And after three golden years for green tea, the market for it suffered a downturn last year. Could this be a chance for black tea to emerge once again as the dominant force?

Last year, the slump in green-tea sales saw the overall tea market shrink to Bt3 billion, from Bt5 billion in 2005, said Charlie Jitcharoongphorn, marketing director of Pepsi-Cola (Thai), which distributes Lipton tea.

To Charlie, it was an opportunity.

He said the health-conscious trend that had emerged in recent years was a great advantage for black tea, which currently only accounts for 20 per cent of the overall tea market. Last year, the black-tea market grew 10 per cent.

Pepsi-Cola has repositioned its Lipton tea from a refreshing brand to one with natural ingredients. It has also launched new packaging - PET bottles - in addition to its traditional cans.

The company has set a Bt100-million budget for marketing the new image of its tea, with flavours like lemon, honey lemon and highland.

As a way of driving the black-tea market, more marketing campaigns are planned.

Back in the time when green tea emerged, players in the market created a wide awareness by promoting its benefits and creating a perception of it as a fashionable beverage for modern people.

The most obvious campaign was Oishi's "30 Caps, Bt30 Million", which drove both its sales and the green-tea market. The market used to have more than 40 players until many left in the middle of last year.

Major current brands include Oishi; Kirin, by Siam Kirin Beverage; Unif, by Uni-President (Thailand); Zenya, by TAC Beverage; ShiZen; by Coca-Cola (Thailand); and Moshi, by the Singha Group.

Lipton has continued launching new products, including its latest Red Tea. It also advertises through various media channels and holds marketing activities and campaigns.

Players in the black-tea market expect it to achieve good growth. Yet Charlie realises it will be difficult for the market to experience the same high growth that green tea once enjoyed.

There are few major players to help drive the market. The dominant forces seem to be Pepsi-Cola (Thai) and Uni-President (Thailand).

Companies will need to be very good in launching any marketing campaigns or new products that really catch consumers' minds in the same way that green tea once did.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation