Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Coca Cola is venturing into the iced tea and coffee market. Trust big brother to come and beat young Ketepa Iced Tea. Anything new in the market is most welcome but first they have to demystify the whole concept of iced tea which at the moment is still considered elitist. Ketepa did not make this notion any better by pricing their iced tea way above the average soft drink. Coca Cola is not easy competition. The drink is not yet available locally and I hope Ketepa can withstand the tide when it finally comes.

Dare I say they can forget selling these beverages in rural areas? For a lot of people there and indeed many more in urban centers, tea and coffee comes in a steaming mug, not in a can or soda bottle. Will they convince people to pay more for tea or coffee just because it’s cold and has no milk? For some that is what it is – black tea. They’d rather pay less cash for a steaming mug ama?

See also: Alvaro, Redbull, Malta Guinness.

24 Comments:

Anonymous said...

sasa mimi sijui nini hii ice tea... does that make me ignorant? i love me some piping hot chai but i admit that has its limitations on a hot day...

Shiko-Msa said...

Intelligensia piping hot tea is always welcome even on a hot day. Dawa ya moto no moto. But like you, here we don't always go by that. sometimes its so hot only an ice cold drink will do. I've sampled all the flavours of Ketepa iced tea and I'm not particularly keen on the whole iced tea idea. But I'm curious about the coffee.

Shiko-Msa said...

And no that does not make you ignorant.

BP 1 said...

Ice tea ! Cold and without milk? , shiko , they can count me out . I drink tea for two reasons first ,coming a pastoralist area, I drink it for the maziwa secondly since my place of residence is climatically hot and also being
stanch believer of “dawa ya moto ni moto”
I like my cup of tea hot.

By the way does this ice tea come flavored with sugar or anything sweet? Some people drink tea for it sweetiness. If it doesn’t am sure it will fail in some area.
Will East African Brewery join this fight for ice tea business?… I wonder!!!!

bankelele said...

Iced tea a hard sell in this (hot) tea drinking country

Shiko-Msa said...

BP the teas are sweetened and flavored with the usual suspects - vanilla, lemon, strawberry, etc etc although some of the flavors I've tried were tending towards cough syrup. I'm yet to come across a variety that is just plain true tea without sugar or flavor. that we can make for ourselves in a flash.

Tea from the breweries Lol. thats a laughable idea but you never know. We may soon be drinking even bottled water from them.

True Banks. Especially tea. Cold chocolate I drank enough of at school so the idea is not so alien. Iced coffee is available in the coffee shops around town and it's actually nice.

Acolyte said...

I honestly think that this product will be a hit in the urban areas esp with good marketing to the yuppie and wannabe yuppie crowds.
I think also in the coastal areas like Mombasa it would do well with the heat and the tourists.

Unknown said...

I haven't tried the Ketepa teas even when i've seen iced tea on the menu at Java I'm only mildly curious. That said I'm a cafeine addict and will take that iced coffee if only to avoid those cranky periods when I can't get my hands on a good strong cup of coffee. I hope they price it much lower than RedBull and they come with a sugarless version (I have been sugarless for a year now!)

Rafiki said...

I have tried the Lipton Ice Tea one and I must admit it is very refreshing in hot climates. But it may indeed never become a hit here in Kenya, since it is such a strange thought. It is like serving a hot Tusker with milk.

Anonymous said...

Iced tea sounds too foreign. sisi tumezoea chai ya mama ya ketepa.

Anonymous said...

I tried Ketepa iced tea once and I was not impressed considering the hype so I don't expect much from the Cocacola one.

Mama said...

I have to admit I am not a fun of iced tea. The Safari bottled types in the supermarkets have not tempted me yet.

The one I had an opportunity to try out was the Java one and it was just strungi with ice...I hated it!! Good luck to cocacola trying to sell iced tea without ice...hehehehehehe!

Maua said...

For all those who don't like ice tea, me included, try cold coffee . I'm with BP1, I take tea and coffee coz of milk. Frappe is good.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_frapp%C3%A9_coffee

Put a teaspoonful, I beg your pardon, a coffeespoonful of instant coffee and the number of sugars you take in a shaker, add half a glass of water, shake till coffee and sugar particles are fully dissolved.

Pour in a glass (don't forget the froth), add cold milk and/or more water if desired. Sip with a straw.

I miss summers.

Shiko-Msa said...

Acolyte let's hope so. Coca cola has the muscle to do some serious marketing.

Kirima I'm sure the price will certainly be fair when it comes. I'm sure they'll have done their market research and known that for an almost foreign concept they cant price is high.

Rafiki plus the Lipton brand is a bit pricey.

Chwaki, Gordie welcome. Ketepa is not impressive at all considering the hype.

Mama we dont have java here but I've tried Dormans iced coffee. Not bad.

Maua thanks for the recipe. Now which is a coffee spoon?

BP 1 said...

By the way, maua, where I come from if seen drinking milk less tea it is assumed either, you are broke, cant afford milk ama you are taking it for medicinal purpose. However after reading a new research I might opt for Black tea. The research says,

“Those who like milk in their hot tea may want to consider leaving it off in order to get more health benefits Several studies have suggested that tea is beneficial in terms of heart health, but new research has found that adding milk may negate those benefits” See link http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.cfm?pageid=P08804

Shiko-Msa said...

BP thats why black tea is also known as True Tea. Healthwise you're better off with black and if possible green tea.

BP 1 said...

Thanks for the tip, Shiko, will go for for black tea from today, but hot not iced one till the researchers come up with a new study regarding the hot tea.

Maua said...

Shiko, the spoon you use to measure coffee instead of tea, coffee spoon, the small spoon for stirring. If I don't take tea, then it has to be a coffee spoon.

Black tea is also known as turungi/ strungi. I've always thought of strong tea not true tea, aa it's both?

BP1, is taking lots of milk the reason my cholesterol is so high? I'll have a look at the site.

BP 1 said...

Maua … thou taking lots of milk especially cow’s might be the reason why your cholesterol is high other factors can cause it for example heredity, infact some researchers blame your fresh tap water for it. ( see link below)


One article I read recently says :


“What if I told you tap water and homogenized milk may be two of the biggest culprits in skyrocketing rates of high cholesterol? ………Two of the most harmful, and most common, everyday products we are ingesting that contribute to high cholesterol, and thus plaque in the arteries, are homogenized milk and chemically-treated tap water.” http://www.holisticonline.com/Remedies/Heart/heart_true-culprits-of-high-cholesterol.htm


While another article “Cholesterol Myths By Dr. Ravnskov” says :


“Studies of African tribes have shown that intakes of enormous amounts of animal fat not necessarily raises blood cholesterol; on the contrary it may be very low. Samburu people, for instance, eat about a pound of meat and drink almost two gallons of raw milk each day during most of the year. Milk from the African Zebu cattle is much fatter than cow's milk, which means that the Samburus consume more than twice the amount of animal fat than the average American, and yet their cholesterol is much lower, about 170 mg/dl
According to the view of the Masai people in Kenya, vegetables and fibers are food for cows. They themselves drink half a gallon of Zebu milk each day and their parties are sheer orgies of meat. On such occasions several pounds of meat per person is not unusual. In spite of that the cholesterol of the Masai tribesmen is among the lowest ever measured in the world, about fifty percent of the value of the average American
…….Shepherds in Somalia eat almost nothing but milk from their camels. About a gallon and a half a day is normal, which amounts to almost one pound of butter fat, because camel's milk is much fatter than cow's milk. But although more than sixty percent of their energy consumption comes from animal fat, their mean cholesterol is only about 150 mg/dl, far lower than in most Western people” see link http://www.heart-disease-bypass-surgery.com/data/articles/36.htm#1


Anyway i guess it good to know that there are more myth than fact when it comes to cholesterol issues.


By the way If It is must that you should drink milk then switching to camels’ milk is my best advice. See this link
“Camels' milk could hit UK shelves…… Camels' milk could become the latest super food to hit the shelves of health food shops and upmarket retailers. The United Nations is calling for the milk, which is rich in vitamins B and C and has 10 times more iron than cow's milk, to be sold to the West…….. Harrods and Fortnum & Mason are said to be interested in the product…… As well as its high mineral and vitamin content, research has suggested that antibodies in camels' milk can help fight diseases like cancer, HIV/Aids Alzheimer's and hepatitis C.”
see link http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4930094.stm

Rafiki said...

bp1: You are very right, camel's milk is the best, and the good thing is that it is now readily available in Kenya: VITAL CAMEL MILK is the world's first dairy plant which processes camel milk and value added products as health food. They started operations at their milk plant in Nanyuki in June 2005. Check out http://www.vitalcamelmilk.com/ for more info.
Camel milk is a bit of an acquired taste, but once you get used to it, it is more delicious than cow or goat milk.

Shiko-Msa said...

BP thanks for the links. The Samburu, Maasai and Somalis should tell us their secret then. Me thinks it's the inevitable exercise they do walking around all day.

Maua I hear Turungi is a corruption of the words True Tea. See, Turungi=True Tea. But Strong tea also sounds more like it - Strungi=strong tea. Not sure though.

Rafiki/BP Camel Milk is rather too expensive for every day use. Unless there are other cheaper brands, the only one I know about is Vital which I bought several times to satisfy my curiosity. But it goes for 99/- for half a litre. I'm sure it's gone up by now.

BP 1 said...

Rafiki thanks for the link.
shiko You are right Vital camel milk is expensive but We buy it at 100/- per liter from a dairy kiosk near Saba Saba. Am told they get their supplies from Maungu near Voi

Kenya's Dopest Chic said...

Ive learnt to love green tea and iced tea summer or no summer. If they market the product well i think they just might sell. Wow Ketepa iced tea,,,sounds nice right about now

Shiko-Msa said...

Nubian Queen I've read a lot about the health benefits of green tea but as yet I'm not able to love the taste. I'm told it's best to buy the the leaves or instant and make yourself as opposed to buying pre-packaged?