Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

The Secret IngredientCelestial Seasonings on effective market research.

ByJessica Hale

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

How did Mo's 36 Herb Tea--a hand-picked blend of herbspackaged in muslin bags and fastened with scrap telephonewire--become Celestial Seasonings, America's favorite herbaltea company? Celestial Seasonings' success has been due inlarge part to founder Mo Siegel's insistence that the companylisten to one voice: the customer's.

Dedication to discovering and fulfilling its customers'desires explains why Celestial Seasonings' Sleepytime brew isthe most popular specialty tea in the United States. With net salestotaling more than $70 million in 1996, Celestial Seasonings hasmore than 50 percent of the herbal tea market and hassingle-handedly popularized herbal tea--previously used primarilyfor medicinal purposes--as a healthy, flavorful alternative tocaffeinated beverages.

The principles that guided Siegel's earliest market researchefforts remain the foundation of market research at CelestialSeasonings today, proving that you don't need a big budget tofind out what your customers will respond to. But you do have tomake market research a priority, devoting your resources and energyto interacting with and understanding the most key component ofyour small business: your customers.

This is a subscriber-only article.

For 48 hours only, join Entrepreneur+andsave 33%during our flash sale. Use codeFLASH33.

Related Topics

领导

This 27-Year-Old Harvard Dropout Started a Hedge Fund Out of a Garage — Now She Manages Nearly $1 Billion in Assets

Eva Shang, who met co-founder and fellow Harvard undergraduate Christian Haigh at a club on campus, admits it's "very unusual for college students to start a hedge fund."

Business News

College Student's Tragic Death Sparks Legal Battle as Parents Sue Panera Over High-Caffeine 'Charged Lemonade'

A 21-year-old college student, Sarah Katz, purchased Panera Bread's Charged Lemonade and passed away hours later after going into cardiac arrest.

Business News

Barbara Corcoran's 3 Best Tips for Buying a Home in the Current Housing Market

If you're looking to buy a home, the real estate mogul offered some sage advice on Instagram.

Business News

Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian Says the 'Surfer Mindset' Is the 'Right' Approach in Business and in Life. Here's Why.

The Reddit co-founder recently spoke to students at his alma mater, the University of Virginia.

Growing a Business

Prepare For This Seismic Shift in Employee Expectations — Or Say Goodbye to Your Top Talent.

If you are a business leader failing to account for this fundamental transformation in worker attitudes, prepare for a rude awakening.