In today’s fast-paced competitive environment, all of the world’s successful brands need to constantly evolve to meet the changing
requirements of consumers and to keep their appeal alive. In line with its mission to be world class, BOH – Malaysia’s favourite and leading tea brand, is on a fascinating evolutionary journey of its own to further strengthen its brand and to bond with consumers on an emotive level.
BOH’s evolution is a classic marketing case study of the communication strategy of a brand. Established over 75 years ago, the brand recognised for its teas of unique character and distinction grown in the ideal environmental conditions of Cameron Highlands, has progressed to its positioning as one which brings Malaysians from all walks of life together over the simple daily ritual of drinking tea.
The contest, in line with BOH's tagline, 'BOH Puts the Ummph! in life', required consumers to send in a photograph best depicting their 'Ummph!' moments with BOH. From here, 6 lucky winners with the best and most creative photographs were selected and have appeared in the music video together with the AF stars which premiered on the first day of Hari Raya on Astro.
Almost every Malaysian will remember the distinct signature phrase ‘ada Ummph!’ which is synonymous only with BOH – speaking of BOH’s robust and flavoury tea, which gives us the ‘kick’ to get going in life.
‘BOH ada Ummph!’ and we drank BOH tea to give us that ‘Ummph!’. Ask any Malaysian which tea has ‘Ummph!’ and 10 out of 10 will give you the same answer – ‘BOH ada Ummph!’. So strong was the ‘Ummph!’ imagery that it also came to be recognised as part of the Malaysian
vocabulary!
Resting on a heritage of trust and respect from generations of Malaysians of all races for the brand, ‘BOH Brings People Together’ took over as the core communication to emphasise the brand’s ability to transcend social and cultural differences through enabling all Malaysians, regardless of race, age or creed, to come together to enjoy the occasion of tea.
From fine restaurants to roadside stalls; from high city fliers to kampong folk, teatime is an integral part of Malaysians’ life and ‘Jemput Minum Teh’ is a greeting known to all races and religions. BOH is the catalyst for bonding - by bringing people together irrespective of their differences, and helping to bind and strengthen relationships in the simple ritual of drinking tea. This is a brand that reaches out and touches every Malaysian, from every walk of life.
“We feel the time is right for the brand to move into its next phase of evolution to keep it in tune with the needs of its consumers and maintain its competitive edge,” said Caroline Russell, CEO of BOH Plantations Sdn Bhd.
“The first highlight of this brand evolution is the interfacing of our inseparable signature messages - ‘BOH ada Ummph!’ with ‘BOH Brings People Together’”.
“We feel the time is right for the brand to move into its next phase of evolution to keep it in tune with the needs of its consumers and maintain its competitive edge,” said Caroline Russell, CEO of BOH Plantations Sdn Bhd.
“The first highlight of this brand evolution is the interfacing of our inseparable signature messages - ‘BOH ada Ummph!’ with ‘BOH Brings People Together’”.
“While BOH is staying true to the core brand
promise, we will now encapsulate that promise into the phrase "BOH puts the Ummph! in life".
“We had some difficultly in articulating what
‘Ummph!’ means, but we think the best way to do this is to describe it as ‘a
more than feeling’. ‘Ummph!’ moments are magical moments of togetherness;
unforgettable times shared with friends and loved ones,” Caroline explained.
Remember family reunions over a cup of BOH?
Remember a hug, a kiss, a touch, the happy playtime with your children, reaching
out to hold the wrinkled hands of the man you married when you were young? All
these magical moments can happen over a cup of BOH shared with someone. Simple,
but special moments.
Very simply, ‘BOH puts the Ummph! in life’ by igniting life and celebrating the deep joy of relationships through magical
moments of togetherness,” said Caroline.
The second highlight of BOH’s brand evolution is a vibrant new brand identity and product packaging which were conceptualised to
complement ‘BOH puts the Ummph! in life’.
The BOH brand identity has been refreshingly
updated in a way that is essentially relevant to consumers today, yet retaining the heritage and well-established brand equity of BOH. The new identity depicts sophistication and cleanliness in a simplified format, which conveys a
contemporary and dynamic look.
The BOH Orange has been made a key component,
taking on predominance in the pack, for a vibrant burst of energy. The chevron-shaped device has been retained and depicted in a premium way by the usage of silver.
While the packaging bears a refreshing and modern uplift, the heritage of the legacy pack designs is still reflected. Distinctive and unique, BOH's packaging stands out and is clearly differentiated from the competition.
So, Malaysians, BOH invites you to celebrate life with us! Let BOH put the ‘Ummph!’ in life because we bring people together. ‘Ummph!- that ‘more than feeling’.