Overview: Each year, over 15,000 Indian farmers take their own lives in an act of desperation—deliberately ingesting the very same pesticides that have ravaged their land. Today, Organic India has helped to create over 500,000 acres of organic agriculture in India, creating sustainable jobs with living wages and helping thousands of farmers return to their sacred connection with the land.

Challenge: Organic India had been advised by prior marketing consultants to assimilate their brand to the cultural icons Americans associate with India: yoga, Hinduism and henna. Based on consumer research and an evaluation of competitive offerings, this could have been a sound solution. But for an authentic brand, manufactured stereotypes were an unacceptable solution.

Solution: Introduce an authentic story in a tea category dominated by illusory, indulgent imagery. Organic India’s brand is built on the company’s culture of consciousness.

Real Indian farmers look you in the eye, connecting a circle of harmony between the farmers who care for the organic land and the consumers who enjoy the organic tea.

Organic India has enjoyed continual expansion of distribution since launch. The brand proposition has been widely received with open arms. Store managers have become brand advocates, creating Organic India endcaps and promotional displays with no prompting—because they embrace the authentic story—thus becoming part of the circle of harmony.

Organic India ROI:

• Grew sales from $500,000 to $6M within first 12 months of rollout, with continuing 50% YOY growth. US sales expected to be $12M in 2011
• Helped prevent suicide of over 20,000 farmers in India
• Supported conversion of over 50,000 acres of farmland to be certified organic
• Secured 18 SKUs nationally at Whole Foods within the first 6 months
• Increased ACV from 10% to 90%, with market penetration in 2,000 grocery stores
• Grew to #7 specialty tea brand in the US