Feature Article
April 4, 2005
http://www.brandchannel.com/features_effect.asp?pf_id=257

Zen and the Art
of Brand Maintenance

Thanks to the randomness of life, religion or spirituality will always find devotees. Most people need something to believe in, and that belief sytem generally influences purchasing decisions. Luckily there's a host of brands ready to capitalize on that basic human need for comfort. Cup of Tazo anyone?

 
Tragic events like the recent Asia-Pacific tsunami are glaring reminders of the fragility of life. Some turn to a belief system for comfort. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for People and the Press, 78 percent of Americans say that there is a greater influence of religion in American life, the highest percentage dating back four decades. The wild popularity of yoga in the US is further evidence of this. Statistics from the International Association of Yoga Therapists, show that 20 million Americans practiced some form of yoga in 2002, compared to 6 million in 1994.

This turn toward the internal has had a notable effect on the marketplace. Consumerism is a convenient form of activism, and consumers can make an effort to choose brands that endorse their chosen path. Even the ubiquitous Madonna, the queen of capitalism, recognized that her newfangled belief systems were a powerful tool to promote her brand. Today's Madonna doesn't just offer music; she offers a heaping side of enlightenment to go. Thanks to this trend, the influx of products enhanced with aromatherapy, herbs and other holistic properties are doing better than ever, attaching spiritual/emotional benefits to tactical brand experiences with great success.

"Any trend has to meet some emotional need," says Marc Gobé, chairman and CEO of Desgrippes Gobé and author of Emotional Branding. "In supermarkets ten years ago, brand offerings were very minimal and line expansion was centered around a tactical approach. But today you see more and more of an emotional approach—an experiential approach. […]Marketers have discovered a way to tune into that through product offerings. Based on the products they are using, consumers get permission to express themselves and be socially responsible."

Owned by Starbucks, premium tea brand Tazo is a thorough execution of spirit meets product. Referred to as "The Reincarnation of Tea," the Tazo brand is built around a mystical image using icons that resemble language from long ago and far away—a combination of elements that seem to draw equally from "The Lord of the Rings" and Hinduism. Featuring unique tea blends with names like "Awake," "Refresh," "Zen" and "Calm," Tazo leverages the perception of the tea-drinking experience as a time for pause and reflection while inferring the added benefit of enhanced spiritual fulfillment.

"The brand's 'spiritual' center comes from a time and place that you can't quite put your finger on," says Steve Seto, vice president of branding at Tazo. "It's a very modern notion of spirituality that, like the product itself, borrows from multiple spiritual and cultural influences—a simple yet textured idea that consumers respond to emotionally. It invites them in and allows them to interpret the brand on their own terms. It's sort of like yoga: some do yoga just for the physical benefits while others take it to a deeper level and are rewarded with personal, spiritual benefits that the practice offers."

"People need to escape through their experiences," says Gobé. "Tea is a social experience. Brands are always taking advantage of the emotional need for a social experience."

With the modern consumer's drive-through mentality, brands like Tazo allow one to multi-task, to drink tea and find inner peace at once. It may say "Zen" on the label, but are the healing properties of teatime really on par with a daily downward dog?

"Our positioning works to take people to this deeper place, to convey that Tazo does have the ability to make you feel a certain way (soothed, refreshed, revitalized, or restored)," Seto explains. "But our type of spirituality is completely tea-centric, whereby we do believe that a great cup of tea can make you feel a certain way. And, importantly, our tea-centric philosophy is always delivered with a little wink."

Seth Godin, author of numerous marketing books including Permission Marketing and Survival Is Not Enough, attributes creative packaging and messaging to Tazo's success. "I think the very best brands start with no meaning," says Godin. "Starbucks and Nike and Apple are far more powerful than American Airlines or AuctionDrop. The brilliant branding happened for Tazo with the packaging. The text, the type, the colors, they all tell a story. Words like Tazo have no real meaning. Instead, they have color and shape and a hint of atmosphere that consumers are drawn to."

Gobé thinks this trend of infusing spiritual elements into brand building will continue to grow. "Marketers found that people were starving for brands that would enhance their spiritual experience," he says. "Brands can serve as a vehicle that helps them connect with other people and the rest of the world. Whether people are religious or not, they need a product that engages them, that has an impact on their well being and happiness."

Breaking it down further, Godin agrees, "I think the trend of brands telling complex, authentic stories is just beginning to gather steam. It's the future of branding."

Vivian Manning-Schaffel is a freelance writer who lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

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