Nerada Tea celebrates 50 years with an Australian-oriented brand refresh

Highlighting both its sustainability and Australian-made credentials locally and globally has seen 50-year-old Nerada Tea overhaul its visual brand identity and kick off a new marketing program.  

Nerada national sales manager, Brenden Minehan, told CMO turning 50 was a suitable trigger to evolve the look of Nerada’s packaging and brand identity. Historically, Nerada emphasised its Australian-made message through use of a native koala and green and yellow colours. The fresh look has its 360-hectre plantation in the Atherton Tablelands in North Queensland taking pride of place.  

Nerada’s black tea is all grown on its plantation. The company received Rainforest Alliance Certification for pesticide-free black tea in 2018, the first Australian agricultural entity to be awarded the certification. The company also blends and packs its organic range onsite.  

The Nerada logo has also been redesigned by brand design agency, Hulsbosch, to better depict the top two leaves and bud used in the production of tea. The fresh packaging starts rolling out across Coles, Woolworths and independent supermarkets from June. 

“The majority of the tea on the supermarket shelves is not sourced from Australia and our point of difference very much is the fact that our black tea is 100 per cent Australian grown, Rainforest Alliance Certified and pesticide free,” Minehan said. “We wanted this provenance and the quality of the product to be better incorporated in the packaging to reflect the story of our single origin estate and our Queensland home. The imagery on the pack reflects our plantation on the Atherton Tablelands and the view was to help the consumer discover more about the story and origin of their tea.”

Whether it’s increasing domestic market share or moving further into exporting its products, Minehan said the provenance message remains an important point of difference for Nerada. 

“As Nerada looks at new export market opportunities, the Australian-grown message will be vital in penetrating a competitive global market,” he said.  

According to Minehan, Nerada represents 85 per cent of the tea grown in Australia. Nerada produces 6 million kilos of fresh tea leaves annually, resulting in 1.5 million kilograms of black tea or almost 750 million cups of tea a year.

“Unlike other consumer categories where there is a collective of producers, we want to champion the Australian tea story and help people understand the taste and quality of our home-grown tea products,” Minehan continued. “As consumers are looking to support more locally produced products and services, particularly post-Covid, now is the time to be proud of our history.”

The fresh look is being supported by an omnichannel marketing campaign through coming months including a broader media campaign incorporating outdoor smartlites, print and online. Minehan said digital activations on owned channels are also in place to help drive awareness of the people and processes behind the brand. The campaign is adopting an Australian-infused theme and is all about encouraging consumers to think about where their tea is grown.

In addition, a limited edition tea range will rollout incorporating a 50^th anniversary blend of three different Australian teas, while new Rooibos and Echinacea and Lemon products have been released into Coles supermarkets.

“Ongoing PR will help to raise awareness of the core messaging and influencer send outs will assist with trial and sampling. In store activation with key customers will also very much keep the brand in the spotlight at the point of purchase,” Minehan said.

For Minehan, 50 years of any brand is worth celebrating. “The story of growing tea here in Australia is one of innovation and perseverance. A story that many Australians would be proud of once they know of the pioneering spirit of many of the producers in Far North Queensland,” he added.  

 Don’t miss out on the wealth of insight and content provided by CMO A/NZ and sign up to our weekly CMO Digest newsletters and information services here. 

You can also follow CMO on Twitter: @CMOAustralia, take part in the CMO conversation on LinkedIn: CMO ANZ, follow our regular updates via CMO Australia's Linkedin company page