails, soda, and coffee.
60% of U.S. Adults consume less than one alcoholic drink a week.
28% of U.S. College Adults between 18-22 abstain from alcohol altogether.
So what do you drink when you don't want “a drink” or a mocktail?
Strategy
Position Stash Tea as a social drink that's healthier than the non-alcoholic alternative outside mocktails.
Opportunity
Capitalize on the growing consumer trend of selecting healthier non-alcoholic alternatives outside of mocktails.
Target
The Sober(ish) Socialite. They’re someone who prioritizes their health in their diet and lifestyle, is extroverted, socially confident, abstain from drinking or has only 1-2 drinks a night
Phase 1
- Change how consumers in the U.S see tea
- Introduce new brand voice & look
- Demonstrate how boxed tea can be a social drink
Phase 2
- Change how Stash Tea shows up for the Sober(ish) Socialite
- Helps Stash show up in new, social environments
- Tap into cultural norms for U.S. tea drinkers
Team
Outside of mocktails, the other non-alcoholic alternatives aren’t necessarily healthy options. There’s currently a trend of consumers moving away from those options. For example, consumers are replacing coffee with matcha, which is a healthier option.