The month of June is National Iced Tea Month (June 10th was National Iced Tea Day), and approximately 75 to 80 percent of all tea consumed in America is iced, per the Tea Association of the U.S.A.
Of coruse, for tea businesses, National Iced Tea Month is a great opportunity to promote iced tea products of all kinds, but it’s major consumer brands like McAlister's Deli, Dunkin’, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and others that are dominating when it comes to big promotions in June.
Overall, Mintel research determined that 39 percent of restaurant-goers drink cold tea, and about twice as many that have hot tea, so it makes sense that foodservice brands are standing out with National Iced Tea Month.
How are these brands – as well as others like Milo’s Tea and Pure Leaf – taking advantage of Iced Tea Month?
They’re creating promotions and generating major attention online and in the press. In fact, some of the top tea related stories this past month (across Google) have been about these brands and their iced tea promotions.
Here’s what these companies did this month – all of which can be inspiration for your tea business to level up next June.
McAlister's Deli Celebrates Iced Tea with ‘Tea-cation’, Dunkin’ Offers Free Iced Tea
To celebrate National Iced Tea Day on June 10, McAlister's Deli encouraged its customers to create a relaxing getaway, right in their own backyard, with their popular iced teas.
McAlister’s said that sipping on their teas takes their customers on a “mental vacation,” so McAlister's created an at-home oasis that’s just as refreshing.
Theie limited-edition “Tea-cation” set is complete with all the infla-tea-ble essentials needed for the ultimate summertime staycation, giving customers the perfect spot to kick back and enjoy a freshly-brewed McAlister's Tea.
“Nothing goes better together than summer and iced tea, so we're excited to give our fans a one-of-a-kind experience to enjoy our famous tea in a new way," said Mike Freeman, chief brand officer of McAlister's Deli. “We've been celebrating ‘Free Tea Day' at McAlister's Deli for 15 years and this limited-edition Tea-cation puts a new spin on one of our favorite days of the year.”
The McAlister's Tea-cation includes an inflatable pool, which can be filled with the lemon wedge floatie, pool noodle and inflatable cup holders, inspired by their array of flavors, to resemble a cup of McAlister's Famous Tea. Customers can also unwind poolside in the inflatable lounge chair while sipping on a glass of ice-cold tea from the cooler. The set also comes with an inflatable ring toss game, portable speaker, custom beach towel, sticker pack, bar cart and a Tea-cation themed backdrop. Plus, a lemon shaped dog bed, so furry friends can join in on the fun.
Starting on June 10, customers were able to enter for a chance to win the ultimate Tea-cation getaway and a $500 McAlister's egift card by being a McAlister's Rewards member and purchasing a tea between National Iced Tea Day (June 10) and the first day of summer (June 21). Customers could also participate in the giveaway by commenting on the call-to-action posts on McAlister's Facebook and Instagram during the same dates.
The creative Tea-cation campaign kicked off McAlister's summer celebration of tea, in anticipation for their 15th annual “Free Tea Day.” On July 20, Free Tea Day returns at participating McAlister's Deli locations nationwide, offering customers a free 32 ounce cup of their famous Tea. Get a sweet tea, unsweet tea, tea/lemonade, half sweet/half unsweet or the new limited-time flavor, PassionBerry.
Founded in 1989, McAlister's Deli is a fast casual restaurant chain with more than 520 restaurants in 29 states as of March 26.
And over at Dunkin’, they dove into the sunny season with wave of Dunkin’ Rewards offers from June 1 to June 30. For for tea lovers, they promoted National Iced Tea Day, offering guests a free medium iced tea with any purchase.
Milo's Tea Hosts Instagram Giveaways
Milo's Tea, a family-owned business known for crafting tea using high quality ingredients, is presenting a month of giveaways to celebrate National Iced Tea Month.
Milo's has been celebrating “Tea Tuesday” every week in June, and fans can enter to win prizes each week. One grand prize winner who will receive a year of free Milo's. To participate, fans enter on Milo's Instagram page (@drinkmilos), tagging a friend in the comments and sharing how they’re going to celebrate the “Sweetest Summer Ever with Milo's.” Every Friday in June, five winners are selected to receive summer must-haves like beach towels, tumblers, coolers and more.
“We love it when our fans share their moments of delicious joy with us," said Tricia Wallwork, CEO and chair of Milo's Tea Company and granddaughter of founder Milo Carlton. “As a family-owned business for 77 years, our iced teas and lemonade taste like homemade because we make it the way my grandmother did – fresh brewed, using real ingredients. This National Iced Tea Month, we are excited to give fans the Sweetest Summer Ever."
In addition to the social giveaways, Milo's gave fans a chance to try their best-seller, Milo's Famous Sweet Tea, in New York City. On June 7 and 8, tea fans caught Milo's “Tea Tricycle” throughout Manhattan and enjoyed a sweet sip of their sweet tea.
Of note: Milo's is also committed to sustainability efforts, recently becoming a Platinum Certified Zero Waste manufacturer.
Pure Leaf Puts the Ice in National Iced Tea Day with Diamond Giveaway
To celebrate National Iced Tea Day on June 10, Pure Leaf served its real brewed iced tea with a side of extra ice. That weekend, consumers had a chance to win real ice – a half carat diamond earrings kind of ice – along with free real-brewed Pure Leaf Sweet Iced Tea.
From Friday, June 9, through Saturday, June 10, the giveaway surprised 25 winners with their very own bottle of diamond-paired Pure Leaf Sweet Iced Tea. Fans could enter by following @PureLeaf on Instagram and either: 1. Posting a photo to their Instagram Stories with Pure Leaf and using #PureLeafIcedTeaDay #GiveawayEntry or 2. Commenting on the giveaway post using the same hashtahs and tagging a friend they plan on sharing an ice-cold iced tea with on National Iced Tea Day.
In addition, those based in Atlanta, Ga. were invited to beat the heat with a visit to the Pure Leaf Iced Out vending machine at Park Tavern for a limited time during National Iced Tea Day. Each guest who interacted with the vending machine received a complimentary bottle Pure Leaf Sweet Iced Tea, and 10 lucky visitors won an extra bottle that unlocked real diamond earrings.
“At Pure Leaf, we're thrilled there is a national holiday to celebrate all things iced tea,” said Julie Raheja-Perera, general manager, North America, Pepsi Lipton partnership. “…We know our fans value the finer things in life, so we couldn't think of a better way to give them what they crave than by surprising and delighting them with the iciest, most unexpected pairing this National Iced Tea Day."
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Creates a Special Menu and Summer Happy Hour
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf brand, an iconic Southern California favorite that’s been serving premium coffee and tea for the past 60 years, has been promoting its summer seasonal menu with a new line-up of beverages that complement its core matcha drinks.
Some of the featured drinks include a Matcha Cookies & Cream Ice Blended drink and an Iced Mango Matcha Latte. And the café brand also brought back its “Be Happy Hour,” where guests can receive $1 off any Ice Blended Drink from 3 p.m. to close for a special afternoon treat (through Aug. 15).
“We know how much our guests love our matcha drinks, so we're excited to have created a new array of delicious ways that they can enjoy our high quality matcha,” said Daniella Voysey, head of marketing, Americas, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
The Iced Mango Matcha Latte is a colorful drink featuring delicate layers of mango syrup and milk (or a plant based mik), along with pure matcha that’s sourced from the region of Shizuoka, Japan, which is renowned for producing the finest Japanese green tea. The Matcha Cookies & Cream Ice Blended drink mixes creamy vanilla and matcha with decadent cookie pieces.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has 1,094 retail locations across the globe and can also be found in grocery aisles as well as specialty locations, including airports and hotels.
Don’t Miss the Weekly World Tea News eNewsletter! Get your free subscription, if you’re not already subscribed, by clicking here.
Plan to Attend or Participate in World Tea Expo, March 18-20, 2024
To learn about other key developments, trends, issues, hot topics and products within the global tea community, plan to attend World Tea Expo, March 18-20, 2024 in Las Vegas, co-located with Bar & Restaurant Expo. Visit WorldTeaExpo.com.
To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at the World Tea Conference + Expo, or to enquire about advertising and sponsorship opportunities at World Tea News, contact:
Ellainy Karaboitis-Christopoulos
Business Development Manager, Questex
Phone: +1-212-895-8493
Email: [email protected]
Also, be sure to stay connected with World Tea Expo on social media for details and insights about the event. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.