Typhoo planned fake customer complaints to lobby retailers
Typhoo Tea, a supermarket tea brand from the UK, reportedly planned to rely on fake customer complaints to lobby retailers that did not stock their teas. The tea company contracted Intelligent Marketing Solutions, a marketing firm, to hire field workers to pose as disgruntled customers in a bid to increase product shelf space. Workers were asked to contact Sainsbury's, one of UK's largest supermarket chains, and ask why the supermarket did not stock the brand in specific stores and whether it would be restocked. The marketing firm was prepared to pay £1.50 per call and £2.50 per email, and planned to rely on social media to complement the effort. Following the report in the Sunday Times, the campaign was suddenly suspended. Typhoo Tea has likely been pushed out of supermarket shelves in part due to the success of supermarket own-brand teas.