Q] What has gone into building the brand identity of Society Tea and sustaining it for these many years?
Passion, gut feeling, a lot of painstaking work, and a focus on quality. We’d rather not sell than sell something substandard. Also, the same person who builds the product from scratch is looking after marketing, which makes a big difference. When I have an idea, it’s second nature because I am not trying to figure it out, I know the product well. We focus on the outdoors because we’re a Mumbai-centric brand, and now we’re focusing on Maharashtra a lot more. We’re also looking at the country in a bigger way.
When we were in Kolhapur, we had all hands on deck. We spoke to the shopkeepers, and did market research. I went shadowing the sales team to the shops, sometimes conversing with them to understand them better. This allows us to customise campaigns accordingly.
We’re also honest in our communications. We don’t claim to be India’s number one, and we speak from a place of truth and belief.
Q] What does your media plan look like? How do seasonal launches influence it?
New launches and seasons do take precedence. An example of this is that during the monsoons, we will talk more about masala chai. It’s a well-organised system now, launches will always take precedence. While outdoor is a big part of what we do, for a new campaign, we go all guns blazing on YouTube, other online channels, and OTT. We are also present in cricket in a small way as we ensure that we reach where our customers are.
Q] Please share a few insights on the recent ‘Taazgi Bhari Pyaali Society Waali’ campaign.
We’re expanding into the country now more than ever. So, you need a campaign that makes sense to everyone. Our campaigns have been minimalistic, and there is a market for minimalism, but it’s not for everyone. Now we’re talking about the freshness of the product and its quality, and we’re taking it to the tea gardener. If you see the campaign, it’s a lady who’s plucking the leaf, and instead of a normal jute bag, she’s using a society bag. I was scared that it would go wrong, but I think we did good. We’ve kept it minimal.
Q] How did the collaboration with Faye D’Souza for the ‘News In A Minute’ come about?
We try not to be too political usually, but we like this association as she resonates a lot with our brand. She caters to the right audience, and that’s a place we would like to be at. We didn’t want to be too loud about it. It’s a subtle integration, but it’s clean and it’s very clear.
Q] What is your collaboration model like?
We don’t work with agencies, we work with people. If the people belong to the agency, that’s fine, but when you talk to a person and not an entity, it works better. We don’t go to town with hundreds of influencers. If there’s someone who we feel is right and connects with the brand, we integrate. It could be with one or more influencers, but the person needs to understand the brand and resonate with it.
Q] Going forward, what is the objective of the brand?
We hold the instant tea space very dear. It is our business to change the perception of instant tea. We get compared to the competition, but my product is not the same. We talk to consumers, and do a lot of online campaigns to change that perception. Consumerism is fickle, so it’s an open battleground. If you lose your spot, we could step in and grab it.
The consumer appreciates quality, and marketing is not always ethical, just how companies aren’t always ethical. But you must have your eye on the ball and imbibe your learnings as a consumer in order to become a proprietor (selling the product that you want to consume). That’s what we want to do.
