I didn’t throw a forgotten, lukewarm, still-brewing mug of tea down the sink today. Because Laurent, the tea farmer from Rugabano that played a pivotal role in the creation of the teabag was stood next to me. Watching. I didn’t want Laurent to think he, and his creation, were not valued.
The SPILL tea that I took the time to reheat cost me 4p. Not valuable. But valued. Because Spill Tea founders Sofia and Lou have built a brand that changes how tea is made and distributed. That change is valued by Laurent. So the tea is valued by me.
Few businesses get this right. But when they do, with good offering, a little luck and a lot of hard work, they can do well. Because customers like me pay attention to the change our buying decisions actually make. We think not only about how how valuable the thing we’re buying is. But how valued the change is, too. And this little shift of focus produces brands that matter more, and last longer.
Not valuable. But valued.