New growth for an historic brand
Bharat Group’s (8 figure annual revenue) Cameron Valley Tea has enjoyed success as a beloved national brand, with a heritage steeped in the development of modern Malaysia. But without a single brand update in its 100 years, the company was increasingly ill-prepared for the perils facing modern brands
The challenge
The Cameron Valley highlands of Malaysia offer a unique escape from the tropical heat. Cool and lush, the green hills of the valley have become synonymous with the tea houses there that grow and sell the highest grade teas in the country. This image of the highlands has been incorporated in the Bharat Group’s Cameron Valley Tea brand logo since its inception in the 1920s.
Though certainly a cherished brand image, the company’s brand perception was at risk. Competitors with modern messaging were stealing market share, while bold copycats were quite literally stealing Cameron Valley Tea brand’s goodwill to sell poor quality counterfeits. Further, the brand’s visual identity system had not kept up with either its expanding product lines or media technology - leading to a muddled brand architecture and a visual identity unsuited to digital mediums.
Sales were stagnant, but current leadership suspected it was their premium price that was the problem. We thought otherwise and, with the help of members of the leadership’s new guard, proposed a brand based solution.
The insight
We began with the belief that if the ubiquity of the copycats on store shelves was any indication, Cameron Valley Tea still had strong brand recognition and pull. My team conducted quantitative research which signalled that price was not a primary purchase driver. In fact, their superior tea leaves could be priced higher - if it had a brand that could portray and protect perceptions of quality.
We knew the brand’s history and role in shaping modern Malaysia was intrinsic to the brand’s equity. It must not only be maintained, but leveraged throughout updates to its brand’s verbal and visual expression. With that in mind, we set out to build a brand that communicated quality and which had clever protections in place to guard it from copycats.
The solve
Revised positioning clarified Cameron Valley Tea’s quality play, and an updated brand architecture outlined the relationships between different tea lines. Our team recommended redesigning two distinct product lines to start with - fruit tea and premium tea - which represented both the most popular teas in Malaysia and the teas that could best improve perceptions of quality.
We built a striking new visual identity system which created a design system that was consistent between the two lines, but clearly demarcated the premium line. Overlaid illustrations on the packaging added to the beauty of the product, as well as the complexity for copycats. Bronze metallic decals on the premium packaging further protected the brand from counterfeiting. An updated messaging platform emphasized quality and distinction of the national brand.
Finally, the historic logo was brought gently into the 21st century with a modern look that leaned into - rather than erased - its legacy.
