Lipton launches tea-time in US

Unilever food and beverage brand Lipton is to launch a new Lipton-branded, ready-made refreshment service in the US. Expansion of the programme to the UK and mainland Europe is under consideration.

Atlanta consultancy Ritchie International Branded Resource Group worked on the strategy and liaised with the client’s in-house team on the designs.

The formats will incorporate elements of the client’s existing tea café format in Los Angeles, created by New York consultancy Donovan and Green.

They will come in a range of sizes and will be offered to institutions as a Lipton-branded “turnkey” refreshment solution, says director of tea buying for Lipton in the US, Peter Goggi.

The concept will be named The Lipton Tea Bar and will use new packaging, logos, staff uniforms and literature.

“We will be targeting colleges, professional sites, airports, railway stations, anywhere where there are large numbers of people,” says Goggi.

The formats will range in size from a small counter unit to be used by an existing café to a 35m2 format with three people serving. Another format will comprise a 1m2 self-service “in-line” wall unit.

The formats will draw from a 27-strong range of Lipton tea-based drinks and food. Fifteen of the teas are new, many incorporating health-enhancing additives.

A prototype of the 35m2 format will be unveiled at Branding America, a national show for the food service industry in March.

Ritchie International president Hal Ritchie hopes to have the services running by the summer.

See News Analysis, page 8.

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