Launched in 2012, Motto, which markets a sparkling matcha tea, has racked up a number of wins over the past year, including the top spot at BevNET Live’s New Beverage Showdown 5 and new distribution in natural and specialty retailers along the East Coast and in Kroger-owned stores in Colorado.
Although Motto continues to find momentum in terms of exposure and retail placement, founders Tom Olcott and Henry Crosby state that educating consumers about the health benefits of matcha is of critical importance to the success of the brand.
“Very few people still have a good understanding of what matcha is, so the task for us has really been education and how good this plant is for you,” said Olcott.
Olcott and Crosby said that they’ve found success in explaining matcha to consumers by defining the ingredient as ground green tea leaves. Crosby noted that most people are familiar with green tea and its health benefits, which, positioned as a refined and concentrated form of green tea, makes matcha much more easily understood.
In this video, BevNET catches up with Olcott and Crosby at the Motto booth at the 2013 Expo East show to discuss more about the progress of the brand and how the product had been received at the event.