How can you turbo-boost the knowledge of American college students studying tea consumption among Gen Z and Millennial consumers in the UK, as part of their research project?
A group of advertising and marketing students from the University of Colorado had the incredible opportunity to get a thorough briefing from Mintel’s Category Director for UK Food and Drink Research, Kiti Soininen, at our London office as part of their recent study tour.
To help the students with their research into how advertisers might be able to turn around the decline in tea consumption among these younger demographic groups, Kiti covered a wide range of topics from historical tea-drinking habits, to current consumer preferences and future trends. The students learned about the different types of tea popular in the UK, including traditional black tea, herbal teas, and the rising popularity of speciality teas.
One of the key insights discussed was the growing trend toward health and wellness, which has significantly influenced tea consumption patterns. The students discovered how consumers are increasingly opting for teas with perceived health benefits, such as green tea and herbal infusions, and how this trend is shaping the market. They also got a better understanding of the research process, from how to formulate consumer research questions, gain insights from key players in the industry, and bring all the various aspects of the research together into a single in-depth report on a particular research topic.
How can Mintel research help university students with their assignments?
We spoke to some of the University of Colorado students and their lecturer to find out more about how they use Mintel research to help them with their academic work.
Assistant Teaching Professor Morgan Young, who led the study tour, told us:
“We use Mintel in many classes at the University of Colorado – it’s so invaluable. So much other research we get is not put into context; however, Mintel research can be broken down into demographics and tailored to our uses.
“With Kiti’s presentation, the students got a really good profile of tea consumption, including the opportunities and challenges faced by tea brands. This has been an incredibly informative and insightful session.”
How did Mintel’s experts help improve the students’ knowledge?
“From the session with Kiti, I got a better grasp of how tea is declining, and it helped me understand how tea companies operate; and the challenges they face – we talked about so much and now have a great tea knowledge! I also use Mintel in my Social Listening class – the information and research is well organized. I think it’s important to ensure that statistics are easy to read, and presenting information in a way that’s easily understood like Mintel does.”
-Sarah Hallberg, University of Colorado student
What role does Mintel research play in your academic life?
“I love it – I’ve been using Mintel since a freshman at college – it’s easy to use and has timely information. The platform is incredibly easy to use. I reference Mintel once every month, and I can imagine I’m going to use it more now following this insightful presentation on tea. It really helps that the University provides Mintel’s service for us.”
-Andrew Insco, University of Colorado student
To find out more about how Mintel’s dynamic and relevant market research can help your students learn, grow and inspire change click here.
