Tan Qiong's Pivot: Standardizing China's Non-Standard Tea for the Masses

How a finance veteran's deep dive into the ancient tea industry sparked a modern consumer brand.

Business Strategy Case Study

The Pivot Year

2012

A single project ignited a new vision.

From Finance to Tea

After a successful career in marketing, real estate, and aviation, Tan Qiong excelled in finance. By 28, she independently built the South China division for YeePay, a payment gateway.

A 4-month research project on a B2B tea platform became the catalyst for her entrepreneurial pivot.

A Proven Track Record

Her financial acumen was proven when she helped a client's payment gateway business achieve a staggering annual revenue.

500M

RMB Revenue

The "Three Non-Standard" Market Insights

Product & Price

Origin products are non-standard due to manual cultivation. Wholesale and retail prices are inconsistent, often incorporating cultural and collectible value.

Young Commercialization

Despite its long history, China's tea market commercialization was only 21 years old by 2013, with very few large-scale, dominant brands.

Unmet Demand

The market catered to gifts or experts, leaving a huge gap for simple, accessible teas for younger consumers who just want "flavored water".

92%

The "Level 0" Market

Targeting the 92%

CHALI's strategy was built on a simple but powerful segmentation. Instead of focusing on the 8% of tea connoisseurs, they targeted the vast majority who view tea as simple "flavored water."

This group seeks health, refreshment, taste, and novelty—not complexity.

The Benchmark for Success

Lipton

To create a standardized brand in a non-standard industry, CHALI looked to an "outsider" who had mastered mass-market consistency and global appeal.

Key Takeaways

Insight-Driven Pivot

A career transition from finance to tea, sparked by deep market research, not just passion.

The "Non-Standard" Problem

Identified the core industry challenge as a barrier to B2B but an opportunity for a B2C brand.

The "Flavored Water" Gap

Recognized the unmet need of the mass consumer for simple, accessible, and enjoyable tea.

A Standardized Strategy

Targeted the 92% of casual drinkers, using Lipton as a benchmark for standardization and scale.