Big Straws & Chewy Balls: Kung Fu Tea’s Tea-riffic Digital Strategy
As an Asian-American gal born and raised in New York City, Chinatown was home. I spent years zooming through the crowded streets of fish markets, fresh produce stands, and the never-ending choice of Chinese bakeries one after another.
Ahhh but Friday afternoons were my favorite. Not because it commenced the weekend (which I dreaded btw since they were always booked with prep classes or piano lessons), but because it was the one day out of the entire week when my friends and I gathered after school to hang out in our go-to spots. If it wasn’t the 10 for $3 dumpling shop, it was Ming’s, or Mee’s, a small kitchen-sized underground bubble tea cafe that was a few blocks away from our school (sadly, they permanently closed due to COVID).
We’d sit there for hours, talking about anything and everything over $2.50 bubble tea and tapas. It was our little thing. A routine. Rain or shine, we went there religiously, ritually, rotationally.
And yes. You read that right. Bubble tea for $2.50 back in the good ‘old days, what a throwback that is.
Big Straws. Chewy Balls. Hype to all.
Bubble tea, otherwise known as Boba, is a tea-based drink with chewy tapioca pearls (cassava starch) sipped with wide oversized straws that originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s. Since then, there have been endless new stores entering the industry and many chains that have even dominated the bubble tea market all over the world. The largest in the U.S. being Kung Fu Tea, founded in Queens, NY in 2010 with over 250+ franchise locations scattered nationwide and even globally now too.
Known for their never-ending menu of innovative flavors — from classic milk teas to slushies, to fruit teas, and all the toppings you can ever imagine, they are truly the Ben & Jerry’s of the bubble tea world.
Kung Fu Tea, along with many other boba brands, has become an irreplaceable symbolic identity of many Chinese/Taiwanese-Americans. With trending hashtags like #bobabae #bobabuddies #bobaislife #bobalover #bobaholic #bbt (short for bubble tea).
A First Look.
Whether it is in-store, online, or in-app, their signature bold red and black logo and bright colorful Asian-inspired design patterns are plastered all over; making the brand hard to miss, even in the ever-expanding sea of boba shops.
Upon looking through their website and mobile app, Kung Fu Tea remains consistent with their branding and style— a very “in your face” kind of aesthetic. While other bubble tea companies lean towards a softer, calmer, and earthier vibe, Kung Fu Tea gallantly charges in the opposite direction. Moving banners of ongoing promotions, current giveaways, special announcements, and new menu add-ons scream out from their digital platforms. Outsized typography? Check. Disharmonious Color Combos? Check. Maximalism? Check. KFT has given specific instruction and attention to its digital and graphic department to stand out from the crowd. The brand can practically be spotted from a 10-mile radius. Quite Literally.
I prefer a more minimalistic and candid layout; one with less noise and clutter. There’s no need to add to my “already overwhelming life” with a 20-page menu that cues my indecisiveness. But, in such a dense industry, making an unforgettable UI/UX impression and experience is one of the greatest driving forces for maximizing customer retention. Kung Fu Tea has obtained those exact goals with a very specific niche in mind — youngins, like my groupie and I from high school, just looking for a place to spill the tea (pun intended).
Bigger. Bolder. Better?
“Kung Fu, in its purest essence, is the desire for self-improvement and to expand one’s capabilities beyond all limitations.”
“Here at Kung Fu Tea, we believe that it’s our mission to not only continuously improve our brand and beverages and the lives of our customers through providing only the most delicious, high-quality flavors but also to inspire the community to dream big and live fearlessly.”
There is no denying that KFT continuously chooses to go down the fearless and bold route, reflecting their brand personality and mission accurately with pride. While the overall experience can be overwhelming (for me, at least), the website and app are fairly simple to navigate through. It’s hard to miss your way through their pages when everything is so hugely labeled.
But, is bigger and bolder better? Not necessarily. But, for this bubble tea brand, in particular, it seems to be working wonders. Especially after their partnership with LevelUp, a mobile ordering and payments platform, and Popdeem, a social rewards system to help brands boost social engagement and loyalty performance. These platform integrations that makeup KFT’s app have seen “175% more monthly active customers per location than non-LevelUp brands in the same vertical.” WOW.
To read more on Kung Fu Tea’s growth as a brand, read here.
Navigating through the app and website
With an effective loyalty program and consistent campaigns in place, Kung Fu Tea’s customer engagement and retention have undeniably shown impressive results. The navigation through their app is quirky and fun, with a sprinkle of competitiveness — from their rewards program (statuses of white, yellow, red, and black belts) to their tempting giveaways (most recent one: iPad +1 month of boba), both opportunities that naturally lure for participation. Not to mention, this creative loyalty program gives returning and new customers an incentive to “level up” and engage with their apps, website, in-store, and social platforms through purchases and sharing.
Additionally, the front page banners of the website featuring new product launches, flavors, and collaborations, make it super easy for site visitors to stay in the loop of things with the brand. However, customer service via the website and app is limited. Aside from the “FAQs” section, there really isn’t much else that is offered. Perhaps for a bubble tea brand that relies heavily on in-store traffic and experiences, an AI feature is unnecessary.
Mo-tea-vation (motivation) for KFT
The bubble tea market has grown exponentially in the past few years, one with a strong upwards trajectory. Boba shops have become the new Starbucks. Needless to say, in the ever-evolving digital age, brands need to stay up to date with the latest methods of customer exchange to maximize consumer experience and retention. Kung Fu Tea’s innovative and distinctive digital branding has led them to create and capture personal experiences with their customers all over. However, like everything else in life, there’s always room for growth. So, how can Kung Fu Tea propel itself forward in today’s digital world?
By continuing to give users unique UI and UX experiences to stay memorable and relevant in the lives of their consumers. All while expanding towards new domains and techniques to capture a wider mark. Of course, creaTEAve campaigns also play a huge role. The growing competition of the boba industry only makes Kung Fu Tea’s future all the more fascinating.
And, as a fellow New Yorker and once-upon-a-time boba connoisseur (no longer one due to my dietary preferences), I believe that everything will be (tapio)kay for them :)
