TATA TEA TEMPTS CUSTOMERS WITH 'TEMPTATION'

It's the first time that a brand that has ambitions to become the best-distributed tea brand in the 'leaf tea' segment nationwide has chosen Chennai as its launch pad.  Tata Tea by choosing Chennai for launching its Temptation brand has taken headlong the challenge of facing what is considered to be a 'tough market', not known to change its preferences very soon. Considering the fact that the market for the 'leaf tea' segment in Chennai is just 15 to 20% and the majority share is cornered by the 'dust tea' segment, it is a very brave move because even in that meagre share, the Tatas have hardly been visible. Tata Tea could have chosen Delhi or Mumbai, where almost 90% of the market is occupied by the 'leaf tea' segment.  But it chose Chennai as its launch pad precisely because Chennai has the lowest number of 'leaf tea' users. 

Tata Tea Temptation is a premium, orthodox leaf tea that promises to offer the 'rare flavour of Assam leaf'.  Temptation differs from CTC varieties, because it is prepared in the orthodox method.  While the CTC variety of tea leaves are rolled in such a way that, when the leaves are masticated, they break all the cells in the lamina of the leaf.  In the orthodox method the leaves are prepared for rolling and when they are rolled on the surface, they break more gently and all the cells do not get ruptured.  The rupture is partial and all the solids are not expressed out.

P T Singaporia, Deputy Managing Director, Tata Tea Ltd., speaking about why they chose the orthodox method said, "The objective was that customers who at present are happy with what they have, should not miss out on new experiences.  Customers should get the 'Assam taste', but in such a manner that they appreciate the nuances of what they get from the offering".

And when it comes to marketing the brand, there is not going to be any 'blah-blah' about being the first, being the best or being the brightest or the tastiest.  "We are going to be very muted in our approach and very subdued.  We have brought the offering with international standard of packaging and after that it is entirely up to the customer.  The three places that I have visited in Chennai at the vending point, distribution point and retail point, I have been absolutely pleased with the kind of customer reaction that I saw.  In fact, I did not go to any posh location to see for myself the reaction of the customer.  I went to Porur, which is a place where you don't think of your Spencer Plaza.  I went there to a retail store and saw the reaction of the store boys and customers when they saw the product.  I was pleased with what I saw.  We are going to roll it out city by city, market by market and check out the acceptability of the market.  We do not want something which will sparkle for three months and then disappear, but what we want is a long term player" he said.

Tata Tea's Temptation is not being positioned as an alternative to CTC but as an alternative to those who want a little more than what they are getting now.  Priced invitingly too at Rs 55/- for a 250 gm pet jar, it just might turn out be a winner.