AB and Coke stir up opposite ends of Thai tea market

Coke is branding Nestea Ice Rush as "the first green tea beverage that chills from the inside out". According to marketing manager, Chuenhathai Vuntanadit, the local version has been "specially blended to appeal to Thai tastes and incorporates a special cooling agent that is sure to refresh consumers". Nestea Ice Rush is offered in a returnable glass bottle, a first for the green tea market, and a move that also makes possible a "value oriented" price of seven baht. The green tea segment has been growing since 2001, when sole player Uni-President chalked up revenue of 26 million baht for its Unif brand. The segment was worth 1.4 billion baht last year, and is expected to more than double before year-end. The launch of Ice-Rush is supported by a range of marketing tools from TV, print and radio ads, point-of-sales displays and PR to a massive consumer sampling exercise at Bangkok's famous Chatuchak weekend market. AB Food is targeting the opposite end of the tea-drinking market with Twinings, priced at 150 baht per 25-bag box or 212 baht per 100-gram aluminum pack. Head of consumer marketing Pongsakorn Pongwattanasuk said the main target would be those aged 25 to 45, mid- to high-income, with the health conscious a secondary target. With Thais drinking less hot tea than practically any other Asian nationality, AB sees huge growth potential for the one billion baht segment. As such, it will spend 30 million baht to promote tea-drinking with PR, sampling exercises, and print and radio advertising. Also planned are activities "to provide more knowledge about the product... including demonstrations of making tea in the British style".