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The Mission Driven Business by Seth Goldman
August 22, 2008
For Honest Tea, Coke Is It
Posted at 3:03 PM
We've recently hired more than a dozen new marketing and salespeople to support our expansion out West with Coke's distribution network. I saw our newest team members in action this past week at sales rallies in Arizona and California as we introduced the brand. These Honest Tea-m members bring a great surge of energy to the company just when we need it. And yet, I teased them that it doesn't seem fair that their jobs are so easy after nine previous years of hard work.
Any salesperson who has been with Honest Tea for more than two years has had to deal with setbacks and disappointments from distributors and buyers who didn't think there was a need for a low-sugar, organic beverage. During Honest Tea's first five years, distributors rejected us at least eight times more than we were accepted. And in retrospect, many of the beer and soda distributors we were begging to give us a chance were actually not the best fit for us. These folks made our work frustrating, and even though we enjoyed the challenge, it was never easy to get one on board.
Now we're launching Honest Tea with a network of Coke distributors who have been hearing firsthand from their customers that they need a healthier, organic brand, so the Coke salespeople are as eager for Honest Tea as we are to work with them. It has led to quite a few pinch-me-I'm-dreaming moments this week.
But today was as much a new day for Coke as it was for us. Honest Tea will be the first organic brand to go on either Pepsi or Coke trucks, and for many stores and consumers, it will be the first organic product that they encounter. For that matter, today was the first day that many Coke salespeople came to understand what the terms organic and Fair Trade Certified mean, and I was delighted to see more than a few heads nodding in approval.
We'll see what happens when the cases enter the warehouse in a few weeks, but after the rallies, the Coke salespeople were buzzing about all the accounts they wanted to bring Honest Tea. I had to remind the new HT folks that it wasn't always this way, but I'm not worried about them getting off easy. There is still plenty of hard work to be done. Even when you're running downhill, you still have to move your legs very quickly.
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Seth,
We haven't been able to purchase Honest Tea in our supermarket in the past but now I'm hopeful that we'll find it there. I'm sure this transition is not without its challenges but these types of changes rarely are. It's great to keep up with it here. Thanks for sharing and good luck!
Fair Winds,
Peter A. Mello
I've had the opposite experience as Peter. Stop and Shop used to carry the decaf black ceylon (excellent tea), as well as others. They cut their offerings in half.
On a separate note, the giant bottles of moroccan mint are wonderful.
My friend actually got me to try this stuff, and let me tell you... It's amazing!
Any chance there will be giant bottles of Honest ade limeade? That is one of the favorites in our household. I buy the small bottles of limeade however, my husband drinks all of them before I can get to them. I figure I would have a better chance at having some if we can buy large bottles of limeade. Please let me know if you can help me out. I'm still thirsty.
Hey Seth,
Your post is great timing. My wife, Tricia, and I live in Baltimore, Maryland. Tricia is a HUGE fan of Honest Tea in the plastic bottles. About 2 years ago, she was going to a particular market where she would come in and buy two cases a week. Then, back in Jan? she was told distribution had changed.
So, now Tricia has been hard pressed to find the cases, especially of the plastic bottles. She has gone to the local Whole Foods store where she can order the cases but the only Honest Tea product available on-site is individual bottles. Tricia was expressing her frustration yesterday that she wants to buy the cases but feels stymied in the process. Tricia is now buying more Diet Coke instead of the Honest Tea.
Now, I'm posting for 2 reasons. First, I love my wife and want her to be happy. So, is there a solution other than her having to order the cases ahead of time? Can you help her find a location where she can buy cases of Honest Tea in plastic bottles that is close to us.
Second, I'm in the middle of teaching a marketing class at a local university. This is a test of how the new media is helping enhance companies' abilities to solve customer relations issues. So, let's see what happens. Please respond asap, this class is on for only 4 more weeks. Thanks!
I used to be able to get four packs in plastic bottles of my favorite Honest Tea - Honey Green - at Target but that only lasted for a few weeks. I guess the buyers at Target were trying to see if there was an organic ice tea market because now where Honest Tea used to be on the shelf there's Target brand organic iced tea - not the same. My local Safeway carried Honest Tea now but I'm trying to buy it by the case and having no luck at all.
Hey Seth, I am one of the retailers that recently brought your teas into my store. Unfortunetly, we were not provided with a fancy rack to disply the merchandise or some kind of fancy point of sale material to introduce this to the area. I need something to scream out to the customers what this little 16.9 oz. bottle is packed with. Thanks & I fully endorse your product...
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