Unilever's Lipton Touts the Benefits of Black Tea

Englewood Cliffs, N.J. — In launching the first national campaign for Lipton black tea since 1989, Unilever wanted to remind its loyal consumers about the product while also enticing new ones, says Alfie Vivan, vice president of refreshments at Unilever North America. Recent marketing efforts have centered on the brand's green, flavored and iced teas. "We wanted to remind consumers about the uplifting benefits of Lipton black tea," says Vivan. "This uplifted feeling is supported by research that shows how black tea's hydrating benefits and natural caffeine provide a gentle boost to help consumers stay energized throughout the day."Created by New York-based DDB and running from January to March, the "Uplift Your Day" campaign targeted what Vivan calls the "female possibility embracer." "We looked at her lifestyle, her aspirations and how she uses tea throughout the day to uplift her so she can keep up with the demanding pace of life," he says.Lipton used 15-second network and cable TV spots – Mindshare, New York, was the media buyer – as well as AOL and Yahoo videos featuring actress Kat Dennings. Its social media presence focused on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram."From a shopper marketing standpoint, we considered how best to reach our target in-store," Vivan says. "We found that our target consumer is often on autopilot in the store." In order to snap the target consumer out of that tunnel vision, Lipton developed in-store merchandising, including shippers, semi-permanent racks and endcap dress-up kits with instantly redeemable coupons. It also brightened the yellow of the black tea packaging, highlighted the "fresh-pressed tea leaves" process on the front and back of the box, and refreshed the look of the individual tea bag envelopes.To spur store visits – primarily in the grocery and mass channels – Lipton provided samples and coupons through its Facebook page. Specific store efforts included custom shopper marketing programs to drive awareness of black tea's benefits and to encourage placement of secondary displays: a Black Tea Health Benefit Challenge at Walmart, "Just for U" e-blasts at Safeway, sampling events at Costco, and a "New Year, New You" event at Walgreens.The highlight of the brand's social media efforts was a "Liptagram" contest in which consumers submitted pictures through Instagram using a different weekly inspiration: brightness, excitement, uplifting and spontaneous. The grand prize was a trip to Kenya, while three contestants each week won an iPad mini.In other activity, public relations firm Zeno Group, New York, arranged a Lipton sponsorship at the Sundance Film Festival in January. VIPs, celebrities and influencers visited the Lipton Uplift Lounge and were able to interact with the product by creating their own black tea blends and taking photos on Lipton's "chair lift" prop.

Unilever's Lipton Touts the Benefits of Black Tea

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