I wrote a blog post a bit ago for Sweet Leaf Tea. The opportunity was random, and I contribute it to Twitter. (I’m an activist for Twitter, and I will defend it until I die...or, until it's replaced by another SM tool.) Basically, I rambled about why I love the tea and dramatized a time when my life was less busy that it is now…
What makes Sweet Leaf Tea so great? Well, let’s talk about their values. Their number 1 value states: “We Believe in Laughter, High-Fives, and Good Music.” But, what does this have to do with tea? Everything. But that’s because Sweet Leaf has branded themselves in such a way that they aren’t solely about a product. They are about creating opportunities, experiences and good times.
Sweet Leaf Tea has loyal customers, obvious involvement in Austin activities, and perhaps most importantly, amazing employees. The Sweet Leaf Tea’m is composed of a passionate group of tea slingers that reach out to their customers (Which is how I landed the guest blog opp.)
Developing a brand is about finding something that makes you distinct, and building your product or service in a way that will differentiate you from the rest. Branding consultant Karen Post relates branding to a “brain tattoo.” It’s something you put there by choice, that you can’t necessarily remove. In the most basic sense, it’s self-identity. I think businesses go on a journey just like the rest of us – a journey searching for who they are, who they want to be, and how they want to be perceived by the rest of the world.
My first experience with Sweet Leaf goes back to Austin City Limits of 2007. Everyone was walking around with tall blue cups with sweet goodness inside, it was 105 degrees, and I had been dancing my cottontail off all day… I’ll always remember my first taste of Sweet Leaf, and it will be forever correlated with my first ACL fest experience. They’ve made themselves part of music festivals around the U.S.; they’ve established themselves as a product that emanates creativity. And for me, they have made themselves part of my college experience, whether it be ACL, grabbing a bottle in-between classes, tortuous tutor session for STATISTICS, or spiking it with Titos before the Girl Talk concert on campus. Sweet Leaf Tea has been with me along my journey of college; and though I graduate in May, I don’t plan on moving on to a new tea anytime soon.
