Time will tell. But the brand certainly received positive publicity for its heartfelt approach.
On 21 February, Chancellor Rishi Sunak – MP for Richmond, North Yorkshire – tweeted a picture of himself with a big pack of the tea. It sparked a barrage of tweets; many assumed links with the Tories (denied by the brand) and said they would boycott Yorkshire Tea.
The following Monday, the brand’s account ‘broke the fourth wall’ and tweeted “as the person who’s been answering these tweets”.
“For anyone about to vent their rage online, even to a company - please remember there’s a human on the other end of it, and try to be kind.”
Seemingly buoyed by favourable responses, the brand batted off further attacks with malice-free, deft humour.
This includes the memorable response to one critic: “Sue, you’re shouting at tea”, which soon became a trending hashtag.
Will the episode boost sales? We wouldn’t bet against it.
