Do you remember when life was simple? A time when all tea bags were square and flat, and came with tea flavoured tea inside? Suddenly out of nowhere the tea landscape got messy and we had round bags, and bags with drawstrings.

Tiny artisan tea companies sprouted up, selling boutique teas enveloped in gossamer pyramids, that allowed the leaves to release their bold, intense taste and aromatic citrus notes. Many of these little companies built their businesses around the difference in the specifications of their tea and packaging. But now that mainstream brands like Lipton and Twinings are in on pyramid shaped bags, flavoured teas and the indulgent copywriting game, how will these brands survive?

The truth is that great brands are not created with better built mouse traps, or more features and benefits. The brands that we care about are not built solely around transactions, and exchanges of this for that. They don’t create buyers and make sales, what they actually do is create a sense of ownership, which is much harder to replicate. And that’s why they matter to us.

Image by Eva Rinaldi.