Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies

It’s not just a cup of “tea”: building consumer brand relationship

Renuka Kamath Ashita Aggarwal
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 It’s not just a cup of “tea”: building
consumer brand relationship
Renuka Kamath and Ashita Aggarwal
Renuka Kamath is
Professor at S.P. Jain
Institute of Management
and Research, Mumbai,
India. Ashita Aggarwal is
Associate Professor at
S.P. Jain Institute of
Management and
Research, Mumbai, India.
Em Mkts Case Studies 2015.5:1-31.
Disclaimer. This case is written
solely for educational
purposes and is not intended
to represent successful or
unsuccessful managerial
decision making. The author/s
may have disguised names;
financial and other
recognizable information to
protect confidentiality.
DOI 10.1108/EEMCS-11-2013-0208
Introduction
Anubhav Jain looked up at the sky from the window in his Digambar Industries, Surya Gold
office in Jabalpur, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It was a dark cloudy day in July
2012, much like his mood. Looking down at the consumer research report in front of him he
knew he had a critical decision to make, as the report, which detailed how tea lovers
consumed their tea, was giving him a clear direction for the national launch of Surya Gold.
Surya Gold, had been doing reasonably well for many years, but the time had come for the
brand to become more focused so that it could take on national leading brands such as
Brook Bond Red Label, Lipton, Society, Tata Tea, Agni, Wagh Bakri, Taj Mahal and Dilmah.
About two months earlier, Jain had a meeting with his retailers who told him that they could
not push Surya Gold brand to the consumers beyond a certain point. Consumers did not
just buy “tea”, but instead bought “brands”, according to what one reputed retailer said. He
told Jain that to enjoy a strong market position, Surya Gold had to find its loyal consumers.
Jain hired a group of consultants to investigate this whole concept of brand loyalty for a
category such as tea. He wanted to understand what made people select which tea they
drank and how they subsequently formed a relationship with this product category and their
chosen brand. Once the qualitative research[1] was completed, Jain realized that,
although it was complex, he had to plan a marketing strategy for creating a loyal group of
Surya Gold consumers.
How it all began
Jain had inherited the tea distribution business, and his was the third generation to run it.
He worked earnestly along with his brothers and expanded the business. But a strange
restlessness sat in, during 2006, when he realized that, while packaging and distributing
tea was one thing, creating and marketing branded tea was another (Exhibit 1 gives an
account of tea drinking culture in India), and this caused Surya Gold brand to be created.
After doing fairly well for almost six years and garnering a market share of 20 per cent in
Jabalpur and nearby regions, the brand was now slated to go national. Jain knew that
attaining even a small market share of 2-3 per cent among national players was a very
difficult task, especially as the market was highly fragmented and competitive with various
regional and local players along with national leaders.
Surya Gold recently got approval to sell its products in Big Bazaar (the largest hypermarket
chain in India) across Raipur, Chhattisgarh and nearby regions, and this was a great
opportunity to extend its national footprint. As national players dominated the market, it was
difficult for a regional brand such as Surya Gold to convince consumers for trial and
purchase. However, when compared to urban areas, consumption of regional and local
brands was higher in semi-urban and rural areas.
VOL. 5 NO. 5 2015, pp. 1-31, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2045-0621 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 1
 Retailers played a critical role in the decision process of consumers and were big
influencers, and thus, were given a high margin to push the brand to consumers. The
market reports suggested that, although Surya Gold had few loyal consumers, others
experienced trials, but brand switching was high and consumers rarely returned back to it.
Jain knew that he and his team were investing a large amount to attract new consumers and
had even invested in enhancing product quality and packaging. Jain recognized that only
pushing the retailer may not be enough work, and a different strategy for growing and
sustaining their business was required. Also, developing a loyal base of retailers across the
nation was an expensive and daunting task.
Although operating in a small territory, Anubhav Jain was in constant touch with the market
and consumers. He regularly visited the retailers who were the most important link in his
business. All interactions with retailers and consumers told Jain that more than 60 per cent
Indian consumers were loyal to the taste of their tea. They were in a habit of buying certain
brands more because the taste suited their preferences and brand came second in the
decision process. Therefore, getting consumers to switch to a new brand was not easy
even with lucrative offers and appealing advertising. The new tea brands attempted to
enter as a trial brand into a consumer’s shopping basket and move to be the second brand
of tea purchased in a household.
With taste being the most important parameter for building loyalty, Jain’s job was even more
difficult. Jain believed that a good tea is the result of professional “art of tea blending”.
Surya Gold was blended using 20 different varieties of tea leaves. In the absence of tea
blending machines, the job was conducted by professional tasters who experimented with
different ratios to obtain the right color and the taste. As the entire process was dependent
Em Mkts Case Studies 2015.5:1-31.

on humans and was not mechanized, replicating the taste was a challenge. Jain knew that
it was difficult to achieve more than 95 per cent similarity among the two tea packets, and
hence, retaining the consumers was even more critical.
Jain’s brother, a business school student, sent him a copy of the case study by Susan
Fournier (Fournier and Yao, 1998) on consumer-brand relationships. Reading Fournier’s
study was a revelation for Jain about how brand loyalty for a relatively low-involvement
product could give a new dimension to the way he was doing his business. Fournier
suggested that consumers’ attachment to a brand lay at the core of all strong
consumer-brand relationships. Consumers may decide to purchase the brand based on
functional benefits or psychological benefits, but every brand choice has a self-concept
criteria attached to it. However, like interpersonal relationships between people,
consumer-brand relationships were also dynamic and changed over time. Fournier pointed
out that this was important for marketers to plan product launches and design
communication messages and loyalty plans to positively affect the shape of relationship
development curve and, hence, build the consumer-brand bonds, encouraging loyalty.
Getting deeper into this topic, Jain went on to read many more research articles on brand
loyalty and found that with the proliferation of non-differentiated brands in the marketplace,
consumers had begun to view brands as parity products. This was leading to price
becoming the deciding factor and, thus, destroying the feeling of uniqueness on which
brand loyalty was grounded. Given the abundance of choices coupled with brand
destruction practices such as price wars and continuous discounting, it was likely that the
era of brand loyalty, if it ever existed, was dead! But was it?

Tea industry in India

For most Indians, a cup of tea was an integral part of the daily routine. Tea consumed at
different times of the day serves the various needs of this habit. It was the wake-up call in
the morning, the mid-afternoon stimulant, the relaxant after a hard day and also a binder for
sharing togetherness with family and the loved ones.

PAGE 2 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 5 NO. 5 2015

 According to Euromonitor International, March 2010, India was the world’s largest
consumer, second largest producer and fourth largest exporter of tea after China and
accounted for nearly 30 per cent of global output. Nearly 25 per cent of tea produced
worldwide was being consumed in India.
With 20 per cent compounded annual growth rate, the branded tea market contributed
nearly 55 per cent of the market size, with around 980 million kg of India’s overall output.
An Assocham study in 2011 forecasted India’s tea market to touch Rs 33,000 crore by 2015
from the current level of Rs 19,500. The total branded tea segment in India was valued at
the time at Rs 6,000 crore, and the unbranded tea market contributed 45 per cent of the
market size and was growing at 10 per cent annually. The Indian market was highly
fragmented with over 300 brands, in addition to loose unbranded tea. HUL dominated the
market with over 30 per cent market share and Tata Tea at around 22.5 per cent
(Exhibit 2).
As per Euromonitor in 2009, the packaged tea market was valued at Rs 60 billion with urban
rural consumption ratio being 56:44. There was not much product differentiation in rural and
urban markets, and thus, key industry players were launching value-added products,
giving greater competition to local and regional players. In 2009, national brands
accounted for 42 per cent value share, whereas 32 per cent came from local players and
the remaining 26 per cent from regional players.
Indian tea brands were categorized into three broad categories, namely, premium,
mid-market and economy. Economy brands owned almost 48 per cent of the value share
(Exhibit 3). However, the economy segment was difficult to penetrate, as loose tea
accounted for 65 per cent sales in this segment. Surya Gold tea was positioned in the
mid-market category and, hence, was competing with other national and regional brands
Em Mkts Case Studies 2015.5:1-31.

for 42 per cent value share.

Tea in India served not just various physical and psychological needs, but was also varied
but specific in its preparation methods. A small segment of consumers in India preferred
the exclusive flavor of Darjeeling tea, which is not brewed with milk and sugar and is the
most popular tea in Eastern India, particularly West Bengal. The majority of North Indian
consumer drink CTC[2] tea prepared with water, milk, tea and sugar boiled together to give
a rich, strong brew. In North Indian households, tea was consumed throughout the year, but
the consumption went up sharply in winter. Central India was primarily a dust market.
Gujarat was almost entirely a loose tea market, although certain branded packaged tea
was becoming popular, and was an integral part of social culture and the state had the
maximum number of exclusive tea retail shops. Tea accounted for more than 90 per cent
of all beverages consumed in rural and urban Maharashtra, and this state was a large
market for both packaged and unbranded tea. Although South India was primarily a coffee
market, teashops there contribute a substantial proportion of Indian tea consumption.
Packed dust tea outsold packaged leaf tea on all Indian bases.

Consumer research
Fournier’s paper was very interesting to Jain, and he instinctively knew that Surya Gold
would benefit from primary research. Indian tea consumption was different from coffee
consumption in the West, as mentioned in Fournier’s article, but Jain knew that the
frameworks suggested could definitely be applied to the Indian scenario to design focused
marketing strategies. Indian consumers were habituated to the taste, which was
synonymous to their tea brand loyalty. Hence, qualified professionals with the capability to
conduct primary consumer research were required to unearth the deeper motivations
toward tea consumption. Jain hired VConnect, a consulting group who had expertise in
conducting qualitative research. The team started working on defining the research
objectives and recruiting respondents. Details of the same are presented in Exhibits 4
and 5.

VOL. 5 NO. 5 2015 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 3

 Consumer interviews
VConnect interviewed over 50 consumers in India, but they submitted the final report with
a sample size[3] of four males and three females. VConnect thought that a detailed
response of 50 consumers might make the report too cumbersome and heavy for
discussion purposes. These seven respondents well represented the diversity of tea
consumption and brand loyalty across the sample and were selected based on their
differences in demographics, and psychographics/lifestyle characteristics. The method of
selection of the respondents ensured the diversity of age, social status and education.
Each interviews[4] lasted for two to three hours, and a lot of information was gathered about
the personality and socio-cultural context of an individual in addition to their preferences for
tea and tea brands.
Jain glanced through the report and went through the transcripts prepared from the
interviews. He noticed that the interviews gave information about the consumers and their
tea drinking habits, while summarizing the tea brands in their portfolio and how they related
to each of them. He knew that the differences among the individuals and their tea drinking
behavior would help him assess their loyalty. He began reading each interview in detail:

Atul
Atul was a 50-year-old teacher, settled in Western India with his wife and daughters. As a
thinker and an analyst, he had appreciation for heritage and legacy and a disdain for
anything that defied them. As an intellectual, he placed great importance on process and
technique and was blessed with an ability for “attention to detail”. He, therefore, was very
particular about accomplishing every task – whether it was teaching, conducting an exam,
Em Mkts Case Studies 2015.5:1-31.

planning a party or preparing a cup of tea. Atul was a critic by nature and closely examined
any change or people before letting it or them into his life.
Among the other respondents, Atul emerged to be the most knowledgeable tea lover, who
was passionate and particular about his technique for preparing the best cup of tea every
time. He took pride in his deep understanding and felt that tea was a subject which could
not be understood by all. A person needed to be evolved to understand and appreciate tea
in his opinion.
Atul described tea as his alter ego. Tea drinking was a habit he had cultivated at the age
of three, passed on to him by his father, who himself was a tea lover. In approximately 50
years of his association with tea, the relationship had only improved and now he had
around six to seven cups of tea in a day. Atul nostalgically described the ritual of having tea
at his home during his formative years and associated it to fond memories of family time.
He quipped, “Tea drinking was a celebration. Festivities came yearly but a good ‘cuppa’
gave a reason to celebrate each day”.
During his early years, his family had limited resources but still spent 15 per cent of the
family’s income on tea alone. He said, “Back then my mother used to buy the best of
teapots and teacups. After all, tea could not be served just any which way! I was an
absolute elitist as far as tea was concerned”. He fondly remembered how his mother used
to stitch and embroider the tea cozies herself and that those were her most intricate
collectibles. He took pride in still possessing some of those exclusive tea sets and tea
cozies (some of them being as old as 21 years) and using them once in a while to feel good
and pamper himself.
Atul felt that tea for him was not just for “waking up” but for “awakening”. “You woke up with
your five senses but awakening happens with the sixth sense – which was the culmination
point for five senses. Tea stimulated my sixth sense and awakened me into the next phase
of the day”.
Therefore, for Atul, it was not just the tea but time of having tea, which was equally critical.
He felt that tea was best enjoyed during the changeover time (dawn or twilight), as it

PAGE 4 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 5 NO. 5 2015

 prepared him for the transition. He enjoyed his morning 6.00 a.m. and evening 7.00 p.m.
teas the most. However, being a heavy tea drinker, he also consumed tea at various times
during the day. But those were more ritualistic where tea served as a binder or glue to the
phases of his day. “A cup of tea made discussions more enjoyable and focused. So when
I sat with my friends, guests or colleagues, a cup of tea stimulated new ideas. Without it,
discussions were short and transactional.” He said, “Tea was my partner in crime. It alerted
my mental faculties, rejuvenated me and hence I did a lot of thinking over a cup of tea”.
Atul was very particular about the tea flavor, the tea leaves used and the way it was
prepared. He mentioned that he and his wife used to drink premium tea brands, including
Makaibari[5], Orange Pekoe[6] or Lopchu[7]. He remembered how his father used to order
these brands from the wholesale market[8], as they were not freely available. Now Lipton
Green Label brand had been his constant partner for almost a decade. He felt this was
closest to the best estate tea brands. “It was easily available in the market and my wife and
I had become dependent on it for almost a decade”. However, he felt that even the best of
tea brands could not give the desired flavor and taste if not prepared appropriately. He
mentioned that he owned a small measuring spoon (bought about 15 years back), and
according to him, “a teaspoon of Lipton Green Label with just a dash of milk made a perfect
cup”. He remembered his father had told him that straining the tea while pouring into the
teacup was an insult to the tea leaves. According to him, tea should be enjoyed in its natural
form and flavor.
When asked if he had tried any other tea brand, he remarked that he was very dependent
on Lipton Green Label, and that he got worried if it was not available in the market. It was
a “must have” at home, and he had never tried any other brand.
Atul was so fussy about his tea that he generally would not drink tea when he was visiting
Em Mkts Case Studies 2015.5:1-31.

anyone. He would indeed prefer any other beverage. However, while traveling or at work,
he had whatever brand was available. “But those were more ritualistic tea drinking
occasions, where tea was needed to wake you up and not for awakening”, he said.
He was quite happy with Lipton Green Label and dependent on it, but felt that over the
years, the company had compromised on quality to maintain price. He said, “There was
exclusivity with Makaibari and Orange Pekoe but with Lipton Green Label, I no longer felt
exclusive. I would love to stick to Green Label, if only they kept the quality premium,
increased their price and catered to a niche segment of consumers and made feel special.
Appreciating tea was not everyone’s cup of tea. You needed to be evolved and intelligent
to know its real essence”.
Atul best enjoyed his tea at about 6.00 a.m. in an open park or a lawn, served in exclusive
and classy teacups, along with a newspaper. “My cup of Lipton Green Label and the
newspaper were my best company as they fed me with input and ideas – and what else
could be the best start of a day”.

Manju
Manju was a 52-year-old married working professional settled with her husband and two
teenage sons. She was in a phase of life where she was as worried about settling her
children as much as she was about accomplishments at work. She was an achiever at work
and was affectionate, as well as empathetic toward her colleagues and subordinates.
Manju’s outlook to life could be aptly described as “comfort in chaos”. She was quite
disorganized but was excellent at finding her way in that chaos. She was comfortable with
it, or perhaps used to it; in fact, she took pride in her ability to arrange and bring order to
chaos even at the last moment.
During the interview, she came across as a worrier by nature and explained that it was
important to her that people in her life were always happy. An Indian by birth, she was
brought up outside India. According to her, she had an upbringing that made her
appreciate good and sophisticated things in life, and she credited her discerning tastes to

VOL. 5 NO. 5 2015 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 5

 her father. One thing she distinctly remembered was that he always insisted on an
elaborate arrangement for serving the lemon tea prepared by her mother. She fondly
remembered the entire ritual of serving tea in best of tea sets and felt that it added to the
overall experience. She still liked her tea to be served, rather than prepare it herself.
Manju had married into a conservative family. She spent initial years of her married life on
a ship with her husband who was with the Merchant Navy. “My husband was a captain and
I used to have best tea brands like Earl Grey, served in expensive tea cups and saucers.
When we were on-ground, I used to stay with my in-laws. They drank Brook Bond Red Label
a strong flavoured tea. I was ok with that too. I was adaptive, so I changed”, she said. “I
never fussed about having a specific brand or a particular kind of tea”. Relationships were
always important to Manju, and hence, imposing her preferred tea style or brand did not
seem vital to her.
Over a period of time, she changed her way of living. “I stopped pampering myself. There
just did not seem to be enough time, and I could not explain why. Maybe I had become lazy
over time”. Her husband had always preferred strong brewed kadak[9] tea, and it just
seemed simpler to make the same for herself. The birth of her two children added a frantic
pace to her life, which still remained. Her life, which revolved around her kids, made her
take a short break from professional work and hence domesticated her. Those were days
when she would not shop for herself, and then, she would finish a year’s shopping at one
go! “Choosing a particular brand of tea was the last thing on my mind”. Brook Bond Red
Label tea, a brand of strong tea, was used at home during the first few years of her married
life, but Manju admitted that she rather thought it to be a brand for non-discerning people,
considering that it is mostly used in dhaabaas[10]. She said “I was an elitist from within and
Brook Bond did not match my personality. But I never created a fuss over it!”
Em Mkts Case Studies 2015.5:1-31.

She switched to Society tea, a few years back after she established her own household and
was not living with her in-laws. However, she could not figure out why she chose this brand.
“I didn’t know any other brand and Society was expensive and so good for us. But it was
definitely not Earl Grey”.
Manju consumed about three cups of tea a day. While at work, it acted as a stimulant, at
home, it invigorated her, but in the mornings, the most important and personal time for her,
it was most dear. “Morning was the time for me. That was when I would be at peace, and
a perfect cup of tea was simply bliss”. That was when she read the newspaper sitting by
her window at home, sipping her morning cuppa or simply watching the sun streaming in
through the leaves. She felt relieved that she had a household help to make her a cup of
Society tea, which had now become a habit and gave her the much-needed stimulation to
start her day. It had not even occurred to Manju that she could keep her favorite tea brand
of Twinning’s Lemon or Earl Grey for consumption at home. Somewhere in her mind, she
regretted the adjustments she had made to her husband’s tastes during the early part of
her married life and that she had given up (rather than fuss) on many aspects of her likes
and preferences. And now it was too late, she felt.
Tea was an important part of her life. Manju preferred Twinning or Green Tea with lemon
she had picked up from Fab India[11]. But even at work, she could not find the time to make
it on her own. She ruefully wished her life was more organized, and if she could have her
way, she would travel and shop at leisure.
Manju felt that having tea was an experience and a style statement. There needed to be
sophistication in the brands one chose and the way it was served.

Madhav
“Tea reminded me of Mercedes Benz – the German automobile engineered to perfection.
Like the perfect car, a perfect cup of tea for me had to be done with all detailing. I was so
fussy about my ideal cup of tea that I could confidently say that almost no one could just
do it right”. Madhav, aged 42 years, a working professional, was a perfectionist by nature.

PAGE 6 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 5 NO. 5 2015

 He preferred to have everything neat and in order. Born and brought up in New Delhi (the
capital city of India), Madhav graduated from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology
and took up his first job in Mumbai. Madhav had spent a good number of years abroad and
had worked with some of the “best” organizations across the globe. After almost 15 years
of corporate life, he had now settled in Mumbai with his wife and two children. Madhav was
very comfortable with his life and felt that he really did not care if people remembered him
for his work or not, if he had a legacy or history or not, but he definitely wished to touch and
make a difference in the lives of those few people he knew. He was adventurous and liked
traveling, and Madhav felt that he was exploratory by nature and liked to try and learn new
things.
Madhav was not addicted to his cup of tea unlike our other respondents and did not wish
to compromise on his ideal cuppa. “I may have had a cup of tea everyday or may be only
three to four times a week, but it needed to be just perfect. I would rather have a coffee if
I knew that my favorite tea was not available”. Tea for Madhav was an experience, which
could be appreciated only when you enjoyed it. He liked his tea in a porcelain cup,
steamed and not boiled; neither too weak nor too strong and with no milk. “I generally
preferred my wife or my mother to make my tea rather than doing it myself. I had a special
kettle (which was lipless and hence it was clean and did not drip) to make my tea and
everything had to be measured. Since my wife controlled the kitchen, she had her own way
of arranging stuff. I lose track of them and hence I was dependent on her for my cup of tea.
But if she was busy, I let it be. I was not addicted to it, anyway”, he said.
His experience with tea started when he was 16 years old. Back home, his mother used to
serve 24 Karat or Razia Begum (tea brands). It was sometimes served in the “English style”
(where water is boiled separately with tea leaves; sugar and milk was added as per desire,
Em Mkts Case Studies 2015.5:1-31.

while serving) and was boiled at other occasions. Madhav remembered milk being
generously used to make tea and had memories of dipping biscuits or buttered breads in
his tea and then munching on them. Then came the turning point, when he visited his
brother-in-law, who was a tea connoisseur. Madhav was fascinated with the tea he was
offered, and that was the changing moment of his relationship with tea. He became
choosier about his brands and would then prefer his tea without milk and sugar. “Adding
milk or sugar to tea masked its original flavor and aroma”, he felt.
This marked his encounter with various brands of white tea, organic tea and Orange Pekoe
among other types. “I preferred to buy my tea from “aap ki pasand”, a famous tea lounge
in Delhi which served and sold the best leaf teas. Even today I buy my first flush tea leaves
from there. These are very expensive and my father admonishes me on wastage of
hard-earned money. But then only few people can appreciate good tea”.
In his hostel days back in Delhi, Madhav remembered having black tea without sugar with
his friends on clear afternoons, at the canteen. “Though the tea brands used there were not
what I would have preferred but tea that time was a drink over which we used to gang up.
Though my friends had their dhaabaa tea (thick, strong and sweet tea made by boiling
water with lots of milk, sugar and tea), I hung around with a cup of black tea without sugar”.
After Madhav started working, tea was one of the least important things in life. He had to
struggle to get good food, as he was away from family, and so, tea became a luxury
to which he had access only when he visited his hometown. Back in Mumbai, he preferred
to have lassi (traditional yoghurt-based drink made by blending yoghurt with water and
sugar) or coffee, as it was difficult to get the tea of his taste. He then moved abroad, and
for some time, he used to stock up his favorite tea. “My wife that time almost mastered the
art of making just a perfect cup of tea and I enjoyed that. Though she prefers typical
dhaabaa tea with milk and sugar but we both have freedom to make our own kind of tea”.
As work schedules became heavy, Madhav’s tea consumption reduced. “I stopped having
tea while abroad and switched over to coffee. I was travelling almost 20 days in a month
and so it was not possible to have my cup of tea. Moreover, after our daughter was born,

VOL. 5 NO. 5 2015 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 7

 my wife had little time at hand to pamper me”. Madhav preferred black tea with Earl Grey
or Twinning while he was traveling but definitely still missed his favorite cuppa.
Madhav had been using Fab India organic tea for the past two to three years, as it was
easily available in Mumbai. He found it good enough but definitely not the best. Recently,
he tried white tea from Munnar (Kerala) and just felt great about it. “I was an orthodox
processed tea lover and appreciated more natural stuff. I was an appreciator of Makaibari
(the first flush full leaf tea estate brand) and lemon grass tea, but I was hooked on to white
tea and think it was the best for me”. Madhav felt that his tastes had evolved over time and
had become more mature. He now preferred dark chocolate to milk chocolate, which he
had consumed for 40 years of his life. He felt a certain kind of convergence in life, on issues
as important as spirituality and religion and as mundane as tastes and preferences.

Usha
Usha was in her early 60s and had a doctoral degree. She was married, and her children
had flown the nest. She was in many ways independent, drove her own car and was quite
active in the Mumbai social circle. The thought of retiring or staying at home, was not for
her.
She grew up in North India and came from a family of top bureaucrats. Most of her
upbringing was at her grandmother’s home. Usha believed she had a “high social”
upbringing, and in hindsight, she felt that most of her preferences and tastes had been
shaped by what she felt and experienced at her mother’s and grandmother’s homes.
“When I was very young, I did not have to worry about buying anything, I only loved
reading. I got married at the age of 18 and started handling my own expenses for running
the home. That’s when a lot of my tastes formed and preferences developed and I would
Em Mkts Case Studies 2015.5:1-31.

still go back to my childhood, in my sub-conscious mind”.

Usha was exposed to tea drinking and the process of tea making at a very young age. She
watched her parents experiment with only the best tea brands. Lipton Connoisseur was one
such brand she remembered. “My father would bring the very costly looking Lipton
Connoisseur brand, then he would tell the cook how to prepare it. Most times he would get
it right only after many trials. It is then that I understood that buying the best tea was only
one part; preparing it was, however, an altogether different thing”.
But her real romance with tea started when she got married. It was only then that she
became brand loyal and realized the importance of the tea-making process. Initially, her
husband, who was a connoisseur of tea, would never be satisfied with her preparation. “It
was my mother-in-law who told me that there were only two brands of tea that they
consumed. She also told me about the three-minute golden rule for preparing tea. That the
tea pot should be warmed by rinsing it with boiling water, the leaves put in and then water
that had just begun to boil (not over boiled) poured in. The wait should be exactly three
minutes before pouring out the first flush”. That instruction marked the entry of Lopchu and
Lipton Green Label in Usha’s life.
Ever since then, Usha herself became a connoisseur of tea. From the time her husband was
a young trainee, they had been drinking the best tea. Even when times were bad and
income was limited, they never compromised on the brand of tea. Earlier, when they were
in the north of India, it was difficult to get a steady supply of Lopchu, and they drank Lipton
Green Label, which had slowly dropped in quality. After shifting to Mumbai about 25 years
ago, she switched her tea brand to Lopchu, as it was easily available and had never
changed it since then.
Another brand that she had tried during their stay in London was Earl Grey, especially with
bagmoy flavor, in which the oil was strained the tea bags and was extremely relaxing and
released very subtle flavor. “This to my mind was the ultimate relaxant in tea, sometimes
even better than Lopchu. Flavor was most important; as without the flavor, mental relaxation
did not happen. When you drank tea, it should be as if someone was combing your hair and

PAGE 8 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 5 NO. 5 2015

 gradually it lightened your head. Big tea leaves, like the ones of Lopchu, were sold by the
premium tea brands. Makai Bari is another good brand of connoisseur’s tea, but I was not
too fond of it. At my age, one did not change tea brands”.
“My friends always wanted to have tea when they came home, because they said that tea
never tasted as good when they made it. They enjoyed the tea at my place, but still had not
been able to bring about a change in their house because it depended on the person who
was making it. And I had wondered why tea companies never talked about the right method
of making tea, even on their packets. So, most Indians just boiled and over boiled it. Yes,
that was one ways of making it, but tea is a Britisher’s concept, so it should be made the
way they do”.
For Usha, just the act of preparing the tea did a lot to stimulate and recharge her. “It was
more a ritual – a social ritual”.

Subramanium
Subramanium, popularly known as “Mani” by his colleagues, was in his early 50s. He was
currently a business consultant based in Bangalore after retiring from a successful career
in the Middle East. Born to a middle-class[12] family in Kerala[13], as the eldest of three
siblings, he grew up imbibing values of integrity, moral and trust. After being a successful
businessperson, he was now pursuing his interests in music, passionately learning about
Hinduism and dedicating his time to a social cause.
Mani led a simple routine-oriented life, and his day started with reading the newspaper
along with having his morning cup of tea. The fresh golden brew with just a spot of milk
mildly sweetened and perfectly done by his wife was something he looked forward to each
Em Mkts Case Studies 2015.5:1-31.

day of his life. His morning cuppa was very special, as this was “his own time with himself”
when he withdrew into a complete solitude and enjoyed every sip of tea. “Probably that was
why I craved for tea every time I saw a peaceful scenery, mountains and rains or just
wished to connect with nature. At all those times I relished my tea in the privacy of serene
sanctity. I was sociable only after my morning tea and never discussed household issues
or any other topic as I organized myself and planned my day while I had my morning cup
of tea. By the time I finished reading my newspaper, I was ready for my second cup of tea,
which I enjoyed with my family”.
Mani started drinking tea when he was eight years old, as a late afternoon drink. “Being
from the southern part of India, coffee as a beverage dominated. Tea was not an important
beverage and the family was indifferent to the brand of tea used at home”, he said. His tea
consumption gained momentum when he shifted to a hostel for higher education. Even in
those days, he used to have whatever was served and was not particular about any specific
brand. “It was when I started visiting tea estates as part of my Chartered Accountant
training, that I understood the process of tea cultivation, processing, brewing, tasting, et
cetera. It was there, that I tasted the best tea I ever had. It was far away from the milky
concoction I was familiar with. I began drinking almost seven cups of tea a day”. Although
coffee remained his morning companion for many years, he gave it up at the age of 36
years, due to migraines. Lipton was the brand of tea that stood on the kitchen shelf at that
time. He could not really find a reason why Lipton was used, but he thought that was so
because Lipton and Brook Bond were the only two brands available then.
Mani preferred his tea in the traditional steel tumbler, probably because that was the exact
measure he wanted for himself. He consumed hot tea with all his senses. The aroma, the
color and the fresh taste of tender leaves together contributed to his tea experience. He
bought only leaf or granulated tea brands. “Tea should be best consumed black, brewed
light and if necessary with a drop of milk”, he declared.
During his business meetings, he started tasting Earl Grey, Dilmah and other expensive
varieties of tea, and it further gave rise to his dissatisfaction with Lipton. It was then that he
and his wife (whom he trusted with his tastes more than himself) embarked on a journey of

VOL. 5 NO. 5 2015 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 9

 discovering the best tea, and he found “Ahmad tea” brand as his favorite cup of tea. “I only
drank Ahmad since then. Quality and consistency were the two things I looked for in a tea
brand and I got both with Ahmad. It did not have many variants and I preferred my tea to
be plain and simple”.
After the continued association with Ahmad over 10 years, he shifted his base from Dubai
to Bangalore and discovered that Ahmad tea was not available. Initially, for over three
years, he got his tea stock from Dubai, but then, it became difficult, as he was not traveling
often. He felt he had no option but to wean off Ahmad and find a comparable brand in India.
He tried several brands and finally Brook Bond and 3 Roses Natura appealed to him. “I had
been consuming these brands for only a few years and so could not say much about them.
They were decent replacement though”, he claimed. Mani missed his favorite brand of tea
and felt that Ahmad tea has left behind a “gaping hole” in life, which could not be filled.
“Ahmad was my most trusted companion to take care of this baby I had – my cup of tea.
Ahmad served my baby with all honesty for 10 years and had now left us orphaned and
abandoned. I felt a certain emptiness in my life and the period of mourning over Ahmad’s
loss continued. But life had to move on and I needed to find another companion for my tea.
But no one can ever match Ahmad”.

Swati
Swati would conjure up the image of a really hot cup of tea and its fragrance whenever she
felt the need to pep up. But clearly, for this 38-year-old, drinking tea was to do with the time
of the day. For this mother of two young children, tea drinking was a matter of habit and so
much so that the timings were absolutely fixed – 6.30 a.m. (at home), 10.00 a.m. (at work),
Em Mkts Case Studies 2015.5:1-31.

4.30 p.m. (at work) and 6.30 p.m. (at home).

“I was addicted to Society brand of tea for almost the last 10 years. The brand came into
my life with my marriage. Occasionally, Red Label entered our kitchen, but that was only
when Society was not available. No one liked any other brands at home. Society had a
good flavor and was granular, which meant it would not be as strong as the dust tea”. Her
experience had been that a smaller quantity of Society tea was required to prepare a cup
of tea, so even though it was more expensive than some of other tea brands, overall, it
equalized on budget. She did all the household grocery shopping herself and ensured that
Society was the brand of tea that was brought into the house every time.
She believed that “good” tea was when the tea leaves were boiled with milk and sugar for
just the right amount of time. She learned the method of making tea from her mother, and
the brand that was used in her house was Girnar. The “tea” discussions brought back her
childhood memories of getting up in the mornings to the wonderful aroma of tea being
made by her mother. “I still love to get up to that beautiful aroma of tea! It is such a habit
with me that I feel empty if I miss my morning cup of tea”. Meanwhile, Swati’s mother also
shifted from Girnar to Society, as the store selling Girnar, which was closer home, had shut.
A confident and independent woman, Swati loved to travel to places with natural beauty.
Swati lived in a joint family home with her in-laws. She and her husband were the only
earning members and, hence, responsible for all expenses. She made a place for herself
in the new family, after marriage, comfortably. “I got along very well with my mother-in-law
as we were very supportive of each other. Home environment was peaceful and calm. My
children came to me when they had a problem. I think my cool and calm personality made
me approachable”.
In most other aspects in her life, Swati was open to trying out new products and brands and
then made her choice, be it other consumables in the kitchen, durables or personal care
products such as soaps and shampoos. She admitted that, although she continuously used
a particular brand, she kept buying and trying new ones intermittently.

PAGE 10 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 5 NO. 5 2015

 Her ideal cup of tea was when someone who knew her taste served it to her. “After all who
would not like being served?” she said with a smile. She also loved her family around her
when she relaxed and enjoyed that “perfect” cup of tea that was full of flavor but not too
much milk. At work, she joined her colleagues for a cup of tea to break the day’s monotony.
For Swati, tea was an important companion and Society as a brand fulfilled her
expectations of a perfect cup of tea.

Rajesh
Rajesh was a 29-year-old student staying at his business school campus. He came from a
middle-class family settled in a small town in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. Before
enrolling for the management program, he had been working for an information technology
company, for almost six years. Rajesh left his parental home at the age of 15 years to study
further and then stayed away while he was working. Living away from his family for almost
15 years had made Rajesh very independent in his decision-making. “I was a simple and
a fun-loving person, who wished to live life on his own terms. I derived happiness from small
things in life and never forgot to enjoy a rainy day or a serene sunset, however busy I was”,
he says.
During conversation, Rajesh mentioned that Andhra Pradesh did not have a tea/coffee
drinking culture, as these beverages were considered a waste of milk, which could be more
effectively utilized to make curd and butter. However, with the new generation becoming
more mobile, things had changed, and tea and coffee were slowly entering Andhra homes.
Rajesh’s mother was a typical traditionalist who despised tea, while his paternal family
members were nouveau tea and coffee lovers. As his mother did not know how to prepare
Em Mkts Case Studies 2015.5:1-31.

tea, his father used to prepare it and that is how Rajesh had his first encounter with tea.
“Though my mother resisted many a times, my father used to make a small cup for me and
the entire experience of having tea with him made me feel grown-up”.
Tea became an important part of Rajesh’s life when, at the age of 16 years, he started living
in a hostel. “It was my first time out of home and I felt the need to be a part of social
gatherings and get recognition and affiliation with people”. According to him, most of these
gatherings happened over a cup of tea, and thus, it was imperative for him to make tea a
part of his routine. “Tea was not an important drink for me personally but it was a way for
me to get acceptance to social groups; hence I was not particular about any brand or a
specific taste”.
“Over time, I started noticing the nuances of tea, like taste, aroma, color, flavor, et cetera.
I also noticed the difference in the tea I had at home and in the hostel and slowly,
developed a preference for specific aroma and color”, he stated. After a few years, tea
ceased to be just the medium to be included in groups for Rajesh, as he started initiating
the tea drinking ritual himself, both in social settings and in solitude. He would prefer to walk
down to a restaurant serving good tea rather than having a tasteless concoction at the
college canteen.
“My affair with 3 Roses tea began when I quizzed my father about the difference in quality
of tea served at home viz-a-viz the tea he drank outside. My father was a tea connoisseur
and he had tried varieties of tea. He told me that 3 Roses was the best available brand and
it had to be different from the rest. From then on 3 Roses was my brand”, Rajesh said.
Rajesh gave a lot of importance to his father’s opinion in all aspects of life, whether it was
education, job, expensive purchases or maybe just the tea. He felt that his father always
gave him the best advice and, hence, was very confident about the tea brand
recommended. Rajesh considered himself completely loyal to 3 Roses. “I had been
drinking this brand for the last 12 years and 3 Roses scored high on all three – color, aroma
and taste”. He vividly remembered the 3 Roses advertisement he had seen during
childhood, which spoke of these three attributes of a good tea, and now, for him, tea was

VOL. 5 NO. 5 2015 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 11

 synonymous with 3 Roses brand. “Whenever I drank tea at a restaurant or at someone’s
place, I constantly evaluated and benchmarked them against 3 Roses”, he said.
Rajesh owned a tea kettle and made his own cup of 3 Roses. He would invite his friends
over to his apartment for a cup of 3 Roses tea. On closer probing, he mentioned that he did
try a few brands including Assam tea and Taj Mahal on recommendations but soon shifted
back to 3 Roses and nothing could match the taste he was so used to. According to him,
3 Roses brand had a distinct aroma which attracted him to a cup of tea, and he liked his
tea to be thick and milky. He had a deep affiliation to his brand and, although he had
mentioned it to his friends, he had never recommended it. Rajesh felt that perhaps Taj
Mahal and other brands had better flavor, but his palette preferred 3 Roses, as the brand
scored over any other when evaluated on all three criteria – aroma, color and flavor.
Once Rajesh started working, his tea consumption increased from three to four cups a
week to about one to two cups a day. “A cup of 3 Roses helped me rejuvenate myself and
get on with my work, especially after my nap. I preferred a good cup of tea on a rainy or a
dull day to elevate my mood. But slowly I became addicted to it as I definitely needed at
least a cup every day”.

What to do?
Tea drinking is a culture in India. With more than 90 per cent of Indians buying packaged
tea, the tea bag culture was still in nascent stages as against the other countries where tea
bag penetration was higher. Tea drinking was closely linked to Indian culture and traditions;
hence, deeper consumer understanding was required for framing marketing strategies for
various regions. Taste palates varied across the country with unique taste, color and aroma
Em Mkts Case Studies 2015.5:1-31.

preferences. For instance, South India had a strong preference for strong and dark tea,
whereas North India was inclined toward taste and aroma rather than color. As a result,
South India mainly sold the dust tea, whereas North preferred leaf tea. The Western market
of Gujarat and Maharashtra preferred good-quality packet tea. The flavored tea market was
also growing in India due to increasing health consciousness and also rising disposable
incomes among the younger generation.
Jain understood and appreciated that each respondent had a distinct personality and their
individual way of looking at life and drinking tea (refer Case Exhibit 4), but he sensed that
there was some connection between the two. The respondents’ association to tea and their
brand(s) was of varying levels and depth. He had never fathomed that loyalty would be so
hard to define. Further, besides the taste of tea, there was the big question of whether
loyalty was for the tea, for the brand or even for the tea-making process (as he observed
in some cases)! Which kind of consumer should Surya Gold target? In addition, how will the
marketing activities differ, depending on the choice? Or, if he targeted all kinds of
consumers, then how could he strike a relationship with them?

Notes
1. Qualitative research is a method of inquiry used in different academic disciplines, social sciences
study and market research. Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth understanding of
human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior. The qualitative method investigates
the why and how of decision-making, not just what, where and when. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Qualitative_research)
2. Crush, Tear, and Curl (also Cut, Twist, Curl) is a method of processing black tea, similar to that of
orthodox tea manufacture. Instead of the leaves being rolled as a final stage, they are passed
through a series of cylindrical rollers with hundreds of small sharp “teeth” that crush, tear, and curl
the tea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crush,_Tear,_Curl).
3. In this instance, it is important to note that the respondents were not a “sample”; therefore, their
selections were not governed by sampling rules.
4. Their approach involved three distinct interviewing stages, following Lincoln and Guba’s (1985)
approach to naturalistic inquiry. The first stage comprised the “orientation and overview” to

PAGE 12 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 5 NO. 5 2015


Em Mkts Case Studies 2015.5:1-31.
Keywords:
Marketing strategy,
Consumer behavior,
Branding,
16. Their approach involved three distinct interviewing stages, following Lincoln and Guba’s (1985)
Brand relationships,
Brand loyalty,
Consumer brand relationship
understand salient attributes of the brand relationship, whereas the second stage on “focused
exploration” specifically examined certain brands that were mentioned in the first interview.
5. Established in 1859, oldest garden in Darjeeling, farmed by the original founding family, now in its
fourth generation. Known for not only the taste from the finest of its aromatic, amber brews, but
experience tea as a way of life.
6. The highest grades of tea are referred to as Orange Pekoe.
7. Lopchu, a fragrant tea originates from a place called Lopchu, which is situated between Darjeeling
and Teesta, in India.
8. Wholesale markets are those where bulk purchases can be made at reasonable prices.
9. Kadak is Hindi for very strong. In the case of tea, it is brewed for a long time in a water-milk mixture.
10. Dhaabaas are small roadside tea shops in India which serve tea to travelers and truck drivers who
like their tea to be very strong. These dhaabaas are usually located on the highways.
11. An up-market retail outlet known for selling hand-made, high-quality exclusive products.
12. Annual income between $400-$21,000 as per NCAER.
13. Kerala – a southern Indian state.
14. The Ramayana is one of the great epics of India. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms
an important part of the Hindu literature. The Ramayana is one of the great epic of India and
depicts the duties of relationships, portraying ideal characters like the ideal father, ideal servant,
the ideal brother, the ideal wife and the ideal king.
15. According to Bloemer and Kasper (1995), brand loyalty implies that consumers bind themselves
to products or services as a result of a deep-seated commitment. Behavioral loyalty depicts repeat
purchase behavior, i.e. “the actual re-buying of brand”, whereas loyalty includes “antecedents” or
reasons occurring before the actual behavior, including habits. Attitudinal loyalty according to
them signifies the role of emotions in consumers’ purchase decisions. Consumers do not
necessarily buy a product or service because it’s the best value for money, but their choice is
governed by an emotional attachment and affiliation with the brand. Consumers are more likely to
remain loyal to brands with which they have a connection because the exchange goes beyond the
monetary transaction.
approach to naturalistic inquiry. The first stage comprised the “orientation and overview” to
understand salient attributes of the brand relationship, whereas the second stage on “focused
exploration” specifically examined certain brands that were mentioned in the first interview.
References
Fournier, S. and Yao, J. (1998), “A case of brand loyalty”, HBS 9-598-023, 9 September.
Exhibit 1. India and the tea drinking culture
One of the world’s largest producers of tea, India is a country where tea is popular all over
as a breakfast and evening drink. Almost all the tea consumed is black Indian tea. Usually,
tea leaves are boiled in water while making tea, and milk is added. Offering tea to visitors
is the cultural norm in India. There are three most famous regions in India to produce black
teas – Darjeeling, Assam and Nilgiri. “Strong, heavy and fragrant” are three criteria for
judging black tea. Darjeeling tea is known for its delicate aroma and light color and is aptly
termed as “the champagne of teas”, which has high aroma and yellow or brown liquid after
brewing. Assam tea is known for its robust taste and dark color, and Nilgiri tea is dark,
intensely aromatic and flavored.
The consumption of tea in India was first clearly documented in the Ramayana[14]
(750-500 BC). For the next thousand years, documentation of tea in India was lost in history.
Records re-emerge during the first century AD, with stories of the Buddhist monks
Bodhidharma and Gan Lu, and their involvement with tea. Research shows that tea is
indigenous to eastern and northern India, and was cultivated and consumed there for
thousands of years. Commercial production of tea in India did not begin until the arrival of
the British East India Company, at which point, large tracts of land were converted for mass
tea production.
Today, India is one of the largest tea producers in the world, although over 70 per cent of
the tea is consumed within India itself. A number of renowned teas, such as Darjeeling, also
grow exclusively in India. The Indian tea industry has grown to own many global tea brands,
VOL. 5 NO. 5 2015 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 13
 and has evolved to one of the most technologically equipped tea industries in the world.
Tea production, certification, exportation and all other facets of the tea trade in India are
controlled by the Tea Board of India.
Tea drinking has evolved in different ways over the years in India and differs from region to
region. First thought of as the drink of the royals, tea has now become the favorite of the
common man as India leads the world in tea drinking. Over the years, tea drinking has
become an integral aspect of the India culture. From the humble roadside tea stalls and the
railway platforms to the boardrooms of corporate India, tea is easily available. Most Indians
drink tea with milk and sugar. Traditionally, a guest in any Indian home is welcomed with a
cup of tea. Typically, tea leaves are not prepared separately by being steeped but are
boiled along with additions. Sometimes, the tea leaves themselves are used as flavoring.
There are many other popular variations depending on regional and cultural affiliations.
India is the largest tea drinking country in the world, even though the average consumption
per person is less than half a cup because of the low income level. It is considered as a way
of life. Remove tea drinking from India and you remove the basic essence of this vibrant
and lovely country (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_tea_culture. Downloaded 3
January 2014.

Exhibit 2. Tea brands market share in India, 2009

Figure E1
Em Mkts Case Studies 2015.5:1-31.

Exhibit 3. Indian packaged tea market structure, 2009

Table EI
Leaf tea Dust tea
Market share (%) 65% 35%

Premium tea 10 Rs 55-65a Rs 50-55a

Mid-tier tea 42 Rs 45-55a Rs 38-48a
Economy tea 48 Rs 35-45a Rs 30-40a
Notes: Leaf tea: a grade of tea where the whole leaf is kept intact. These are tea leaves that impart
flavor after infusion; Dust tea: a grade of tea where the leaf is almost in powder form
made from leftover from producing higher grades of tea. These are tea leaves that impart more color
than flavor; aprice for 250 gm
Source: Adapted from Euromonitor International, March 2010

PAGE 14 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 5 NO. 5 2015

 Exhibit 4. Consumer research – VConnect
Taking into account Fournier’s report on consumer-brand relationships and other research
that they had done, the consultants decided to conduct in-depth interviews with tea
drinkers with professed liking for and loyalty to tea. They defined loyalty on attitudinal as
well as behavioral dimensions[15]. Their final sample was based on respondents who
described themselves loyal to the tea category and concerned about their tea brands. The
respondents identified one brand being more consumed as against others (greater than
past seven purchases of the total ten purchases were for these brands). VConnect knew
that tea, being a relatively low-involvement product, would present challenges in studying
changing patterns in the brand loyalty concept. It was interesting to understand the
relationship between consumers, their tea drinking habits and the related brands because
tea drinking was an integral part of Indian culture and had a role to play in consumers’
personal and social lives. The VConnect team felt that quantitative research could give
specific brand preferences and the measure of brand attitude but would fail to delve deep
into consumer psychology and, hence, could not provide rationale to certain behavioral
patterns. Qualitative research being exploratory had a potential of uncovering new issues
and perspectives, which were needed by Surya to make headway in national market.
Respondents were selected based on their differences in demographics, and
psychographics/lifestyle characteristics. The method of selection of the respondents
ensured the diversity of age, social status and education. Each interview[16] lasted for two
to three hours, and a lot of information was gathered about personality and socio-cultural
context of an individual in addition to their preferences for tea and tea brands (Source:
Prepared by authors).

Exhibit 5. The interview process

The case presents summarized information on the three topic areas generated in each
interview (lasting 3-3.5 hours), yielding stories on the informants and their tea drinking,
along with brand preferences and behavior. The stories include the following:
Em Mkts Case Studies 2015.5:1-31.

 Contextual information on important socio-psychological theme that guide each

individual’s daily life. This involved informal interaction aimed to have better
understanding of the respondent and his/her socio-cultural context.
 Thoughts and feelings about tea category in general. (The interactions during this
phase were primarily focused on understanding the respondent’s relationship with
the tea category. The questions pertained to their attitude and behavior toward tea,
tea drinking habits and how the relationship with category evolved over time.)
Specific feelings and behavior toward tea brands, including the loyal brand and the others
that prominently figure in respondent’s mental space and usage behavior (This phase of
interaction focused on specific brand relationships, the various brands in consumption
portfolio, the evolution of this relationship and using visual mapping exercise to compare
their relationship with various brands) (Source: Prepared by authors).

VOL. 5 NO. 5 2015 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 15

 Exhibit 6. Consumer quotes

Table EII
Consumer Quote

Atul “Appreciating tea was not everyone’s cup of tea. You needed to be evolved
and intelligent to know its real essence”
“I felt as though I had been talking about my first love - my first girlfriend
today. I felt so nice and fresh”
Manju “Choosing a particular brand of tea for myself was the last thing on my
mind”
“My actual personality was a confident self and I was most confident talking
to anyone. While at the other times, I was like a typical housewife who did
not assert herself, lived only for the family and was superstitious”
Madhav “Tea was like a ceremony, a ritual and so it could not be casual. Tea for me
meant respect. Respect not just for tea but also for the person who had
made it, as it took a lot of effort! For me tea was sensory pleasure and an
experience, which made me more focused within. It was like meditation”
Usha “Very few people made tea the way I did. Process was an integral part of
the entire tea experience and without that even the best tea brands can
taste terrible. I was proud of the fact that the process I followed brought out
the best in the brand. That, according to me was the way the best brands
should be made”
Mani “Tea was always my constant companion; it was like my own baby who
lightened up my day. It refreshed me and comforted me. A nice cup of tea
brought fond memories of my early years and those visits to tea estates. The
images of early morning sunshine, lovely breeze and fresh aroma lingered
on with me”
Em Mkts Case Studies 2015.5:1-31.

Swati “I always loved to get up to that beautiful aroma of tea, rather than the
irritating aroma of cooking! It was such a habit with me that I felt empty if I
missed my morning cup of tea”
Rajesh “3 Roses was my buddy, my partner in crime; who refreshed me,
understood me and whose company brought back a lot of memories to
elevate me. I could never get bored of it. It was my friend for life”
Source: Prepared by authors

Corresponding author
Renuka Kamath can be contacted at: rkamath@spjimr.org

PAGE 16 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 5 NO. 5 2015