Tevolution

Product Type:Tea: Sweetened; Container: 16 oz Glass
BevNET Review: Tevolution’s take on the classic mixture of black tea and lemon is well-executed,but fairly standard, both in terms of flavor and branding. And that seems to be exactly what they were striving to create, with the bigger purpose of this product being an emphasis on charity (they give 25 cents to charity when you submit a code found under the label). However, our feeling is that consumers are not going to be compelled to switch to an “adequate” product to participate in this type of campaign. That said, we’d like to see a more developed and appealing brand than what they’ve created so far (it lacks a personality that consumers can associate with). With the success of the charitable efforts ultimately being predicated on sales of the product, we think that making the brand feel like something that could stand on its own will help the real purpose of the drink more than promotion of the cause itself. Overall, a very novel concept, but further developing the product’s identity will help it achieve its goals. Reviewed on: 11/15/2011

Product Type:Tea: Sweetened; Container: 16 oz Glass
BevNET Review: There are two fruit flavored white teas in the Tevolution lineup, but the differences are very subtle. However, we preferred the peach variety -- the peach flavoring goes better with the white tea than the mango. Plus, peach is a very popular flavor for RTD tea, so we suspect that this will be the more marketable of the two. Otherwise, the product has a modest amount of white tea flavor and sweetness from organic cane sugar (it has 120 calories per bottle). All in all, it’s a very pleasant tasting drink, but it doesn’t offer anything overly new or unique in the flavor department. We’d largely say the same for the packaging, with a fairly standard look to the product that includes a stock 16 oz. glass bottle and a paper label around the middle. It’s decent looking, but doesn’t totally pop off the shelf (the logo feels like something that goes with a technology company rather than a beverage company). Ultimately, the biggest point of differentiation has nothing to do with the appearance or flavor of the product, but instead with something that happens after you purchase the product. Specifically, the company donates 25 cents per bottle sold, but requires the consumer to peel back the label to find a specific code, which they then have to either submit via text or a web site. While the intentions are clearly good, it seems like a rather cumbersome approach for a single serve product. Overall, we don’t think they need to improve upon the flavor, but making this product feel like something that can sell on its own merit rather than charitable intentions will help it along.Reviewed on: 11/15/2011