Insight
A Hot Tea Shop buys 20 times more tea than an average household, making it a significant distribution channel. HUL aimed to establish an emotional relationship that would ultimately result in brand loyalty, higher share of revenues and barrier to competition.
Tea makers are major influencers in what tea comes into the shop. 98% of them own mobile phones, using them only for voice calls, mobile is their primary media touch-point. Hence, PHD developed a CRM programme for Hot Tea Shop owners and workers on Mobile IVRS, called ‘The Good Life Club’.
Strategy
Indians love their cup of tea. The cutting chai served at tapris on the nook and corner of every street in India, is as a much part of cultural fabric, as the snake charmers or rikshawallahs. While for some it is the occasional indulgence on a wet, monsoon day; for most it is their go-to place for their morning, evening and the in between tea craving.
The Chai wallahs toil dawn to dusk, day in and day out, behind a hot stove, brewing and serving cup after cup of India’s national beverage. They take pride in their chai. After all, each and every day, it is their responsibility to sustain and nurture the masses by providing the beverage that keeps India running. But what about them? The tea they serve instantly lifts us up, but what would brighten their day? And who must acknowledge them anyway - the government or their patrons?
An average hot-tea shop consumes 91kgs of tea annually, vis-à-vis the average household consumption of 5kgs. Yet, all marketers direct their energies towards the housewife, and not the chai wallah.
Consumer delight builds great brands and not the other way around. Hence, the direction was clear, to gain brand loyalty with the chai wallahs, Brooke Bond built customer engagement that was centred around their needs, aspirations and wellbeing.
Brooke Bond initiated a CRM programme – Good Life Club, for owners and workers of hot tea shops in Tamil Nadu. This exclusive mobile club opens up a world of prospects and entertainment for the target group. Delivering tailor-made entertainment content and utility services on their mobile phones, the Good Life Club is built on the premise of three simple principles – Emotional, Entertaining and Exclusive. While the free access to entertainment on Good Life Club’s IVRS portal keep the members engaged, the utility services like insurance and scholarships make them feel cared, thereby building a positive predisposition towards the brand.
Execution
The members of the Good Life Club were introduced to the programme through a welcome-kit personally presented by the brand’s local representative. While OBD calls are used for regular communications to reach the members, a member can get in touch by calling a dedicated Customer Care Helpline. The reasons to call on the IVRS Portal are many…
Entertainment and engagement hooks:
- Mobile Voice Services form the backbone of the CRM programme, hosting popular music and movie related content.
- A fictitious character, Aishwarya, anchoring the entertainment portal and providing a more personal voice to the caller.
- On special occasions, the celebrity brand ambassadors lead conversations via OBDs.
Emotional fulfilments which will make the member feel that the brand cares for them, delivered by way of:
- Utility services and gratifications
- Free Accidental Insurance
- Scholarships for members’ kids
- Learning programmes for the members or their kids
- Members even receive a personalised greeting on their birthday.
Results
Recording a 75% success rate for OBD calls, 90% of members have actively engaged with the entertainment portal, spending an average of 10 minutes on the line, which is 3x higher than norm.
This initiative established an emotional connect for them with the brand they are purchasing whereby driving loyalty and increase in share of revenues. Brooke Bond’s revenue rose by 40% and sales volume increased by 9% after introduction of Good Life Club.
Good Life Club encouraged a positive disposition towards the brand they are purchasing, which translated into a positive word-of-mouth and influenced sales positively.
What makes the innovation differentiated and unique?
The Good Life Club engaged an audience, no tea brand ever thought of acknowledging. It bridged the gap of loyalty between the brand and the customer, and connected with the brand at a level that goes beyond transaction. Putting the customer needs first, it was able to develop a higher and more scalable level of engagement with the brand so that the tea brand they are purchasing is not viewed as a mere commodity but a core part of their business and livelihood.