So for those of you who don't know (probably everyone), Lupicia just renamed most of their teas on their website. They've been transitioning in the stores for a while now, but the website just got an overhaul names included. Personally these changes sadden me. Information that was held in the name is now gone, in favor of the simpler name. And then there are others which are just, well, odd.
Ariake Yutakamidori -> Sencha "Ariake"
Ureshino Tamaryokucha -> Sencha "Ureshino"
Yame Gyokuro Vil. Hoshino -> Gyokuro "Yame"
and so on and so forth. These are just loss of identification. Then there's the worst rename I've seen thus far:
Se Zhong -> Glorious Seed
Feb 5th, '09, 19:08
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I can understand the desire to simplify the names so that idiots like me can remember them and pronounce them, but the old names should be kept on the product as a second line like a subtitle for a book. Otherwise, vital teaching and ID features are lost!
Dumbing things down too much is not good marketing strategy.
Dumbing things down too much is not good marketing strategy.
Feb 6th, '09, 11:13
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As a company grows there always seems to be the temptation to become more mainstream, accepted by the masses. While we will always be drawn in by tradition in names and descriptions, Joe Consumer is more impressed by simplicity and not to mention gimmicks (RoT, Teavana).
For most of us, the more information in the name and description, the better!
For most of us, the more information in the name and description, the better!
blah blah blah SENCHA blah blah blah!!!
[quote="Chip"]As a company grows there always seems to be the temptation to become more mainstream, accepted by the masses. While we will always be drawn in by tradition in names and descriptions, Joe Consumer is more impressed by simplicity and not to mention gimmicks (RoT, Teavana).
For instance my favorite wine shop just rearranged their whole store.
So instead of going to Haut Medoc for a nice Bordeaux, or the Loire valley for
a racy pouilly-fume, You go to BOLD and FRUITY, or DRY and MINERALY.
Drives me nuts, but I guess the consumer just don't care to know.
For instance my favorite wine shop just rearranged their whole store.
So instead of going to Haut Medoc for a nice Bordeaux, or the Loire valley for
a racy pouilly-fume, You go to BOLD and FRUITY, or DRY and MINERALY.
Drives me nuts, but I guess the consumer just don't care to know.
Feb 6th, '09, 12:27
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Feb 6th, '09, 12:32
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I don't know why marketing would want to do this though. I mean, part of the wonder of things like this is being able to identify them and tell the differences. Like it feels so much better when you say that it's a 2008 Kagoshima Yutakamidori chumushi sencha instead of being Super Happy Fun Time Tea.Salsero wrote:I think the consumer does care to know, but marketing gurus prefer keeping people as benighted as they are. It suits their work strategy and sense of self-worth better than giving humanity credit.woozl wrote: Drives me nuts, but I guess the consumer just don't care to know.
Feb 6th, '09, 13:22
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from asking a couple companies what the chinese/original naming is for their "Super Happy Fun Time Tea", and getting the runaround and no answer,
aside from maybe wanting to simplify things, i get the feeling they obfuscate the name so
- it will be harder for the consumer to find another store that sells the same thing,
- keeps consumer from finding out their "super happy tea" is not really that super quality they claim.
aside from maybe wanting to simplify things, i get the feeling they obfuscate the name so
- it will be harder for the consumer to find another store that sells the same thing,
- keeps consumer from finding out their "super happy tea" is not really that super quality they claim.
Feb 6th, '09, 13:25
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I would never touch a tea like: Monkey Picks, Virgin's hug or Granny's redsilverneedles wrote:from asking a couple companies what the chinese/original naming is for their "Super Happy Fun Time Tea", and getting the runaround and no answer,
aside from maybe wanting to simplify things, i get the feeling they obfuscate the name so
- it will be harder for the consumer to find another store that sells the same thing,
- keeps consumer from finding out their "super happy tea" is not really that super quality they claim.
Feb 6th, '09, 14:05
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I remember an advertising slogan, "... an educated consumer is our best customer!" I always liked that. The customer is in control of the sales process this way, or at least more so.
Now the strategy is to control the sale (Teavana discussion), not empower a customer. To me that is pretty stupid. The more I know the more I will likely spend. But this often requires more of my time and occasionally "their time." The more a vendor follows this strategy, the more we should be worried about that vendor. More often than not, they are hiding something, maybe old tea, low grade tea, overpriced tea, etc.
A snow job is just a snow job ...
Now the strategy is to control the sale (Teavana discussion), not empower a customer. To me that is pretty stupid. The more I know the more I will likely spend. But this often requires more of my time and occasionally "their time." The more a vendor follows this strategy, the more we should be worried about that vendor. More often than not, they are hiding something, maybe old tea, low grade tea, overpriced tea, etc.
A snow job is just a snow job ...