Dr.B's Teas: Lemongrass

Lemon and tea is a pretty easy concept to explain and one that, at least in a good percentage of the population, instantly whets the appetite. At least that should be the case. For Dr. B’s Premium Microbrewed Tea, they’ve created somewhat of a roadblock to that, which is an overly aggressive emphasis on health. We don’t believe that most consumers go to the beverage cooler with their doctor in mind (the very thought of it probably quells the enjoyment that they are actually seeking from their beverage choice). But Dr. B’s is betting the opposite, with the name, the tag line (“healthy tea made by a health professional”), and even the visual treatment on the front of the label (which looks like warning text from a container of medicine) all trying really hard to sell you on the benefits of a doctor-created beverage. Given what this product is, xylitol and monk fruit sweetened tea flavored with lemongrass, there’s really no benefit to a health professional being involved. We’re not saying this to be harsh -- there’s definitely an opportunity here for this type of product -- but the branding is selling something that isn’t overly appealing. Inside the bottle, there’s still some work to be done with this flavor. The combination of rooibos (an herbal tea), lemongrass flavor, xylitol, and monk fruit has a heavy sweetener taste to it, although it keeps the product at 10 calories per bottle. This is an issue with most of the Dr. B’s flavors, but it’s one that can likely be addressed (and should be). Overall, the concept for this product (low calorie, all natural tea) definitely has potential, but the execution of the flavor and, more importantly, the brand itself, need to be reconsidered.