~ Wins prestigious award for the second consecutive year at SLIM Nielsen People’s Awards 2018

Consumers of the nation have spoken yet again; Sri Lanka’s number one tea brand, Watawala Tea, was awarded the coveted ‘Most Popular Hot Beverage Brand of the Year’ for the second consecutive year recently at the SLIM Nielsen People’s Awards, reaffirming the brand’s leadership and recognition among Sri Lankans.

The gala awards ceremony was held at the Waters Edge for the 12^th consecutive year. Tea, milk and malted food drinks were included in the competitive hot beverage category. .

Both independent market research tracking surveys, Lanka Market Research Bureau (LMRB) and Nielsen Sri Lanka, declared Watawala Tea as the No. 1 Brand in the tea category in the year 2016/17. The latest recognition at People’s Awards will provide great momentum for Watawala Tea to further uplift its undisputed leadership as the leading tea brand of the country,

Vish Govindasamy, Group Managing Director of Sunshine Holdings, the parent company of Watawala Tea Ceylon Limited, said, “The hard work and commitment of Team Watawala Tea have paid off yet again. For the second consecutive year, Watawala Tea has become Sri Lanka’s most loved hot beverage brand and I would like to congratulate the team on their remarkable achievement.”

“The People’s Awards is a reflection of choices and emotions of Sri Lankan consumers and our win is testament to the reach and acceptance of the brand Watawala as a household name for a beverage that is consumed several times a day and which has truly touched the hearts of Sri Lankans. We are thankful to our beloved customers for recognizing Watawala Tea once again as a significant companion of their daily lives and letting us occupy a space in their lives,” Govindasamy said further.

Affirmation of the brand’s leadership came from the survey itself. Conducted for the 12^th year in Sri Lanka by the Nielsen Company Sri Lanka, the market research covered all spectrums of households to understand and establish what their most favourite brand of hot beverage.

“We are thrilled and honoured at the same time to receive this award and we will continue to invest in the brand in order to provide value to the consumer, building pursuit to value and excellence. This latest triumph at the People’s Awards further strengthens our unrivalled leadership as well as translates great affection Watawala Tea has from our beloved customers across the nation,” expressed General Manager – Marketing at Watawala Tea Ceylon Limited, Farman Nizar.

Watawala Tea Ceylon Ltd. is the largest branded tea company in Sri Lanka. It has the highest market share in the tea category with three brands: ‘Zesta’, ‘Watawala Tea’ and ‘Ran Kahata’ catering to three distinct market segments.  Having built a strong foundation locally, the company has embarked on an expansion programme to capture selected international markets by launching ‘Zesta Connoisseur’, an extension of Zesta to cater to premium international customers. The company is the exclusive tea supplier to Shangri-La chain of hotels, servicing 100 luxury hotels spread across 22 countries.

Photo caption: The jubilant Watawala Tea team at the awards ceremony