Tea and Nerds
So, when I started my tea business (which was originally a brick and mortar tea bar), I was so determined to NOT be another Aunt Mabel’s Tea Parlour or somesuch, that I went to the other extreme. Our tea bar was called Zoomdweebie’s, and we proudly proclaimed we were “Nerdy About Tea!”
Recently, I’ve been noticing a pattern among our online customers. More often than not, I read a customer’s bio here on Steepster and it says something like, “Gamer, into anime and cosplay, love scifi, techno music and burlesque poetry readings.”
So, maybe that’s a little bit of an exaggeration, but not much. Anyway, I’m trying to figure out if A) Our teas are naturally appealing to nerds; B) Nerds are more likely to be involved in a tea-related social media website; C) Something about the way I market our teas is appealing to nerds; or D) Something else I haven’t thought of.
What do you guys think?
BTW, “Nerd” is totally a compliment in my book, so please don’t take any of this the wrong way. I’m just wondering if I should start advertising in science fiction magazines or something.
Hmmmm. And I left out all the nerdy parts from my bio….. like in my life before kids I was a complete lab rat (Chem major…nickname Jen Chem), love science fiction, and made costumes for my 11 yo and 13 yo to dress up as Link and Princess Zelda for Halloween last year. Yep. I qualify as a nerd, even though you might not have known it. And I agree that being nerdy is cool.
I just think you are a non-traditionalist with tea….. and nerdy, too. You are unique, and noone else does things like you.
I think that SimplyJenW said it perfectly that you are unique and no one else is like you.Coming from a nerd herself (that is a hidden trait as well) I too love sci-fi and enjoy online games and such… But to be honest Frank I really feel it is because your approach to tea is fun and different, with your silly labels that I love and the idea of making cetain types of teas once a week and offering them for a short time… you have truely created a great niche and I love the way that you have done it.
Plus you sell honeybush which I have discovered that I like better than Rooibos! ;)
Fairyfli, which rooibos are you talking about? Green or red? Both? Sorry, I’m a little ADD but I ask cuz I love greenbush but can’t stand redbush.
I don’t know that your tea appeals to me more than any other on a nerd level…Unless you have teas named after things I’m nuts for like The X-Files, the Terry Goodkind books or something like that.. (side note, a tea for Richard and Kahlan would be awesome!).
There’s always the possibility that tea in general appeals more to ‘nerds’ – my experience dictates coffee to be the drink of “cool” (hah! :D) people, teenagers, businessmen in suits, etc. Not that there is anything wrong with any of those images, but none of them shout nerd at me.
Every time I walk into my local teashop, however, I run into people who I went to university with that were in my more unusual classes, and more often than not people who frequent used bookstores with me. Obviously I am expanding the meaning of nerd, but in general, I think it’s more of a ‘nerdy’ association than the theoretical sophistocation of coffee. Although the nerdiest person I know is a diehard coffee AND tea drinker, so this is probably all bunk.
Mm, that could work too. Cara would also need some brilliant blood red kick-ass tea.
I feel like Confessor’s tea would be very floral – jasmine flowers and all that.
and calming…cara would be some kind of hibiscus or red rooibos with a kick (spiced?)…what would richard be as a tea i wonder
My husband calls me a “tea nerd” as well as a “harry potter nerd.”
But… that’s beside the point… I don’t think that you are necessarily more appealing to “nerds” than anyone else… I think what is appealing about 52Teas (and ManTeas and My Sweet Honeybush) is that you are different. As much as I do enjoy many of the classic teas out there, what I really love is trying out something different (but as you know, I draw the line at peanut butter).
I think your appeal to nerds as well as other tea drinkers is that you offer flavors that nobody else does… or would even have the guts to offer. That’s what makes you appealing – you’ve got the guts to be a little different… and generally that is true of nerds too.
“Gamer, into anime and cosplay, love scifi, techno music and burlesque poetry readings.”
Hey thats my bio! Just need to add craft beers, gardening, & gothic rock
And to think, I made up the part about burlesque poetry readings. I didn’t know there were such things. If there are, I need to find out WHERE. That would combine two of my favorite things: poetry and boobies.
I’m a nerd and proud of it! I’m a gamer, a bookworm, a wannabe Mudblood, into Sci-Fi, a dork about anything Alice (in Wonderland), and am nutz about tea.
I find myself in good company here. :)
Admittedly you shop is now online, steepster is online…geeky nerdy types might be more inclined to have used google to find you / steepster?
yes huge nerd right here
+ 1 on the nerd for me with a splash of geek and proud of it.
I think it’s a combination of B and the personality of the General Nerd and how tea fits into it. Nerds like myself latch onto something and immediately set about finding a way to perfect it. Tea can be so fussy and fiddly that when you manage to make a Perfect Cup, you feel like you leveled up. For every cup that you discover a new flavor or new way to perfect it, you gain experience points. When you finally, finally! manage to steep a green without scorching the leaves or turning it bitter without the use of timers or thermometers? Well, that’s the evil dragon and you just saved your princess!
… … I’mma go nerd elsewhere now.
Weird, i call my shop followers “Teeks” (tea geeks)…..they seem to have warmed up to it a bit. ;)
Hmm…well I’m not a typical nerd. You couldn’t pay me to watching anything Star Trek (ok, I did see the new movie), Battlestar Galactica, or…um..other nerdy show-related. I don’t play WoW or really any online games (I did play Farmville though, and Cafe World but that was more to pass the day faster).
I’m a nerd in the sense that when I get interested in something I like to learn a lot about it. Couponing? Check. Tea? Check (well ok, I’m not as into it as the people on TeaChat).
So take it for what you will, I don’t really consider myself a nerd, borderline, if anything, and I find myself drawn to your teas. Then again, I haven’t actually ordered anything yet (although I almost bit at the reblending of the beer tea for my husband (I hate beer).
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