Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/581281
22 STiR tea & coffee industry international / Issue 5, 2015 (October/November) colleague that, at Yorkshire Tea, "we don't do things like that round here… we do things proper". And 'proper' includes proper tea, brewed properly in the company's famous square teabags. The ad is supported with outdoor, PR, digital, experiential, and social media activity and Kevin Sinfield, the marketing manager at Yorkshire Tea, said: "Our TV commercials are known for their sense of fun, warmth and quirky Yorkshireness, and this one is certainly no different in capturing everything we stand for. This campaign is about changing that and challenging the nation's tea drinking habits and brand choice by demonstrat- ing why proper really matters." Finlays Buys 20% of Damin In August Finlays acquired an additional 20% equity in China's Damin Foodstuff (Zhanzhou) Co., Ltd. Founded in April 1995, Damin provides natural ingredi- ents for the food and beverage industry including natural tea extracts, instant tea powder, tea concentrate, leaf tea for beverage, natural fruit powders, natural sweetener (Luo Han Guo extract), and herbal extracts. This increases Finlay's shareholding to 40% and, as managing director Ron Mathison explained: "This investment enhances our relationship with Damin and will increase our exposure and that of our customers to the large, fast growing Chinese instant tea, iced coffee, and herbal tea market. Our experience across all parts of the tea supply chain and our 'bush to cup' tea knowledge will benefit Damin in leaf tea procurement, product development, and innovation." countries are traditional buyers of Indian teas. Georgia is also a major tea consum- ing country and there are hopes that the demand for India teas may also spread into Turkey. Indian producers are concerned to find new markets in this part of the world as key markets in Egypt and Pakistan markets are not increasing as had been hoped. India's biggest competitor in these markets is Sri Lanka, which has been trading into Russia for many years. Kenya and China have also strengthened their position in Russia in recent years. A similar marketing campaign by Indian producers took place in February this year when 13 companies from India took part in the international Prodexpo exhibition in Moscow. Yorkshire's version of Brewtopia Finlays and Damin Foodstuff Glass teacup competition Kangra growers UK Yorkshire Tea's Brewtopia Over the next 12 months, Yorkshire Tea will increase its marketing spend to $7.6 million (£5 million) in its efforts to become Britain's second biggest brand. A new TV ad, featuring 125 of the company's employees and England's cricket captain Michael Vaughn, highlights Taylor's "unwavering passion and uncompromising dedication" to creating the best tea. The ad starts with a worker in the factory carelessly throwing a scrunched up piece of paper on the floor and he is immediately told by a Damin's chairman Jiang Aiqing said: "Damin has over the last seven years built up a close business relationship with Finlays and we are excited about accelerating the shared growth opportu- nities." Global demand for tea extracts is growing rapidly, and China now has the largest and one of the fastest-growing RTD tea markets in the world. Learn more www.finleys.net US Teacup Design Competition Rochester Glassworks of Penfield, NY is sponsoring the 2015 Great American Glass Teacup Competition, a national competition organized for new and emerging glassblowing and lampworking artists. "Functional art ware teacups and glassware have essentially never been available before, but the colors, tech- niques, forms, and embellishments available to create teaware are almost limitless," says Robin Hamm, founder of Rochester Glassworks. The competition is open to borosilicate glass artisans 21 or older and blends the entrepreneurial spirit of functional glass artists with bold new interpretations of tea (by indepen- dent American teamakers such as Steven Smith Teamakers) to create something innovative, unique, and distinctively American… a functional glass reinter- pretation of the classical teacup. Competitors will submit drawings, sketches, or photos of their design, and online public voting will choose the top 25 which will take part in the semifinal challenge. Four finalists will then be judged by an independent panel of Master Glass Artisans and World Renowned Tea Experts to choose the 2015 Great American Teacup. Learn more www.rochesterglassworks.com