US Marketers Looking To Tea

For general/other topics related to tea.


Jun 1st, '13, 08:00
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US Marketers Looking To Tea

by beforewisdom » Jun 1st, '13, 08:00

Nutshell: In the US the market for everything coffee related has been saturated so markerters are looking toward tea. Many new options in tea ( albeit some not so great ones ) are appearing in the United States and the popularity of tea is going up:

http://adage.com/article/news/coffee-ov ... ea/241674/

I know I am dreaming, but it will be an awesome day when a corner tea shop is a common thing and I can drop into anyone to get a cup of sencha, made without a tea bag and made properly.

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Jun 1st, '13, 22:52
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Re: US Marketers Looking To Tea

by MEversbergII » Jun 1st, '13, 22:52

More likely, the options will be how many grams of sugar do you want on your double-tall-triple-infused butchered whatever.

Mass marketing in general, and the U.S. specifically, seems to have little regard for authenticity.

M.

Jun 4th, '13, 23:17
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Re: US Marketers Looking To Tea

by caulfield » Jun 4th, '13, 23:17

True, I live in a smaller city, so I don't even try at the local coffee shops, but even as I travel across the US, I am amazed at how hard it is to get a really good cup of tea. Every once in while I'll be surprised and find a coffee shop that takes tea seriously, but that is not the norm.

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Jun 4th, '13, 23:34
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Re: US Marketers Looking To Tea

by debunix » Jun 4th, '13, 23:34

The LA Times has noticed this trend too:

In the beverage industry, it's definitely tea's time.

Unfortunately, I suspect a lot of this is coming as flavored, sweetened stuff in cans and bottles rather than the real deal.

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Jun 5th, '13, 09:19
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Re: US Marketers Looking To Tea

by MEversbergII » Jun 5th, '13, 09:19

Last night, I was getting taco's from a taco truck in my area and I commented to my better half that I should start a tea truck.

I don't think it would work, because those trucks are expensive. How much tea could one man sell in St. Mary's? Tacos have appeal to all demographics.

M.

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Jun 7th, '13, 19:36
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Re: US Marketers Looking To Tea

by Milo » Jun 7th, '13, 19:36

America might have a tea market, but it remains to be seen whether that market will mature into a culture. Given my recent visit to a tea room that served sencha at 190°F in twenty-ounce to-go cups, I don't expect this to happen anytime soon.

Still, when you consider where coffee was twenty years ago, it's kind of exciting to think that someday baristas will know as much about brewing temperamental senchas as they would about tamping an espresso.

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Jun 8th, '13, 00:01
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Re: US Marketers Looking To Tea

by Mooniac » Jun 8th, '13, 00:01

Well... There is only one way to start something - start it.
It's true that, most likely, the growing tea market in the U.S. will be overwhelmed with cheap, flavored, artificial (instant), and over-marketed tea. But this might put tea (not tea bags), as a beverage, into people's heads and, slowly, some of them will start to grow and explore it as a culture.

There are people who are snobby about soda. There is a market of micro-crafted soda in this country. So there is no reason why people won't start to explore the quality world of tea if they demand quality from other, much less "cultured" beverages.

Jun 8th, '13, 05:50
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Re: US Marketers Looking To Tea

by ole » Jun 8th, '13, 05:50

Well, I came across this yesterday,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i0aNSaEkUQ so maybe there is hope for a tea culture. :roll:

Jun 8th, '13, 10:28
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Re: US Marketers Looking To Tea

by edkrueger » Jun 8th, '13, 10:28

Wow, that is creepy.

Also, a lot of work for a luke warm half cup.

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Jun 8th, '13, 11:12
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Re: US Marketers Looking To Tea

by hopeofdawn » Jun 8th, '13, 11:12

Wow. That's um ... wow. I'm kind of embarrassed to be an American now ... :oops:

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Jun 8th, '13, 12:51
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Re: US Marketers Looking To Tea

by Devoted135 » Jun 8th, '13, 12:51

You guys, we're doing it all wrong! I had no idea that using ceramic or porcelain teawares was hindering my ability to appreciate the tea!

*headdesk*

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Jun 8th, '13, 13:31
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Re: US Marketers Looking To Tea

by Drax » Jun 8th, '13, 13:31

I couldn't make it past the first 30 seconds... :(

Jun 8th, '13, 16:02
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Re: US Marketers Looking To Tea

by John Delaney » Jun 8th, '13, 16:02

You folks are being too hard on Chas. He is a good guy and is not the problem. He is actually trying to do something about it (building a tea culture) which you should be applauding even if you would go about it differently.

Jun 8th, '13, 16:05
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Re: US Marketers Looking To Tea

by John Delaney » Jun 8th, '13, 16:05

beforewisdom wrote:Nutshell: In the US the market for everything coffee related has been saturated so markerters are looking toward tea. Many new options in tea ( albeit some not so great ones ) are appearing in the United States and the popularity of tea is going up:

http://adage.com/article/news/coffee-ov ... ea/241674/

I know I am dreaming, but it will be an awesome day when a corner tea shop is a common thing and I can drop into anyone to get a cup of sencha, made without a tea bag and made properly.
Thanks for sharing this article. This confirms what I have been hearing as well as far as current trends with tea.

Jun 8th, '13, 16:09
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Re: US Marketers Looking To Tea

by John Delaney » Jun 8th, '13, 16:09

Mooniac wrote:Well... There is only one way to start something - start it.
It's true that, most likely, the growing tea market in the U.S. will be overwhelmed with cheap, flavored, artificial (instant), and over-marketed tea. But this might put tea (not tea bags), as a beverage, into people's heads and, slowly, some of them will start to grow and explore it as a culture.

There are people who are snobby about soda. There is a market of micro-crafted soda in this country. So there is no reason why people won't start to explore the quality world of tea if they demand quality from other, much less "cultured" beverages.
I like your perspective. A rising tide lifts all boats. Plus, who is to say that America can't discover or create some better trends for tea. For example, would we have organic tea now if it wasn't for American consumers?

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