Say goodbye to Chatime, and hello to Tealive everyone!
After a messy divorce from Taiwan-based La Kaffa International, Bryan Loo’s company, Loob Holding, is ready to forge ahead with its new brand, Tealive.
We initially thought that “Tea Is Our Life”, which is the name of their Facebook page, was their new name. As it turns out, the brand is simply called, Tealive. So how did the new name came about?
Loo explained, “We wanted a new name that not only would appeal to Malaysians, but across the other regions and the whole world. So we felt like we had to find a very good name; and it had to be different from Chatime. We started with over 300 names and over three days, we shortlisted it down to 30 names and then the last one. In the end, we wanted a name that was simple and easy to digest no matter who you are.”
He continued, “While shortlisting, we felt that we exceptionally liked the names that had different pronunciations. People used to pronounce Chatime in so many different ways and it stirred conversation. So we wanted the same spirit; and that’s how we landed on the name Tealive (live pronounced similar to ‘a live show’). Some people could pronounce it tea-live (as in live at home) but the important thing is the underlying meaning to it – we want to bring a new life to tea.”
With so many tea base drinks already in the market, how will Loob Holding differentiate Tealive from Chatime? “Our mission is totally different – we want to be the brand that protects the weak and isn’t afraid of the strong; but also the brand that embraces changes. On the other side, with our hands untied, I believe that over the next quarters there is going to be a lot of innovation in terms of products, which we couldn’t do before,” said the CEO.
“When we used to collaborate with local brands, we were served warning letters; so moving forward that’s something we don’t have to worry about, so we can be innovative. I would also like to establish a regional R&D centre to come up with more creative drinks that will excite the market,” he shared.
“Also, we’re looking to carry on with our aggressive expansion and move into other regions. We were already planning to do that with the previous brand, but now we get to do it with Tealive,” Loo added.
In celebration of the launch, Tealive is offering a Buy 1, Free 1 promotion for any drink, starting from tomorrow onwards (Saturday, 18th February) till next Wednesday (22nd February).
To find out the latest on Tealive, visit their Facebook page here.
Source: Malaysia Tatler.
