Company: Unilever Indonesia Tbk PT

Brand value: US$402 million

Headquarter city: Jakarta

Industry: Soft Drinks

Year formed: 1973

New formulations and flavors keep traditional tea brand fresh 

SariWangi is the biggest-selling brand of black tea in Indonesia, with a strong local heritage, and is now part of the Unilever portfolio. It is widely affordable, cheaper than many of its competitors, and its communications focus on family togetherness and sharing. In 2014, SariWangi launched a new tea formulation using high-quality tea leaves with a great taste and aroma. In the past year, SariWangi communications have focused on a letter-writing competition, encouraging people to persuade family members to share their feelings through letters.

Indonesian tastes in tea vary significantly by region. In Sumatra, for instance, there’s a strong preference for vanilla tea, while Javanese consumers tend to prefer jasmine tea. Several SariWangi variants have been launched to cater to these diverse tastes and make the brand more competitive. The range now includes SariMurni vanilla tea and SariMelati (jasmine tea). Sariwangi was bought by Unilever in 1989.