How Yorkshire Tea became Britain’s No.1 Tea - Dom Dwight

A conversation with Marketing Director of Yorkshire Tea, Dom Dwight.
Dom Dwight former editor & journalist who, just over a decade ago, discovered a passion for doing marketing properly, most notably through Yorkshire Tea but with a growing focus on coffee for Taylors of Harrogate. He's on a mission to prove that brands can connect with consumers in a way that benefits business, people, and (if it's not too ridiculous) the world.

What we covered in this episode:
  • What a Proper Yorkshire Tea business card would look like
  • From journalist to CMO of the UK’s best loved Tea brand
  • Starting out on Twitter in 2008 to connect with ex pats who love tea
  • Going from No.3 Tea brand to No.1 in just a couple of years
  • Transforming market share from 13% to 33%
  • Yorkshire Tea for Yorkshire people using Yorkshire water
  • Why communication was the strategy to unlock growth
  • How social media informed Yorkshire Tea’s tone of voice
  • The serious case for more humour
  • Discovering the ‘where everything’s done proper’ idea with Lucky Generals
  • Why targeting new users was critical for brand growth
  • How well known Yorkshire celebrities helped the brand reach new users
  • Getting Sean Bean to run the company induction
  • Using the Brownlee Brothers for deliveries
  • Asking Michael Parkinson to do your interviews
  • Hiring Kaiser Chiefs to produce the hold music
  • Focussing on quality over quantity for Ad production
  • Turning the Advertising engines off during covid but gaining some useful tailwinds
  • Jon tests Dom on his ability to predict which Ad perform best on System1
  • The power of movement to capture our attention
  • The importance of creative instincts when making a great ad
  • Why trust is so important when delegating to your team
  • How Yorkshire Tea discovered a sense of humour
  • In house social on a budget vs agency high production
  • The power of low ego at Lucky Generals
  • Inventing the social distancing teapot during lockdown
  • Quietly going carbon neutral and painting the story on pack
  • The importance of culture to the performance of the brand
  • Time invested in genuinely asking ‘how people are; that supports during challenges
  • The Importance of a stable management team over the long term
  • Turning loyal brand drinks into advocates to recruit new ones
  • Customer complaints about not screening the full version of the Sean Bean TV ad
  • Debating which Christmas ads work and which don’t
  • Praising the power of M&S ‘this is no ordinary’ Advertising
  • Yorkshire Tea’s ambition take on the World
How Yorkshire Tea became Britain’s No.1 Tea - Dom Dwight
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