ARTICLES Writer,Economist & HRM Advisor GENERATE GOODWILL
The Changing Trend of Tea Habits
Tea, as you all know, is a universal drink. All class of people enjoys it. From Royalty to Heads of the states, Movie stars to working class, aristocracy to commoners all enjoy the cup that cheers. The habits of drinking tea are as old as the human civilization. However, the culture of drinking tea has changed over the years. It is now considered as a drink for “fun rejuvenation”. This brand image of tea has gripped the youth of western world now and that has promoted the demand for tea drinking. I have been visiting USA almost every alternate year since 1990 and was pleasantly surprised to see the Tea Boutique mushrooming all over the Northern America in recent years! Our Tea Businessmen must try to win over this market, through collaborations, tie-up and through other marketing efforts. It is not enough to know how to plant tea only now days. Producers need to know intricacies of marketing too, in order to become a vibrant Tea House, said Joe Simrany. President of American Tea Association.
I was once asked by a Journalist of The Statesman News Paper, “Why do people need to drink Tea”? My reply was simple: “Because it is healthy, tasty and fun rejuvenator”. Indeed many people drink tea for various reasons. Some drink to sleep well, yet some other drink tea to remain awake. King of Japan made Tea the National Drink of his country, to make his subjects Healthy. I drink tea because I love its taste. Here is a very interesting Gossip on the tea drinking habit of a famous film star!
Once John F Kennedy asked Marlin Monroe as to why she drinks tea so much? Monroe thought for a while and replied “I took to Tea as a recluse from Male chauvinism”! Now jokes apart, all of us drink tea perhaps because we love it. Americans, virtually coffee drinking citizens, have taken to tea now because, it helps maintaining their good health.
Joe Simrany, President of American Tea Association said that merely seven years ago United States of America had only two hundred tea vending shops. Today, there are more than two thousand shops and are still growing. He felt India would have a great role to play in coming years to develop tea as the most sought after drinks of the world. USA has become fastest growing ready to drink market of the world now and to capture this market India shall have to compete not only with China but even with Argentina.
I am not a tea marketing person. I am a lover of this fantastic brew that has been cheering humanity for long! To me Tea is not merely a commodity. It is a culture that promotes universal brotherhood and cosmopolitan outlook. Tea is not only an interesting commodity, but is an elixir of life. My interest in Tea is about far more than love of the drink. It is linked to the affection for independent groups of people who grow tea, promote the culture, take pride in their aspiration and help building the glorious future.
The natural smell of a handful of made tea sometime bring back nostalgia of Tea culture. It reminds us of hard work of workmen, the entrepreneurship of North Easterners, sacrifices of planters, besides sounds of music, drums and dances. The culture of tea brought happiness to humanity that inspired me to write about it.
I thank tea industry has ceased to be an only producer of agricultural product... Knowingly or unknowingly it has developed eco friendly environment of the world. Somehow, the industry has remained the most misunderstood entity even within the country and state. The cheer size and visibility has become its own enemy. The enormity of its size blinds people, outside the industry, to appreciate the role the industry has played for the development of the state and society. The insularity of the industry needs to be improved as the time progress. The challenge before the industry is great. It must come out of its shell and interact with world of tea growing nation. The Northeastern must try to extend their hand to learn more about the requirements of tea drinking nation of the world. It must develop interest not only in producing, packaging, marketing and retailing tea in the country but in other nations of the world. This is the new trend of Tea business. We need to think of producing tea in Argentina, packaging tea in Vietnam and retailing tea in USA. If we do not accept the challenge of the new trend now, time will pass bye and the bus would not wait for anyone! Let us stand up and resolve for facing the challenge of the Tea world before it is too late!
