Creative marketing feeling unforeseen consequences of tea party movement
Published March 09, 2010
Tea-related businesses attempting to market themselves online have some competition from an unlooked-for source: the conservative tea party movement, whose widespread internet presence has complicated search engine optimization for tea-related websites.
The Chicago Tribune reported on Monday that "purveyors of fine tea and tea enthusiasts in general find themselves steeped in a linguistic shift, their beloved beverage now associated with a conservative political movement routinely praised or pilloried on talk radio and cable news shows."
Tony Gebely, a Chicago entrepreneur, told the paper that "when I look at search engine results for ‘Chicago tea,' I find a whole bunch of Chicago tea party movement sites. There are a few tea places and then all this political stuff. It's pretty annoying."
For small businesses in particular, additional complications for digital marketing solutions can be damaging to their financial health. Experts recommend that, in the case of an unforeseen issue like that of the tea party, ensuring that additional digital marketing channels are properly integrated into campaigns can help mitigate the adverse effects.