SUSO

TRADE UPDATE - SUSO HEADING FOR LACA

"SUSO looks to add value and excitement to the LACA Event 2010"

Why should delegates make time to stop at your exhibition stand?

SUSO Chief Executive Officer, Sean Uprichard, said: “LACA is a great opportunity to engage with customers, caterers, LEAs and teachers face-to-face with a view to further conveying the SUSO story and our plans for the future.  In the last 12 months, UK secondary schools have delivered phenomenal sales and, as a result, we have increasingly built our distribution focus around the educational sector. This event gives us the opportunity to provide further evidence of SUSO’s vision to encourage teenagers to drink more healthily and apply a positive No Can’t Do attitude to life. I look forward to seeing our customers there.”

At the show SUSO will be unveiling a distinctive, new character – the SUSO Master – to headline its new marketing campaign which focuses on inspiring teenagers to adopt a positive attitude to life and supporting them with the opportunity to acquire desirable skills along the way. He brings to life the positive NO CAN’T DO attitude underpinning the brand which has already proved relevant and inspirational to UK teenagers.

The character will star in a series of short films appearing online and on digital outdoor sites across the country from June. This will introduce him to young people by offering tutorials based on the development of teen-aspirational skills in music, sport and the creative arts.

The campaign will be promoted at events during the summer and autumn when the SUSO Master will make guest appearances and schools will be supplied with point-of-sale items from September raising the profile of the SUSO Master.

All delegates passing through the SUSO area will also have the opportunity to win an ‘eco’ weekend retreat with Natural Retreats (luxury self catering holiday experiences in some of the UK and Ireland’s most beautiful locations including Cornwall, North Wales, Yorkshire Dales and County Kerry.) SUSO will be offering a prize each day for each of the Natural Retreats sites for one luck winner drawn from those that take on the SUSO Master challenge at the SUSO stand.

What new products/services are you bringing to the show?

Uprichard says: “We’ll be sampling our four existing flavours - Sparkling Berry, Sparkling Orange, Sparkling Lemon and new Sparkling Apple which has been an instant success with pupils and caterers alike since being introduced at the start of the school year. LACA attendees visiting our stand will also be made aware of new product development which is in the pipeline. We’ll be announcing full details of this important initiative in the weeks ahead in time for the back to school rush.”

What can your company offer caterers that is not available elsewhere?

“The uniqueness of SUSO is that it actually engages with school children because of its relevant brand credentials while at the same time parents and teachers can and do love it too as a healthier soft drink alternative. It delivers one of the recommended five-a-day fruit intake and also meets all Government nutritional standards for drinks in schools.

“SUSO is unashamedly a fizzy drink, but one that is healthier for everyone, particularly teenagers as lovers of fizzy drink: each 250ml can is portion controlled to deliver teens with the optimum serving size for their needs. It is made from fruit juice and water with refreshing carbonation and has absolutely no additives, preservatives, colouring, flavouring or sweetness. However more than just a fizzy drink SUSO is a brand designed to inspire young people. We promote the use of imagination, creativity and determination in a way that teenagers find relevant and appealing.

“It is the combination of product and brand that has made SUSO one of the fastest selling soft drinks in secondary schools across the UK.”

Why can schools and caterers trust your product/services?

Uprichard said: “The fact that SUSO meets Government nutritional standards and contributes to the recommended five-a-day intake means that schools and caterers can certainly trust the SUSO brand,

“We are also committed to supporting schools through, for example, linking up with the ‘Life’s a Pitch’ programme – a workshop designed to improve the business skills and creativity of schoolchildren. The relationship is launched nationwide this summer when KS3-5 students will have the chance to learn more about SUSO and the company’s history and profile as part of a real-life account of business.

“Children will also have the chance to pitch ideas to SUSO during the sessions which will be run under the guidance of business professionals looking to broaden education and encourage pupils to develop their creativity beyond the classroom. The ‘Life’s A Pitch’ programme has already proved successful and popular with more than 10,000 secondary schoolchildren participating.

“Another important point to note is the 97% recyclability of our cans. For the school, either vending or selling SUSO in the canteen, we offer recycling support through the provision of recycling bins and educational posters. In this way students and teachers are able to tangibly feel the benefit of the SUSO product and brand ideology.”

What makes LACA different from other events?

“Our key focus is the educational sector so this is very much the most important event in our calendar because it gives us an opportunity to meet and build a better business relationship with our key target audience. This is really important event for us in terms of building the brand over the longer term.”

Are you featuring any special offers/promotions/opportunities for schools?

Be sure to visit the stand for the chance to win one of the great luxury weekend away prizes from SUSO in partnership with Natural Retreats.

What on the LACA agenda are you most looking forward to?

Edward Hauck, Sales Manager for SUSO’s education business tells us, “We are looking forward to the opportunity to catchup with customers, fellow suppliers and indeed new friends we have made focusing on this sector over the last few years. On top of which we are genuinely excited about the opportunity to tell the next chapter of SUSO’s story in a way that is intended to be highly relevant to the LACA audience and a little bit of fun for us all!”
 

Notes to editors

*SUSO aims to encourage kids to drink more healthily and to apply a positive No Can’t Do attitude to all that they do.
*SUSO has no preservatives, colours, flavours or sugar added, meets all government nutritional standards for drinks in schools, and is a fully signed up member of the Schools Food Trust’s voluntary code of conduct.
* SUSO is available in four flavours: sparkling orange, sparkling lemon, sparkling apple and sparkling berry.
*SUSO is available in single 250ML cans which are 97% recyclable.
* SUSO is available in schools nationwide with a RRP of 70p.
*SUSO is available to order through all key national and regional distributors (Brakes, 3663, DBC, JJ’s, Holdsworth, Creed, Mainline), leading schools caterers (Compass, Aramark, Baxter Storey, Harrison, Catering Academy, Innovate) and schools buying groups (Pelican, Caterbuy, Food Service Options).
*To see how SUSO inspires creativity in teenagers, visit www.suso.co.uk

For more information, images or to arrange an interview please contact: Joanne Fullam, ZOO Communications ph: 020 8541 0800 joanne.fullam@zoocomms.com  ; or
Sean Uprichard, SUSO sean@suso.co.uk

 

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By Juan on 14/6/10