The Republic of Tea
I encountered the Republic of Tea last month, picking up a used copy of the founders’ book, which helped launch the brand by showing the correspondence back and forth between Mel and Patricia Ziegler (founders of Banana Republic) and Bill Rosenzweig, a young entrepreneur who became TROT’s first CEO. Because the book is mostly correspondence, it shows the thoughts that went into designing the business far more clearly than a polished hagiographic account.
BusinessWeek is running a piece on the Republic of Tea, and its owner Ron Rubin, who acquired it in 1994. I hadn’t known about the acquisition, and it’s very interesting to see how Rubin amplified the language the Zieglers and Rosenzweig created for the mythical nation of tea - Ministers, Embassies, Ambassadors, etc.
Studying the current tea offerings, I think that the vocabulary and embedded philosophy are what Rubin really bought - an Eastern-flavored view of “sip-by-sip” living is what set the Republic of Tea apart from competitors like Tazo and Stash, though they are pursuing similar lifestyle messages. Reading through the list of Rubin’s own books, he’s immersed in the language and thinking that the Zieglers and Rosenzweig cultivated. I’d like to know if he already had the pseudo-Eastern outlook before acquiring the company in 94…or if he’s evangelizing a viewpoint that others built before him. Anyone know?
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