We take our BCorp status incredibly seriously and genuinely look for opportunities to help businesses be a force for good. So, when Typhoo first came to us, their business was in dire straits. Rescued by a private equity firm, they needed a complete strategic overhaul to become profitable and relevant again.
We began by identifying their critical issues: outdated branding, razor-thin margins, and an unclear market position.
Our process also revealed that the low prices of their tea were exerting unsustainable pressure on the supply chain, ultimately harming the workers at the start of it all—the tea plantation workers who had little to no power.
Insights and Observations
We discovered the severe consequences of cheap tea – how it pressured the supply chain and exploited vulnerable workers. The investors, seeing the ethical and commercial sense in our findings, supported a bold new direction. Mike Brehme, Typhoo’s chairman, was particularly influential. Known for his work with Clipper Tea and Fairtrade, he pushed for a more radical approach to hold the industry accountable for its practices.
Strategic Provocations
Our recommendations for Typhoo were uncompromising. We challenged their long-standing practices: their tea was too cheap, their brand out of date, and their business model unsustainable. We knew that a significant repositioning was required to lift Typhoo out of the discount tea category and establish it as a premium, ethical brand.
Key Behaviours and Brand Proposition
We created a rallying cry – “Let’s Make Tea Right”. This meant setting fair prices to prevent worker exploitation, growing tea sustainably, and prioritising transparency and ethical treatment at every stage. We committed to 100% transparency and took a stand against the darker parts of Typhoo’s heritage. “100 years in tea that we’re not proud of” was our line.
We aimed to educate, demonstrate, and inspire change across the industry, much like Tony’s Chocolonely has done for chocolate.
Typhoo is now in the market and we are all waiting to see how it will land. It achieved significant incremental retailer listings thanks to our comprehensive go-to-market strategy. This included re-defining Typhoo’s brand mission, values, and assets, and testing these concepts with real consumers.
Our goal was to make the right choice the only and easy choice for consumers. We wanted to lift the lid on a serious industry problem and help Typhoo be a powerful force for good. Typhoo not only offers high-quality tea but also stands as a beacon of ethical transformation in the tea industry. We very much hope it inspires other brands to follow suit and help create a tea industry free from fear and exploitation.
