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Examines the generic advertising campaign for tea conducted under the auspices of the Tea Council (UK) between 1965 and 1968. Contends that this innovation had a statistically significant effect on the trend of tea consumption, but was insufficient to halt the overall decline – this is attributed to the demand for coffee. Purports to investigate, as far as possible, the impact of this generic campaign on the demand for tea. States the analysis is concerned with the period from 1958 onwards and is based on quarterly data. Concludes that it seems unlikely that tea has been broadly competing with all drinks in any effective sense over the period studied.

The hot beverage market, made up of tea, ground and instant coffee, cocoa and drinking chocolate, and malted food drinks, exceeded £1 billion in 1984. Tea and coffee are worth about the same, just under £500m each, but tea is still the nation's most popular drink. Each Briton consumes six cups of hot drinks a day and just under four cups are tea. Tea outranks coffee in cups drunk by over 2 to 1, and 215,000 tons of tea are imbibed each year. ‘Hot Beverages in the UK’ is the second in the Drink Market Updates series by the Market Information Service at the Leatherhead Food Research Association. This report gives information on market shares, market sizes, consumption patterns and future trends in instant and ground coffee, packet tea and tea bags, and food drinks. The hot beverage market is expanding only in a few specialised areas, in particular, ground coffee, premium instant coffee and speciality teas. Currently worth only £168m between them, they are unlikely to make a great impact on the total market for some time.

The purpose of this paper was to develop a framework linking the concept of nostalgia and experiential consumption, articulating the transformation of a mundane activity to a special experience, using the context of the small business and afternoon tea.

The methodology is based on a grounded theory approach and draws on multiple methods of data collection including participant observation, in-depth interviews with afternoon tea room managers, researcher introspection and consumer interviews.

By employing nostalgia cues through product, ritual and aesthetics, an idealised home can be constructed emphasising belonging and sharing. The small business owner can be effective in transforming an ordinary activity to an experiential event. Contemporary tea rooms do not replicate tradition; they use it as a cultural resource to construct something novel.

This paper demonstrates how the careful configuration of the retail space can be a key success factor, not only for marketers in large flagship brand stores, but also for smaller, independent and local businesses. The essential interplay between product, ritual and aesthetics creates positive moods of belonging and sharing and may increase satisfaction.

Understanding the emotional value of everyday experiences is a point of differentiation in a crowded marketplace and may directly influence consumer loyalty. Staging experiences is a key competitive strategy.

This paper is one of the few to empirically assess links between the nostalgia paradigm and experiential consumption. Existing research has emphasised large retail spaces; in contrast, the authors demonstrate how consumer experiences can be staged in smaller, independent and local businesses.

There is little in the literature on branding that considers how a brand name may affect a brand and its global positioning. Similarly, there is little research on brand dissonance and the paradoxes that occur in a globalised world. This research aims to examine the impact of country of origin image on consumer perceptions of a successful tea brand dissonance between the country of origin and the brand name.

A case study approach, using qualitative data collection, has been applied in this study. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 22 experienced tea distributors and managers of Ahmad Tea in the Confederation of Independent States.

The findings show that a positive country of origin effect can have a positive impact on a global brand image transcending any negative connotations that a brand name may have.

The findings of this study provide useful insights for academics and practitioners regarding the success factors of branding strategy in international markets.

This paper attempts to respond to a call by Keller for more empirical research into the ways in which the images of country of origin change or supplement the image of a brand. In doing so, this paper shows that successful associations with positive country of origin images can overcome problems with a problematic brand name in a global context.

The Protection of Consumers (Trade Descriptions) bill which, owing to the General Election, did not quite make the Statute Book in the last Parliament, is, at the moment of writing, passing through its readings, with every likelihood of becoming law in the near future. It has been criticised for the extent of the control to be exercised over general trading and that in “coddling the customer” it will place unreasonable responsibilities upon retailers. In fact, it is impossible to foresee just how far its provisions may extend, but there will be few who will disagree that new and more searching requirements are long overdue.

We can think of those with a cynical turn of mind who might consider not a little of the present output of the parliamentary machine as “harem scarem” law, but the indecent haste, the freak urgency of some politically inspired laws apart, it is only too obvious that law is being made under rush conditions, and the reasons are not far to seek. A hectic, over‐active party executive, feverishly pushing ahead with its policies produces impossible working conditions for the parliamentary draftsmen. Law, whether it is statute or regulation, has never been more complex than it is today; time allowed for parliamentary debate is completely inadequate; too many and varied interests have to be taken into account, to say nothing of the vast range of delegated legislation. The urgency of some legislation is doubtful; it is difficult to see the need for all the hurry; a little more time in proper debate would prevent some of the loopholes which subsequently appear and render the law more comprehensible; incomprehensibility and justice are rarely compatible. As Diplock L J., said in the Court of Appeal in Rex. v. Industrial Injuries Commissioner ex parte Cable (1968) 1 A.E.R., 9, a few months ago—“Judges have been at their wits' end to know what some of the provisions mean. It would be a good thing if time could be found to remedy the blemishes.”

Without aspiring to emulate Robert Browning's song thrush, we venture to repeat an admonition on smoking in the food trade of almost a decade ago. (The Smoking Habit, 1962, BFJ, 64, 79). The first time it coincided with a little research we had undertaken, which later saw the light of day epitomized in article form and was enthusiastically (sic) commented upon in sections of the press and then died as if it had never been born. (Tobacco and Lung Cancer, 1965, Med. Offr., 2955, 148). Now, it coincides with the most concentrated, officially inspired, campaign, so far, mounted against the evils of smoking. The most striking fact about all these national efforts every few years is the lack of success in real terms. A marketing organization achieving such poor results would count it a costly failure. It would be unfair to say that none have given up, but with a habit so ingrained, determination is required and in many, if not most, of those able to refrain, the craving is so great that they are smoking again within a week or so. Overall, the smoking population is enormous, including, as it does, girls and women‐folk. Once, it was undignified for a woman to be seen smoking. We recall a visit by Queen Mary to the village Manor House, just after the First War; she was an expert in antique furniture and came to see the manor's collection. When Her Majesty asked for a cigarette, the village rang with astonishment for days. Nothing as amazing had happened since Cavaliers and Roundheads tethered their horses beneath the three great poplars which stood on the green. “Queen Mary! 'er smokes!”

Examines the generally acknowledged field of considerable importance to marketers, e.g. problems of analysing brand image data and the best areas for development of product benefits. Stresses that consumers find difficulty in finding large differences between competing products and brands. Questions what should be emphasized in order to improve attitudes towards the objectives herein. Investigates the research background which concerned tea's declining share of the non‐alcoholic beverage market and its replacement, primarily by coffee. Devises an appropriate strategy aimed at halting and/or reversing this decline in tea consumption. Concludes that the methods used (including the use of well‐organised tables) within this research has particular relevance to consumer choice behaviour and the basis of this argument rests with the adopted methods.

Suggests some ways of overcoming large and unpredictable fluctuations in demand and prices of food commodities. Proposes, in order to maintain some equilibrium, there must be a“buyer of the last resort” – a mechanism for fixing a floor to the price of a product, or temporarily increasing supplies or damping demand in order to keep an upper limit. States that fresh produce conforms to few of the basic assumptions of classical marketing theory, and has an inherent tendency towards market instability. Concludes that commodity marketing faces problems unknown in a manufacturing industry and the essential skill lies in understanding the distributors and consumers, and successfully communicating with them.