Nomad Manager

TeaTap Cafe: Creating a Charming Milk Tea Brand :)

Sept. 11 & 17, 2011

Yes, I am somehow twisting this blog’s content to make it relevant to the supposed running theme of this blog…being travel and business (entrepreneurship). :P
So I am turning what may otherwise be a self-indulgent foodie entry into an example in branding. :D

I was supposed to write this entry after my first trip last Sept. 11, but work and other concerns caught up with me so I managed to make a second trip before actually writing this entry.

Anyway, found out about TeaTap through fellow milk tea enthusiasts who had read about it from other blogs. And being the extreme sucker for cafe/resto ambiance and interiors that I am, I was eager to check TeaTap out.

The white brick wall, warm lighting, faux grass and adorable cat by the entrance won me over instantly! :D (That’s not me in the picture below, by the way. :P) 

Walk in further, and you’ll see the spacious interiors, which make it an ideal place for people who love to work quietly in cafes.
It’s not packed with noisy customers, and huzzah! They have free WiFi! (Super big plus!)

On my first trip, I ordered the Royal Milk Tea (P90, tall; P100, grande — needless to say, I got the grande, of course), to serve as a sort of baseline measure for their tea in comparison to other milk tea places. It was as good as any quality basic milk tea I’ve tried. On my second trip, I tried their Green Apple Yakult Tea, but I found the green apple taste too overpowering, and I hardly tasted the yakult or the tea, but I think I still want to try the Blueberry Yakult next time. :D

What’s really nice about TeaTap though is the little “surprise” you get with your drink. All drinks are sealed with their own branded covers, on which four different messages are written.

I really appreciate it when brands go an extra mile to put a smile on their customers faces, even with something as seemingly mundane as these cup seals. Branding expert Martin Lindstrom did say it was important to reach customers at every touchpoint possible, and I think TeaTap did a good job of placing their branding at this particular touchpoint. It just helped make the brand that much more memorable and endearing. :D

TeaTap is also owned by the same people behind Kozui Green Tea, hence, some Kozui tea is also sold at TeaTap. They’ve also got some other quirky items available in one corner of the cafe. Maybe we can look into making Punchdrunk Panda laptop and iPad sleeves available here as well, as I imagine they have their fare share of laptop and iPad-wielding customers. ;)

The cat in the picture above isn’t for sale though, I think. But they really should produce some for selling! Haha. I probably wouldn’t buy one myself, because it’s too cutesy for me, but I’m sure a lot of other people would love to have one of these cats. :)

So there you have it.
TeaTap wins the milk tea place war in branding and ambience!
Though I still have to give Moonleaf props for their significantly lower prices, yet quality tea. I think Moonleaf has also effectively engaged the community in their area by hosting events, like Anteroom Sessions by Punchdrunk Panda. So yeah, I still have an unbiased love for Moonleaf, but there’s no denying the charm and warm ambience of TeaTap.
I do think TeaTap trumps a neighboring milk tea place though in terms of overall customer experience. :) This will definitely be my go-to place for milk tea when I’m in the San Juan / Wilson area.

And before I conclude this entry, let me leave you with some parting words from TeaTap:

TeaTap Cafe
P. Guevarra cor. Wilson st.,
San Juan, Metro Manila
Open from MON-SUN, 11am-11pm.