Pepsi Lipton Brings the Leaf to Life

Purchase, N.Y. — The Pepsi Lipton Tea Partnership, a joint venture between PepsiCo and Unilever, recently scaled up its “For the Love of the Leaves” campaign promoting Pure Leaf iced tea with the debut of a permanent in-store display.The Pure Leaf program first launched in 2012 to capitalize on the growth of the premium ready-to-drink iced tea category, and the brand is now maximizing its product pack out by placing nearly 2,000 display units at retail since November 2013. There are a little more than 500 units still to deploy, with most of the displays finding homes in Kroger, Safeway and Tom Thumb stores.“We launched the iconic leaf merchandiser as part of our huge focus on leveraging retail to drive awareness and trial of our unique brand positioning,” says Linda Bethea, senior director of marketing for the partnership. “We are one of the only iced teas made from real brewed tea leaves. Eighty three percent of those who try Pure Leaf say it tastes just like fresh brewed.”Pure Leaf worked with Universal Display & Fixtures, Lewisville, Texas, and TracyLocke, Wilton, Conn., on the display’s design and production. The collective goal was to bring the tea leaf to life so it would make an impact on shoppers, so two very large and recognizable graphics were printed directly on the display’s acrylic side panels.“The leaf and texture give you a feeling of comfort and it really pops under retail lighting,” says Shawn Kerns, senior director at Universal. “The leaf demonstrates the use of only the finest, purest ingredients. To hold the Pure Leaf bottles, we chose hand-woven, wicker baskets for a natural feel.”In 2013, Bethea says, Pure Leaf was the No. 1 driver of total iced tea category growth, while driving 75% of premium iced tea growth. “After just one month on the retail floor,” Kerns says, “the penetration for the brand had increased more than 10% in targeted markets – exceeding the initial goal by 3%.”The brand’s leafy love – the iconic image is also the focus of Pure Leaf’s print and digital efforts – is meant to tap into a target market that Bethea refers to as the “choiceful consumer,” and the importance she places on high-quality, natural products and authenticity. Key insights were gleaned through consumer segmentation, consumer enthnographies, shopalongs and concept testing. “She is actively involved in quality food culture,” says Bethea. “She has a ‘label-on-the-inside’ philosophy when it comes to the brands in her life. She hates anything gaudy and prefers to discover the brand and the story behind it for herself.”The tea leaf has been the signature of the campaign since Pure Leaf was relaunched in 2012 with new positioning and packaging. In 2013, awareness along the path to purchase was generated through regional out-of-home advertising, PR and TV integration with the Food Network’s “Chopped” and its host, Ted Allen.The brand has been active on Facebook and Twitter since the relaunch, and this year is adding Pinterest and Tumblr to the mix. “We’ve also added national print and digital media,” Bethea says, with such properties as Real Simple, Cooking Light, Food & Wine and HGTV.”

Pepsi Lipton Brings the Leaf to Life

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