-- Agency creates Ontario summer sampling tour for latest business win --

Toronto, ON. Hungry?  No problem.  “Your snack works—riceworks® better!” is the riceworks® brand's slogan used in a new experiential campaign created by FUSE Marketing Group Inc.  The objective is to get riceworks® -- gluten-free riceworks® Brown Rice Crisps snack made from all-natural ingredients -- into consumers' hands in a fun and memorable way.  Part of snack food manufacturer and distributor Shearer's Foods Canada, Inc.'s brand portfolio, riceworks® is the latest new business win for the brand activation agency, continuing their growth momentum for 2010.  Recent wins also include a campaign for Canada's premiere fundraising gala, the Brazilian Carnival Ball, and a national experiential campaign for CIBC to activate its sponsorship of Soccer Nation, a cross-Canada multi-city tour promoting soccer and the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

Starting July 1st, the “riceworksbetter” campaign is hitting the road with an eight-week Ontario sampling tour stopping at six sponsored events and in 16 key markets for guerrilla sampling.  The riceworksbetter brand ambassadors will travel throughout the summer in a branded vehicle and trailer entitled the riceworksbetter Snack Headquarters, which will act as a sampling station.  Sponsored events will include a kick-off in Ottawa for Canada Day, the London Sunfest (July 9th-11th), the Beaches Jazz Festival in Toronto (July 16th-18th), the Burlington Jazz'n Blues Festival (July 23rd-25), Kempenfest in Barrie (July 30th-August 2nd), and the Taste of the Danforth in Toronto (August 6th-8th).  In-market guerrilla sampling will take place in select cities across the province at various high- traffic locations such as key intersections, busy retail locations, grassroots events, sporting activities and festivals.  Locations will include Ottawa's Byward Market, Toronto's Dundas Square, and Kitchener-Waterloo's Victoria Park, among others. 

“During the summer season, consumers are busy enjoying the outdoors at events and capitalizing on this with an experiential summer tour is a great way to catch snackers in the act and offer samples of a better snack alternative,” said Tricia Ryan, director of marketing for riceworks®.  “We're enjoying working with FUSE and look forward to a successful campaign,” she added.

“We're excited to work with the riceworks® marketing team and to introduce Ontarians to the healthy snack alternative.  This tour will allow consumers to try the product first-hand and have a fun, engaging experience with the brand,” said Stephen Brown, president, FUSE Marketing Group. 

About Shearer's Foods,Inc.

A manufacturer of branded and private label snack foods including potato chips, tortilla chips and extruded snacks, Shearer's Foods Inc. recently purchased Snack Alliance Inc. The firm's signature product, riceworks® Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps, is a tasty and popular whole grain gluten-free snack that has won kudos from snack lovers in the United States, Canada and Great Britain.  For more information about the product, visit www.riceworks.ca.

About FUSE Marketing Group

FUSE Marketing Group (www.fusemg.com) is a creative brand activation agency.  Passionate about delivering strategic, innovative and effective marketing solutions, FUSE is a marketing services company with a proven track record as a valued partner to over a dozen leading Canadian clients.  Working in a climate of true collaboration and creativity, these partnerships drive sales, build brands and grow businesses.  To learn more about FUSE Marketing Group, visit www.fusemg.com.

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For additional information or to arrange an interview with a FUSE spokesperson, please contact Susan Willemxsen or Danika Lochhead at The Siren Group Inc.  Tel: (416) 461-5270. 

Fax: (416) 778-9047.  E-mail: info@thesirengroup.com or www.thesirengroup.com.