Shelf review: PG Tips

In the 1960s, PG Tips was released in teabags, and in 1996 the PG Tips pyramid bags were launched.

PG Tips, now owned by Unilever, leads the UK teabag market today. The PG Tips range includes traditionally shaped teabags, pyramid bags, decaffeinated and blended teas, tea leaves and instant granules, and the familiar PG Tips branding is consistent on all packaging.

Scientists have discovered that the combined components of tea, including theanine, have positive health effects and the tea market has undergone a major change with new entrants and new varieties of teas (green teas, herbal teas, organic teas, fruit-flavoured teas, etc).

So how does PG Tips stack up against the new competition?

Graphics 8/10
The graphics across the range promote healthiness and the benefits of theanine. The iconic dark green ‘P’ and red ‘G’ are very prominent across all the packaging, enabling instant brand recognition. The background of blue and white sky makes the packs bright and fresh, and enables the two leaves on the front of all packs to stand out. The explanation of how PG Tips takes the top two leaves is on the reverse of the packs, although how many customers are aware of this is not known.
The popular brand character ‘Monkey’ also appears on the packs but not on the front. The key message is the healthy properties of the teas.

Function 6/10
Functionality varies from the standard cardboard tea carton with lid to the screw-top granules jar – nothing particularly exciting, but all functional. With all the brand messages about the natural and healthy ingredients, however, little effort has been made to use packaging that is designed to retain freshness, or at least to provide an appearance of freshness that consumers increasingly demand.

On-shelf 7/10
PG Tips benefits from being the leading and most-recognised teabag brand. It is very prominent on the shelves and customers will locate it quickly. However, with so many new entrants in the market, PG Tips needs to attract new and lost customers as well as retain existing customers. The brand may need to work harder in the future to promote the benefits of its ingredients to customers who feel they need to try other brands to get the health benefits of tea.

Overall 7/10
For a market leader, PG Tips has packaging that suits its customers. It is not daring, but it does not need to be. However, it does need to monitor market trends very closely to make sure it remains relevant and modern.

Monica Lucas of Pragma takes a look at the packaging of a well-known brand in the retail environment from the consumer’s point of view. Pragma specialises in providing strategies for success in the retail, branding and leisure markets. www.pragmauk.com

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