2. Do you consider Numi’s relationships with its producers as important to their marketing as the relationships with its customers?

Chances are, if you’ve heard of Numi Tea, you heard about it from someone else. Jennifer Mullin, vice president of marketing for the company, explains that this is by design. “That person really believes in the tea and is sharing the tea,” she says. “It’s far more credible than us saying, ‘Hey, try our tea,’ because, obviously, we’re Numi Tea.” Numi Tea was started in 1999 by brother and sister team Ahmed and Reem Rahim.
Keeping it in the family is big at Numi. Reem’s artwork adorns every box of tea. Their childhood friend, Hammad Atassi, is their director of food service. Every member of the Tea’m, as they call it, is committed to the company’s core values of sustainability, creativity, and quality organics. This extends to their corporate customers and their producers, as well. Like their teas, every relationship is carefully cultivated and maintained.
“We focus on sampling versus the traditional marketing methods such as print or TV advertising because, for us, the conversion happens when people taste Numi Tea,” explains Mullin. Numi has found that few remember their print ads, but they remember the taste of the tea and Reem’s artwork on the package. Sampling has become a very popular marketing tactic. It is big business, too. An entire industry has popped up to place products in gift bags for events ranging from local events to the Oscars. Aware that most of their best marketing is done friend to friend, Numi started a Tea Champions program. Numi sends thank-you packages to fans and provides them with free tea and educational literature on their fair-trade producers and the health benefits of natural and organic teas they can share with their friends.