Brand Book

i. Intro4. brand book purpose

ii. About the brand6. history7. positioning8. mission10. process11. types of teas16. consumer17. personality18. tone22. mood board

iii. Communication24. design elements26. typography27. website29. instagram30. twitter31. youtube32. facebook33. advertisements

iv. Experiential35. store front37. in-store experience39. competitors40. packaging

table of contents

introduction

brand book purposeThe purpose of this brand book is to demonstrate and explain the Teavana brand through its history, tone and personality, its audience and archetype and how it is unique. This brand book also shows how the brand communicates its elements, principles, art, identity, etc.

It also tells the story behind the brand name and logo, the colors it uses to identify itself, as well as typography, imagery, website layout and packaging. Essentially, this brand book goes in-depth about all aspects of the Teavana brand in order to understand it from the inside out.

about the brand

historyFounded in Atlanta, GA in 1997 by Andrew T. Mack from an idea that people would enjoy high-quality tea in a place that was part Tea Bar, part Tea Emporium. Mack and his wife wanted to create a “heaven of tea”, hence the name Teavana (Tea + Nirvana) which is meant to describe the experience each customer has with their tea and staff.

They wanted to introduce people to the aromas, textures, and beneficial qualities of loose leaf teas while enlightening them with the history and variety of teas available.

In 2012, Starbucks acquired Teavana and the brand has been remodeled to appeal to a younger and broader demographic. Teavana is now much more sleek, modern and minimalistic.

“To provide fresh, high quality teas and the products to serve them. And to create a unique tea experience in each store by

encouraging a positive, healthy outlook on all who enter.”

Teavana wants to provide a distinct experience through taste, with a serene environment in every store because they want their customers to feel passion, romance, positivity and escape.

the mission

why loose leaf tea?

While tea bags may give a quicker brew, they lack full flavor and release more tannins than loose leaf teas, giving it a harsher flavor. They also often contain mixtures of tea rather than a pure tea.

Teavana uses loose leaf tea because it provides more flavor while also allowing you to blend flavors and different types of teas easily. Additionally, loose leaf tea is pure tea, which means it can be consistently enjoyed every time.

At Teavana, only those teas with rich and unique flavors chosen. They are hand-selected from the youngest, freshest, whole tea leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant in the most fertile regions of the world, to provide the most exceptional loose leaf tea.

The leaves are dried to release delicate flavors and then rolled to enfold the luxurious experience of relaxation within its curves.

Brewing and tasting may take up to 12 months in order to select the very best flavors and combinations for the best-tasting cup possible, every time.

the process

Rule of thumb: The more tea leaves are processed, the stronger the flavor.

There are four types of teas. The level of oxidation, or exposure to the elements, is what determines whether a tea is white, green, oolong or black.

white

The lightest and most delicate tea variety. The youngest, freshest leaves are simply plucked and dried, so there’s no time for oxidation.

Tasting notes: Fragrant and sweet

Popular types: Silver Yin Zhen Pearls, Jasmine Silver Needle & Youthberry

The leaves are heated before they’re rolled (by hand or in a machine) and dried. Very little oxidation, but the extra steps bring out more natural flavor.

Tasting notes: Lightly toasted or grassy.

Popular types: Strawberry Grapefruit Xue, Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls & Gyokuro Imperial

green

oolong

Bruising or tearing the leaves results in partial oxidation, and a cup with fuller body and richer color. Commonly served in Chinese restaurants.

Tasting notes: Floral aroma with a smooth finish.

Popular types: Toasted Nut Brûlée, Qi'Lan Fireside & Weight To Go! Pu-erh Tea

The leaves are rolled and given plenty of time to oxidize before being fired. Black teas are bold, complex and strong. More popular in the West.

Tasting notes: Rich and full-bodied.

Popular types: Golden Monkey, Black Dragon Pearl & JavaVana Mate

black

consumerBecause Teavana has the archetype of a lover, romancing its product and being passionate about its creation projects on to its consumers.

Therefore, the Teavana customer enjoys the good and the little things in life. They like taking in a brisk afternoon sunset and strolling along a riverside. They enjoy inhaling fresh air and smelling flowers. They make time for tranquility and serenity in their day. They are conscious of their bodies and respect them. They enjoy treating themselves by pleasing their tastebuds as well as their mind. Bust most importantly, a Teavana customer and prefers quality over quantity, which sometimes means bordering the pricy side.

brand personality“Encouraging a positive, healthy

outlook for all who enter.”

Teavana embodies a lover. It wants to be in a relationship with its customers, work on what they love, and create tactile experiences and attraction through their premium quality teas. Teavana strategizes in becoming more physically and emotionally attractive, building an experience that appeals to all of the senses. It romances its product and has a passion for its creation which projects on to the customers.

It is a lifestyle and passion brand and has maintained its values of the tea culture and of serving premium quality products.

tone“Live the Tea Life”

Teavana guarantees that there is a blend that matches your unique “me time” need.

Since Starbucks acquired Teavana in 2012, the brand’s tone has shifted to appeal to a younger demographic. While still sticking to the brand’s core values, Teavana is now more trendy and uses playful language.

“Whether you’re new to tea or a seasoned connoisseur, you’re sure

to find a flavor that fits.”

“FOR NEWBIES”

If you’re scratching your head and wondering where to get started, try one (or all) of these classic, easy-drinking teas.

Some of these playful words are those such as “for newbies” in their “Tea 101” section of their website.

“FRUIT-FORWARD”

Berries, peaches, mangos and more. Satisfy your sweet tooth with a flavored tea or herbal blend.

“Fruit-forward” is another example of playful words that the brand is using to be more friendly

and appealing to the younger demographic.

CHILL OUT

Pop your teapot in the fridge or add ice to make any mix a warm-

weather refresher.

GET FIZZY

Top it off with a splash of tonic or club soda. Because everything's

better with bubbles.

GOOD SPIRITS

Tea cocktails, anyone? Add a measure of gin or bourbon - but

be sure to always sip responsibly.

On its website, Teavana has a mixology tab where it provides viewers possible ways of drinking Teavana teas. This is a great twist for the brand to make driving tea something more appealing, creative and fun than perhaps the view of tea being boring.

The language used is very youthful. Phrases like “chill out” and “get fizzy” are inviting and are a great example of Teavana’s rebranding. The colors used are very vibrant and the icons are simple and clean.

mood board

Teavana AaBbCcDdEe

teavana AaBbCcDdEe

TEAVANA AaBbCcDdEe

TeavanaAaBbCcDdEe

communication

design elements: before

colors logos

original keep

color variation avoid

textured keep

Teavana’s classic colors were warm and earthy tones of purple and orange for a “cozy” feeling to go along with its rawness and purity that is the entire process of tea leaf selection, the benefits of the teas, and so forth.Purple: spirituality (nirvana / Buddhism) and luxuryOrange: friendliness (teologists) success

Because the name Teavana derived from the combination of the words Tea + Nirvana, and nirvana is the ultimate state one reaches in Buddhism, a Buddha was selected as the logo for the brand. Also, Buddhism is about changing perception and Andrew Mack’s goal for Teavana was to change view on tea. Although seldom used now, if the Buddha is to be used, it should be done subtly in a single color fill and used in packaging above the brand name,

secondary

secondarysecondary

secondary

secondary

design elements: nowcolors logos

In light of Teavana’s rebranding, its new stores use red menu boards, wooden panels, glossy white plywood. and black details. The golden-orange color was kept and is mainly used in packaging copy and logos.

Red: optimistic, energizing, stimulating and exciting Black: formal, classyWhite: goodness, purity, freshness, easy clean Gold: valuable, prosperity, traditional

Teavana removed the Buddha from the store fronts and from its website header.This new logo is just the brand name and it has been modified to be simplisticand classy, avoiding color. The logo should be used in the store front and in all packaging but may vary in color and size depending on the product.

primary

secondary

typography

font-family: Helvetica Neue 85, sans serif font-weight: bold font-style: condensed

font-family: ‘Playfair Display’, serif font-weight: bold font-style: normal

font-family: 'Gotham SSm A', 'Gotham SSm B’ font-weight: 400 font-style: normal

font-family: ‘Sentinel SSm A’, ‘Sentinel SSm B’

font-weight: 300

font-style: normal

website

The website uses a lot of imagery and few copy which is more appealing. The images positioned in banner format which give a nice consistent from when scrolling down the pages.

There is a really nice use of white space, symmetry and balance as

well as color contrast on the website as well.

instagramrecipes arrivals promos

twitter

foto-oriented

consumer-engaged

Broadness of audience has grown since Starbucks acquired Teavana. Posts are very consumer-engaged with many contests and reposts of consumers using Teavana products. Majority of the posts are also very visual, using fotos for more engaging content.

YouTube

Teavana’s YouTube channel provides tutorials on how to create certain beverages more than anything else. It also has informational videos about new products.

In the videos, Teavana uses a lot of close up shots to show the products, and it uses some extreme close-up shots mainly when showing its loose leaf tea. Whenever there is a person talking in the videos, the shots are always shot medium and symmetrical.

facebook profile pictures cover photos

Through its Facebook page, Teavana has played with a lot of versions of its original Buddha logo. Currently, the profile picture is the simple, black Teavana name logo.

For its cover pictures, the brand is does a very nice job at implementing the products and playing with color as well as seasons.

advertisements

Teavana uses colorful, detail-oriented, yet simple design when it comes to its advertisements. The mediums used for these ads are typically digital and classic print ads. The brand has a tendency to use different tones of orange in most of its ads and is relatively light on copy.

experiential

store front: classicOriginal stores keep consistency of original brand colors and logo. No store is identical but they are all relatively the same. There is always glass windows on either one side or both sides of the entrance to demonstrate product accessories and transparency. There is also always a sample tea cart and the doors tend to be open for a friendly invite.

store front: new

New store fronts are modern, simple and clean-cut with a splash of color. Not all are the same but now in some of the stores there is a glass window panel displaying Teavana’s teas instead of its accessories. The teas are also assembled by color for a more organized appearance.

in-store experience New Teavana stores are colorful, ample, and bright. The tea bar is also more focused than its previous stores. Sampling station is called a “wet bar” and offers all samples in one place which makes the experience more organized. Overall it is youthful and inviting.

tea tasting

Teavana cups hundreds of teas daily, so it’s very important to keep four 4 characteristics in mind when it comes to the art of tea tasting.

• visual • cup color • taste • aroma

Competitors

David’s Tea is similar to Teavana’s new brand image. The stores are very colorful and vibrant which appeals to the youth but Teavana is the pioneer of loose leaf tea and some of its main differentiators are its tea bar and sampling. David’s Tea does not have a great focus on sampling.

Kusmi tea is also very bright and colorful and offers sampling. However, Kusmi tea is mainly in some of Europe and North America. Teavana on the other hand is all across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

The go-to packaging for Teavana is paper bags with a bendable or ziplock-type seal. However, in order to preserve the tea and all of its benefits and aromas, Teavana encourages its customers to purchase its tea storage tins with air-tight seals to keep the tea fresher, longer. At the stores, giant storage tins with air tight seals are used.

Intricate designs are used with a variety of colors and patterns on storage tins and boxes. The seasons are a big influence on package design, like red and white tones for Christmas and orange tones for Fall.

packaging