Camellia for Foliage, Flowers, Fruit & Tea

COMMENT on the FUTURE of TEA MARKETING in the UK

1. A truly English-produced tea will occupy a "niche" in the UK market.

2. Tea Growing needs linking to hugely successful burgeoning Gardening industry. This fusion of operations will be new, potent and quintessentially British.

3. There is a genuine interest among consumers that tea is being grown in the UK, as reflected in attention from media organisations.

4. "Marketing" is the most essential element in the success of a tea producing unit in the UK

5. For tea in general the outlook is good too - it has had good publicity of recent years as opposed to coffee.

6. Tea's share of the beverage market is steady at around 40% despite heavy advertising by soft drinks manufacturers. (Coca Cola have for years been eroding tea's market share. They have obviously now decided that if they "can't beat 'em, they must join 'em", and have produced a new bottled green tea product).

7. Because of the novelty of a tea garden in the UK, and the large marketplace for tea that exists in this country, there are opportunities not shared by fledgling tea gardens in other parts of the world.

8. Perseverance is at least as important as science in getting a tea production or presentational garden project off the ground.

9. The establishment of tea in the UK offers a great opportunity for all concerned. There is virtually zero competition with established growers and yet a huge opportunity to raise the profile of tea in the western world's most developed market.

10. Marketing should initially be aimed at intelligent, articulate tea connoisseurs.

11. Marketing does not need to be 'slick'. It is the fusion of tea and gardening, acknowledged as two great pastimes in the UK, that creates the potent mix.

12. Do not assume that consumers and paying visitors to a tea garden would be antagonised by any failings along the way to market testing and full release. The British appreciate serious attempts to garden and to overcome the vagaries of our weather.

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