The Unexpected Branding Lesson Inside a Box of Bhutanese Tea

 Before I left for Japan, my dear chief reminded me, “Are you taking some gifts for the instructors?”

Honestly, it hadn’t even crossed my mind. 

My suitcase was pretty much packed with 1 gho, 2 pairs of pants, 2 shirts, 1 coat, 1 pair of shoes, and my laptops. The rest of the essentials were kindly provided by JICA Okinawa.

So, on the second day of the training, I presented a tea box to one of Japan’s great brand designers, Gen Aoki-san, who has worked on 500+ branding projects and currently runs NoiseValue.

Even the name of his branding company caught my attention. NoiseValue. Isn’t that a cool name?

I had deliberately chosen this Bhutanese tea because of its beautiful Bhutanese-inspired design and excellent gift box. It was also compact enough to fit nicely into my suitcase, and the price was friendly.

But I completely overlooked one thing. I never checked what was actually inside the sachet. 

I thought I was simply giving him a nice Bhutanese gift.

Instead, the gift came back to teach me a branding lesson.

At first, Aoki-san looked damn serious. I thought, “Oh boy, this guy is going to 

make us sweat during the country report presentation.” Then he looked at me and said, "Sonam-san, I do not know how Bhutanese people regard their own country, but to us, Bhutan means one of the happiest and most spiritual countries, with diligent, hardworking, and warm-hearted people.”

I was a little lost. I had no idea where he was going with this.

Then he picked up the gift and started pointing out the design elements on the tea box. He opened the sachet, took out the tea bag, and showed me how neatly it had been tied and presented.

That was the moment I realized he wasn’t just looking at the tea. He was reading the story the product was telling. He even pointed out that this kind of presentation was something Japanese people themselves might not necessarily think about.

I honestly didn’t know how to react. So I did what any nervous person would do. “Arigato gozaimasu!” 😂

That little gift turned into an unexpected branding lesson.

It made me realize that a product can speak for an entire country without saying a single word.

The design, the details, the way it is packaged, and even the way the tea bag is tied can quietly tell people something about where it comes from.

So, thank you to the Bhutanese producer behind this tea for doing such a wonderful job of carrying a beautiful image of Bhutan beyond our borders. 

And there was another bonus.

After that little exchange, Aoki-san and I became much more comfortable with each other. I could ask questions, interact freely, and learn without feeling hesitant.

Funny how things work. I went to Japan carrying a small gift for my instructor.

I ended up receiving a much bigger gift in return: a lesson in branding, confidence, and how a Bhutanese product can speak for Bhutan.