Teavana provides a brand book detailing its history, positioning, personality, and branding elements. It was founded in 1997 to create a "heaven of tea" and introduce people to loose leaf teas. In 2012, Starbucks acquired Teavana and rebranded it to appeal to a younger demographic. The brand book explains Teavana's mission is to provide high quality teas and a unique experience in stores. It also outlines the brand's design elements, typography, social media presence, storefronts, and competitors to maintain a consistent brand image.

1. Brand Book

2. i. Intro
4. brand book purpose
ii. About the brand
6. history
7. positioning
8. mission
10. process
11. types of teas
16. consumer
17. personality
18. tone
22. mood board
iii. Communication
24. design elements
26. typography
27. website
29. instagram
30. twitter
31. youtube
32. facebook
33. advertisements
iv. Experiential
35. store front
37. in-store experience
39. competitors
40. packaging
table of contents

3. introduction

4. brand book purpose
The purpose of this brand book is to demonstrate and explain the Teavana brand through its history,
tone and personality, its audience and archetype and how it is unique. This brand book also shows
how the brand communicates its elements, principles, art, identity, etc.
It also tells the story behind the brand name and logo, the colors it uses to identify itself, as well as
typography, imagery, website layout and packaging. Essentially, this brand book goes in-depth about
all aspects of the Teavana brand in order to understand it from the inside out.

5. about the brand

6. history
Founded in Atlanta, GA in 1997 by Andrew T.
Mack from an idea that people would enjoy high-
quality tea in a place that was part Tea Bar, part Tea
Emporium. Mack and his wife wanted to create a
“heaven of tea”, hence the name Teavana (Tea +
Nirvana) which is meant to describe the experience
each customer has with their tea and staff.
They wanted to introduce people to the aromas,
textures, and beneficial qualities of loose leaf teas
while enlightening them with the history and
variety of teas available.
In 2012, Starbucks acquired Teavana and the brand
has been remodeled to appeal to a younger and
broader demographic. Teavana is now much more
sleek, modern and minimalistic.

7. “To provide fresh, high quality teas and
the products to serve them. And to create
a unique tea experience in each store by
encouraging a positive, healthy outlook on
all who enter.”

8. Teavana wants to provide a distinct
experience through taste, with a serene
environment in every store because they
want their customers to feel passion,
romance, positivity and escape.
the mission

9. why loose leaf tea?
While tea bags may give a quicker brew,
they lack full flavor and release more
tannins than loose leaf teas, giving it a
harsher flavor. They also often contain
mixtures of tea rather than a pure tea.
Teavana uses loose leaf tea because it
provides more flavor while also allowing
you to blend flavors and different types of
teas easily. Additionally, loose leaf tea is
pure tea, which means it can be consistently
enjoyed every time.

10. At Teavana, only those teas with rich and unique
flavors chosen. They are hand-selected from the
youngest, freshest, whole tea leaves of the Camellia
sinensis plant in the most fertile regions of the world,
to provide the most exceptional loose leaf tea.
The leaves are dried to release delicate flavors and
then rolled to enfold the luxurious experience of
relaxation within its curves.
Brewing and tasting may take up to 12 months in
order to select the very best flavors and combinations
for the best-tasting cup possible, every time.
the process

11. Rule of thumb: The more tea leaves are
processed, the stronger the flavor.
There are four types of teas. The level of
oxidation, or exposure to the elements, is what
determines whether a tea is white, green, oolong
or black.

12. white
The lightest and most delicate tea variety. The youngest, freshest leaves are
simply plucked and dried, so there’s no time for oxidation.
Tasting notes:
Fragrant and sweet
Popular types:
Silver Yin Zhen Pearls, Jasmine Silver Needle & Youthberry

13. The leaves are heated before they’re rolled (by hand or in a machine) and dried.
Very little oxidation, but the extra steps bring out more natural flavor.
Tasting notes:
Lightly toasted or grassy.
Popular types:
Strawberry Grapefruit Xue, Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls & Gyokuro Imperial
green

14. oolong
Bruising or tearing the leaves results in partial oxidation, and a cup with fuller
body and richer color. Commonly served in Chinese restaurants.
Tasting notes:
Floral aroma with a smooth finish.
Popular types:
Toasted Nut Brûlée, Qi'Lan Fireside & Weight To Go! Pu-erh Tea

15. The leaves are rolled and given plenty of time to oxidize before being fired.
Black teas are bold, complex and strong. More popular in the West.
Tasting notes:
Rich and full-bodied.
Popular types:
Golden Monkey, Black Dragon Pearl & JavaVana Mate
black

16. consumer
Because Teavana has the archetype of a lover,
romancing its product and being passionate about
its creation projects on to its consumers.
Therefore, the Teavana customer enjoys the good
and the little things in life. They like taking in a
brisk afternoon sunset and strolling along a
riverside. They enjoy inhaling fresh air and
smelling flowers. They make time for tranquility
and serenity in their day. They are conscious of
their bodies and respect them. They enjoy treating
themselves by pleasing their tastebuds as well as
their mind. Bust most importantly, a Teavana
customer and prefers quality over quantity, which
sometimes means bordering the pricy side.

17. brand personality
“Encouraging a positive, healthy
outlook for all who enter.”
Teavana embodies a lover. It wants to be in a
relationship with its customers, work on what
they love, and create tactile experiences and
attraction through their premium quality teas.
Teavana strategizes in becoming more physically
and emotionally attractive, building an
experience that appeals to all of the senses. It
romances its product and has a passion for its
creation which projects on to the customers.
It is a lifestyle and passion brand and has
maintained its values of the tea culture and of
serving premium quality products.

18. tone
“Live the Tea Life”
Teavana guarantees that there is a blend
that matches your unique “me time” need.
Since Starbucks acquired Teavana in 2012,
the brand’s tone has shifted to appeal to a
younger demographic. While still sticking
to the brand’s core values, Teavana is now
more trendy and uses playful language.
“Whether you’re new to tea or a
seasoned connoisseur, you’re sure
to find a flavor that fits.”

19. “FOR NEWBIES”
If you’re scratching your
head and wondering
where to get started, try
one (or all) of these
classic, easy-drinking teas.
Some of these playful words are those such as “for
newbies” in their “Tea 101” section of their website.

20. “FRUIT-FORWARD”
Berries, peaches,
mangos and more.
Satisfy your sweet
tooth with a flavored
tea or herbal blend.
“Fruit-forward” is another example of playful
words that the brand is using to be more friendly
and appealing to the younger demographic.

21. CHILL OUT
Pop your teapot in the fridge or
add ice to make any mix a warm-
weather refresher.
GET FIZZY
Top it off with a splash of tonic or
club soda. Because everything's
better with bubbles.
GOOD SPIRITS
Tea cocktails, anyone? Add a
measure of gin or bourbon - but
be sure to always sip responsibly.
On its website, Teavana has a mixology tab where it
provides viewers possible ways of drinking Teavana
teas. This is a great twist for the brand to make
driving tea something more appealing, creative and
fun than perhaps the view of tea being boring.
The language used is very youthful. Phrases like
“chill out” and “get fizzy” are inviting and are a great
example of Teavana’s rebranding. The colors used
are very vibrant and the icons are simple and clean.

22. mood board
Teavana
AaBbCcDdEe
teavana
AaBbCcDdEe
TEAVANA
AaBbCcDdEe
Teavana
AaBbCcDdEe

23. communication

24. design elements: before
colors logos
original
keep
color variation
avoid
textured
keep
Teavana’s classic colors were warm and earthy tones of purple and orange
for a “cozy” feeling to go along with its rawness and purity that is the entire
process of tea leaf selection, the benefits of the teas, and so forth.
Purple: spirituality (nirvana / Buddhism) and luxury
Orange: friendliness (teologists) success
Because the name Teavana derived from the combination of the words Tea + Nirvana, and
nirvana is the ultimate state one reaches in Buddhism, a Buddha was selected as the logo
for the brand. Also, Buddhism is about changing perception and Andrew Mack’s goal for
Teavana was to change view on tea. Although seldom used now, if the Buddha is to be used,
it should be done subtly in a single color fill and used in packaging above the brand name,
secondary
secondarysecondary
secondary
secondary

25. design elements: now
colors logos
In light of Teavana’s rebranding, its new stores use red menu boards, wooden panels, glossy
white plywood. and black details. The golden-orange color was kept and is mainly used in
packaging copy and logos.
Red: optimistic, energizing, stimulating and exciting Black: formal, classy
White: goodness, purity, freshness, easy clean Gold: valuable, prosperity, traditional
Teavana removed the Buddha from the store fronts and from its website header.
This new logo is just the brand name and it has been modified to be simplistic
and classy, avoiding color. The logo should be used in the store front and in all
packaging but may vary in color and size depending on the product.
primary
secondary

26. typography
font-family: Helvetica Neue 85, sans serif
font-weight: bold
font-style: condensed
font-family: ‘Playfair Display’, serif
font-weight: bold
font-style: normal
font-family: 'Gotham SSm A', 'Gotham SSm B’
font-weight: 400
font-style: normal
font-family: ‘Sentinel SSm A’, ‘Sentinel SSm B’
font-weight: 300
font-style: normal

27. website
The website uses a lot of
imagery and few copy
which is more appealing.
The images positioned in
banner format which give a
nice consistent from when
scrolling down the pages.

28. There is a really nice use of white
space, symmetry and balance as
well as color contrast on the
website as well.

29. instagram
recipes arrivals promos

30. twitter
foto-oriented
consumer-engaged
Broadness of audience has
grown since Starbucks
acquired Teavana. Posts are
very consumer-engaged
with many contests and
reposts of consumers using
Teavana products. Majority
of the posts are also very
visual, using fotos for more
engaging content.

31. YouTube
Teavana’s YouTube channel provides
tutorials on how to create certain
beverages more than anything else.
It also has informational videos
about new products.
In the videos, Teavana uses a lot of
close up shots to show the products,
and it uses some extreme close-up
shots mainly when showing its loose
leaf tea. Whenever there is a person
talking in the videos, the shots are
always shot medium and symmetrical.

32. facebook
profile pictures cover photos
Through its Facebook page,
Teavana has played with a
lot of versions of its
original Buddha logo.
Currently, the profile
picture is the simple, black
Teavana name logo.
For its cover pictures, the
brand is does a very nice
job at implementing the
products and playing with
color as well as seasons.

33. advertisements
Teavana uses colorful, detail-
oriented, yet simple design
when it comes to its
advertisements. The mediums
used for these ads are
typically digital and classic
print ads. The brand has a
tendency to use different tones
of orange in most of its ads
and is relatively light on copy.

34. experiential

35. store front: classicOriginal stores keep consistency of original brand colors and logo. No
store is identical but they are all relatively the same. There is always glass
windows on either one side or both sides of the entrance to demonstrate
product accessories and transparency. There is also always a sample tea
cart and the doors tend to be open for a friendly invite.

36. store front: new
New store fronts are modern,
simple and clean-cut with a
splash of color. Not all are the
same but now in some of the
stores there is a glass window
panel displaying Teavana’s teas
instead of its accessories. The
teas are also assembled by color
for a more organized appearance.

37. in-store experience New Teavana stores are colorful, ample, and bright. The tea bar is
also more focused than its previous stores. Sampling station is
called a “wet bar” and offers all samples in one place which makes
the experience more organized. Overall it is youthful and inviting.

38. tea tasting
Teavana cups hundreds of teas
daily, so it’s very important to keep
four 4 characteristics in mind when
it comes to the art of tea tasting.
• visual
• cup color
• taste
• aroma

39. Competitors
David’s Tea is similar to Teavana’s new
brand image. The stores are very colorful
and vibrant which appeals to the youth but
Teavana is the pioneer of loose leaf tea and
some of its main differentiators are its tea
bar and sampling. David’s Tea does not
have a great focus on sampling.
Kusmi tea is also very bright and colorful
and offers sampling. However, Kusmi tea
is mainly in some of Europe and North
America. Teavana on the other hand is all
across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and
Puerto Rico.

40. The go-to packaging for Teavana is
paper bags with a bendable or ziplock-
type seal. However, in order to preserve
the tea and all of its benefits and
aromas, Teavana encourages its
customers to purchase its tea storage
tins with air-tight seals to keep the tea
fresher, longer. At the stores, giant
storage tins with air tight seals are used.
Intricate designs are used with a variety
of colors and patterns on storage tins
and boxes. The seasons are a big
influence on package design, like red
and white tones for Christmas and
orange tones for Fall.
packaging