Over the last few years, I’ve taken the time to look a bit
at the marketing and branding behind Western puerh vendors here on the blog. Since returning back to puerh buying, I
noticed that marketing has become a driving force these days. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that,
in fact, I enjoy the marketing on display.
However, I have sometimes openly questioned whether we are buying the
puerh or just buying into the marketing.
I recently read this article about how we rate a wine label
influences how good we perceive and rate the wine. It talks about the research by a Master’s
student at the University of British Columbia.
The article is titled “Like the label? You'll probably like
the wine, says UBC researcher”. The
subtitle proclaims, “Masters candidate Darcen Esau says people want wine that
matches their personal identity”.
I got to thinking that you could easily replace the word “wine”
with “puerh”.
His research look to answer these questions: "With so
many options available, why do some labels appeal to some people but not
others? And then taking it a step further, does that label actually impact the
wine drinking experience?”
The research essentially had different parts to it such as
an online survey and a taste testing.
For the taste testing, he employed a triangle design with 3
glasses of wine and 2 of the 3 were the same wine. Esau also used two types of labels in his
research: a contemporary design and a traditional design. No single design was found to make the wine
taste better. However, if the person
identified with a label they would perceive the wine as actually tasting better.
Do you think, as I do, that this result could easily be
reproduced among puerh drinkers in the West?
Do we really like the puerh we are drinking or are we just unconsciously
picking the Western puerh vendor and/or puerh wrapper that matches our personal
identity?
Peace
I think the phenomenon is not just western vendors. Chinese pu-erh sellers as well are wrapping their cakes/bricks/etc in increasingly eye-pleasing packaging. My take on it is that the design of the wrapper should not only reflect Chinese culture, but also pay homage to it. But yes, you are right many people comment on social media "I just needed to get it because I love the wrapper so much". While I do cringe at this kind of thinking, there is something to having pleasing designs and designs that help differentiate the teas from one another. Nothing is more baffling to most of my customers than 20 teas with the same wrapper design differentiated only by a hand stamp with the Chinese characters for the village or mountain! ;-)
ReplyDeleteIn terms of the wrapper influencing the drinking experience. I suppose it depends on the psychology of each person, but for certain that is a factor. For me it's important to have something pleasing as the design, I avoid using controversial, obscene, political, or kitschy subject matter. Given that we have customers in many countries with diverse cultural and religious/spiritual backgrounds I've found it's just easier to be as inclusive as possible with the themes and that those themes tie-in with Chinese culture.
The other consideration is that these teas will still be around 20, 50 or even a 100 years. So I prefer not to use designs or themes that are overly "dated". Of course who really knows how future tea drinkers will think and feel about all of this. ;-)
Someone needs to start a Blind Tasting Tea Company and offer chunks of pu-erh from various vendors (western and not) with no reference to what they are. Blind Tasting Sets could containsome pricier, mid-range and cheaper priced teas (but again no references at all) labelled A,B,C,D. (hehehm LP).
Yunnan Sourcing (Scott),
ReplyDeleteThanks for giving us the Yunnan Sourcing perspective on puerh wrappers. The 2017 & 2018 Impression wrappers have to be some of my favorites of yours as well as many of the Lucy dog wrappers.
Another interesting thing that you didn't mention is that you hold an open contest for wrapper design each year, which is kind of interesting. Like letting actual puerh drinkers design the wrappers.
... wait a minute... only a vendor confident that his product is better than the competition would dare propose such a blind testing...
... or is it hubris...
Hahaha
Peace
Each year seems to bring so many great designs from customers all over the world. Of course the 2018 wrappers featuring Lucy hold a special place in my heart.
ReplyDeleteConfidence and a little hubris. ;-)
Just read a super hilarious satirical response by Paul of white2tea that addresses two interesting hot topics going on simultaneously in the Western puerh world right now : marketing and wrappers in this article and premium vs budget discussion thread in TeaDBs latest inbetweenisode about price raises.
ReplyDeleteHe kind of pokes fun at both Scott of Yunnan Sourcing (a response to his comments about other vendor mark ups ) and me and my focus on marketing/ wrapper design.
See here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxcgwUDJuZ_/?hl=en
Peace
ReplyDelete“For me it's important to have something pleasing as the design, I avoid using controversial, obscene, political, or kitschy subject matter. Given that we have customers in many countries with diverse cultural and religious/spiritual backgrounds I've found it's just easier to be as inclusive as possible with the themes and that those themes tie-in with Chinese culture. “
There are some veiled shots here or at least an attempt to differentiate the Yunnan Sourcing brand from, specifically, its biggest competition, white2tea.
Paul of white2tea scarcastically responds in his instagram with “ Make sure your designs are also laden with foul language and irreverent themes to ensure people know that image is more important than the tea inside.“
Paul later comments” We also save on costs by living rent free in other vendors’ heads.”
A few commenters there also take jabs at me... hahaha... you guys crack me up...
Anyways this is kind of feeling like the weigh in before the fight, WWE style... the fight will come in the form of who’s puerh product comes out on top in 2019...
LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE....
(Bow)
Peace