A Study of PET Bottled Beverages: Strengths and Weaknesses! The “Tea War” between Ito En, the absolute champion, and the giant manufacturers
Suntory's Iemon, Nippon Coca-Cola's Soukenbicha and Aya Taka, Kirin's Namaicha and Afternoon Black Tea, and Asahi Soft Drinks' Sashi are all aiming to take over the Oiicha brand.
I saw the first sunrise at a very small station.
This haiku, written by an 8-year-old elementary school student in Osaka Prefecture, became the talk of the town on X (formerly Twitter) in October when it won the highest prize, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award, in a haiku contest.
The name of this prize, one of the largest in Japan, is the “Ito En Oi-Ocha New Haiku Grand Prize. Selected works will appear on the label of the PET-bottled green tea drink “Oi Ocha. Economic journalist Takai Naoyuki spoke of the prize.
Oi Ocha” is Ito En’s unshakable signature product. Launched in 1985 as “Sencha in a can,” it was renamed “Oi Ocha” in 1989. In 1990, it became the first green tea beverage to be sold in PET bottles. The “New Haiku Grand Prize” was established as part of the advertising strategy, and has a 34-year history since the first contest in 1989. It is now well established, but it was quite a unique marketing strategy at the time to feature haiku submitted by consumers on the product packaging.
In the past, coffee was the most popular category in the soft drink industry. However, due to the growing preference for PET bottled beverages over canned beverages and the growing health consciousness, green tea ranked first in terms of production volume in ’17. We expect PET-bottled tea to continue to do well in the years ahead.”
Oi Ocha” has sold more than 40 billion bottles in total and is registered in the Guinness World Records as the world’s top-selling green tea beverage in terms of annual sales. Behind the creation of the world’s best-selling bottled tea was the extraordinary corporate effort of Ito En’s “Oi Ocha” brand.
Oi Ocha” is the world’s first transparent green tea. The clear color, which excludes sediment, makes the liquid less prone to oxidation and stabilizes the taste. It also looks better when displayed on the shelf, making it easier for consumers to pick up. This is how “Oi Ocha” established itself as a leading product in the industry,” said Market Advisor Hideo Amano.
