Zeo has launched its “largest ever integrated campaign” to help consumers in the UK get to grips with consumption guidelines for sugar and become more “sweet wise”.
It’s after the soft drinks producer found that just 17% of UK adults know that the recommended maximum intake of added sugar for adults is 30g per day – or seven teaspoons – with 76% admitting that they don’t know how many grams of sugar are in a single teaspoon.
The company’s website will be relaunched to feature more interactive and useful content, including an online calculator that will help visitors work out exactly how much sugar they are consuming from drinks alone. It will also host a series of short films, which will educate consumers about sugar and help them visualise what the maximum daily guidelines looks like.
Zeo has also enlisted nutritionist and personal trainer Linda Jones to provide expert commentary and advice for the campaign, which will be amplified through PR and social media engagement.
Jones said: “There is definite confusion around sugar consumption. People are aware of the high sugar content of chocolate and sweets, but also need to be cautious of the ‘silent assassins’, whether that’s a slice of bread (½ teaspoon) or an energy drink (20.8 teaspoons). It’s critical for consumers to take note of food labelling and look at how much of the carbohydrates are sugars – if it’s higher than 22%, try and avoid at all costs.”
The campaign is being launched after year-on-year growth for the brand of 48% – and a 215% increase in sales in supermarket chain Tesco.
Mark Young, managing director of Zeo Drinks, said: “Zeo is leading the charge in the low sugar soft drinks category. Our recent phenomenal growth is a testament to the shift in attitude with more people seeking out healthier, all natural, low-sugar alternatives. However, there is still a lot of concern and confusion; our aim is to help consumers better understand the facts in order to make more savvy decisions when it comes to sugar.”
In March, the British government announced plans to introduce a £520m levy on sugary soft drinks, equivalent to an increase of £0.24 per litre for beverages containing at least 8g of sugar in every 100ml of liquid.
Zeo is lightly carbonated and contains 98% spring water and 32 fruits and botanicals. It uses natural stevia as a sweetener to keep sugar levels down, so much so that it would not be subject to the soft drinks tax when it comes into effect in two years’ time.
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