Page 13 - BOSS Today Issue 15

GOING TO

WORK ON TEA

PG Tips is the nation’s biggest tea brand – but its introduction into the
office channel is relatively recent. It is perhaps no surprise that PG Tips won

the Brand of the Year Award (Facilities Management) at the BOSS Awards

ccording to brand owner I have been with Unilever Food became fully Rainforest Alliance serves PG Tips also has the right
AUnilever’s own research, PG Solutions for ten years, so there certified in 2010. The certification to display the Rainforest Alliance
Tips is the nation’s favourite tea has been a lot of work before me. is not just for biodiversity work: Certified seal. That has proven to
– coming first in a survey carried This is a very important channel the Kericho estate, for example, be a useful sales tool.
out in 2009/10. In fact, research for us, and we have shown good provides free housing for 15,000 Davison says the company is
also suggests that of the 150 growth in this sector year on tea pickers and 60,000 of their currently experimenting with
million cups of tea Britons drink year,” he says. dependents. introducing a lighter version of
every day, 35 million of them are The packs are promoted with The company can provide PG Tips into the office channel
PG Tips. No wonder that Unilever the help of the PG Tips monkey promotional material about – something else it can do
is also the largest tea buyer in the – a cuddly toy which started this with every order. But more relatively easily because it owns
world, buying around 12 per cent out life promoting ITV Digital, specifically, any company that its own estates. “It’s still a black
of all the black tea produced. but should jolt the memory of tea, but lighter,” he says.
Yet in the midst of all this, the anyone alive in the 1960s and Unilever Food Solutions’
significant proportion of tea that 1970s who can still remember range of products also includes
is drunk in UK offices has not the PG Tips’ “It’s the taste!” adverts Marmite, Flora, Knorr and
been forgotten. featuring chimpanzees. Hellmans, and Davison says
Jeff Davison, national account But there is a more serious, the success of PG Tips has
manager at Unilever Food educational side to the encouraged them to start
Solutions, the division which promotional work as well. Unlike thinking about introducing some
includes PG Tips, says the some other tea brands, PG Tips of these other products through
company first noticed a possible does actually own some tea the office channel as well.
opening in the office supplies estates, and its estate at Kericho “Obviously to be in the office
market for PG Tips five or six years in Kenya was the first in the market the product would need
ago, and started supplying 1,150- world to be fully certified by the to be ambient and long lasting.
and 460-tea bag packs to office Rainforest Alliance, a charity that But we do already have small
product dealers. aims to promote biodiversity and packs of Marmite and Hellmans,
“I only took on the PG Tips sustainable livelihoods in tropical so we are thinking about this,” he
role three months ago, although regions. Since then the company PG Tips is the UK’s most popular tea. says. Mayonnaise, anyone?

December 2012/January 2013 | BOSS TODAY 13

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