Episode 21: Building a stronger brand

While working on their business, perhaps one of the most important things for the Got Tea team has been building their brand. And they have been consciously working on this, to focus on the kind of brand they want to be, the image they want to build, the values they want to inculcate, and the way they will execute these values and vision. 

At the core of it, Got Tea has been working on, as a team, to understand the core of the brand – its vision, mission and values. For the Got Tea founders, this is not a top-down process. Yes, they started with their own vision for the brand, but now it is much bigger than them. So, for them, it is about making focused discussions along with the whole Got Tea team, in a participatory approach to brand building. 

To execute this core identity, the team has been working on building a visual identity, a language identity, and on their products and services. And different members of the team have been working on these different aspects. 

The final aspect of the brand are the products and services. Vyoma, Yesua, Mercy and have been working together on this aspect, to develop new flavours, new products, new merchandise, new programs and new stores. While building this brand identity, YuSung has been working on mechanisms and systems to comply with, and guidelines to build a better and more streamlined structure. YuSung’s product management background has been helpful in this process. And since he is in Korea for a month, it has been the perfect time, away from the rush of the store and on-ground work, to work on these things. 

Now, you may be wondering - where are Jo and Armaan? Well, they’re handling the other aspects of the company, including dealing with day-to-day issues, finances, HR and expansion opportunities. For example, Jo and Armaan are in talks with Foodhall to set up a stall for a month in some of their locations - this has involved going to the location, checking out the space and figuring out how they can work within it. It is an exciting new prospect!

And this is one of the reasons that the team has been working to build these guidelines and mechanisms. If Got Tea wants to expand and look into such opportunities or even at franchising, they need to build their identity and standard processes first. While the team has received franchise and expansion offers, they have been taking things slowly, not wanting to make mistakes or go into something for the wrong reasons. For the founders, Got Tea isn’t just about making money – it is about something bigger, a larger vision. They have been cautious, because they don’t want to get into business with anyone that does not share this vision with them. 

While building the brand, the team has also been focusing on the next steps, which include the boba kit, merchandising and store expansion. There are many exciting developments on the way, so keep reading this blog and keep up with us on Instagram for updates!

This journal is an ongoing series tracing the story of Got Tea, the latest bubble tea store launched in India, located in South Delhi, now available on Zomato and Swiggy. Want to know what happens next? Stay tuned!