Amelia Ferlazzo
Monash University
Gitanjali Bedi
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During my interview with Your Tea Australia founder Steph Wakefield, we discussed Your Tea's business operations and how these practices strive to achieve selected UN sustainability goals.
Your Tea launched to the Australian market in 2013, evolving from the new introduction of the “Tea-Tox” hype within the millennial generation: a “detox” with tea.
Your Tea was looking to provide a 100% natural traditional Chinese medicine remedy to assist with health implications or changes. Your Tea highlights the importance of educating their customers about their products; “Knowledge is power.” (Your Tea, 2020)
The brand started with three core products, Tiny Tea, Anti-C Tea, and Her Tea. All three are still available today.
Since their initial launch, the product range has grown to just under 50 product combinations for both men and women, available via their online platform.
“No elements are dismissed, and none stand alone. Instead, all elements work gracefully together, and it's our job as human beings to find our balance amongst them.” (Your Tea, 2020)
Your Tea strives to be a springboard for consumers to introduce them to traditional Chinese medical practices.
Beginning with a limited product range, the demand for Chinese remedy Tea-Tox is continuously increasing.
Steph explained that their initial business plan was vaguely sculpted and that they were going for an innovative and adaptive approach to consumer demand.
“We completely underestimated the demand for our products. Within the first month, we had sold what we forecasted three months' worth of stock. In three months, we sold what we predicted a year's worth of inventory. It wasn't long until we had backlogged four months' worth of tea.”
Starting with three original core products, seven years later Your Tea is now offering just under 50 product options online. While initially predominantly targeting women, Your Tea launched the introduction of Man tea. Their customers are now 95% female and 5% male.
The continuous introduction of products is driven by demand from their current consumers. Your Tea now offers a diverse range of Chinese remedy treatments for health concerns such as pregnancy, digestion, weight loss, sex, skin, and more.
“Instagram was our initial marketing and advertising platform, a channel not many marketers had tapped into yet. We found this was an effective way to reach our targeted consumer.”
Wakefield (founder) explained her positive personal experiences from traditional Chinese medicines (TCM). "It was in my late teen years where I had my first exposure to traditional Chinese medicine; my experience since has been 'cathartically healing'. After years of uncertainty and health implications, I found TCM gave me solutions. Still, more importantly, it explained clear boundaries and trained me to manage the inherent human tendency to over-indulge both emotionally and physically." (Your Tea, 2020)
“It puts into practice self-respect and restraint accordingly. I wanted to stem from my positive personal experience to offer these life-changing remedies to the Australian market.”
The TCM ancient remedies and herbs are simple, yet comprehensive in their blend creation.
She explained the importance and weighting of Your Tea's vision to educate their consumers, rather than providing momentary relief at surface level.
“Understanding how our internal body works is more important than temporary relief of our physical symptoms. Traditional Chinese medicine goes deeper in the relief remedies, to understand the underlying factors of these symptoms.” (Your Tea, 2020)
While emphasizing the importance of Good Health and Well-Being, one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Your Tea also highlights the incorporation of explaining and educating. This aligns with the UN sustainability Quality Education goal, by providing a deeper understanding of and education about their products functions and benefits.
“Traditional Chinese medicine is an ancient modality that acknowledges the mind, body, and soul as one unit.” (Your Tea, 2020).
Your Tea is providing healthy and safe herbal medical assistance to their consumers, creating and promoting a healthier life.
Exposure to the traditional Chinese practices that are praised globally brings a more diverse culture to the younger Australian generation.
While there are many Tea-Tox companies in the Australian market, Your Tea's point of difference is incorporating the traditional Chinese remedy, a factor that can be deemed quite challenging.
Globally we are all trying to preserve good health and mental well-being. Your Tea's products provide a stepping stone to traditional Chinese remedies which lead to greater overall health.
As an Australian company shipping worldwide, Your Tea is continually looking at creating new and innovative sustainable options along the whole production line.
Your Tea sources herbs and supplies globally, primarily in China, creating a fair and safe work environment for those in third-world country living conditions.
The global supply chain has evolved around research and development in Australia, followed by a fair-trade agreement manufacturing company. They are playing their part in working towards a sustainable and environmentally friendly society.
“We are currently under the process of creating re-usable stylish tin containers for our tea. Customers’ initial purchase will be inclusive of a storage tin, with their later purchases for the option of refill only. Through this rollout, we hope to reduce our packaging waste, as well as utilizing the most sustainable material, being tin packaging.”
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Steph Wakefield, Founder
Your Tea Australia is a natural herbal tea company that incorporates traditional Chinese medicine practices.
Highlighting the importance of the knowledge and understanding of one’s own body, Your Tea strives to provide and educate consumers on the health benefits of traditional Chinese remedies.