What’s decadent, sweet, sassy, smart and has a conscience?
Ubiquity Brands’ new sumptuous treat – In•dul•gence – created by women, for women and to lend a helping hand to empower women in poor countries through CARE, a leading global humanitarian organization.

The product is the brainchild of Kris Malkoski, Ubiquity Brands CMO and Cheryl Szego, Director of Marketing, two seasoned marketing pros who personify the target audience In•dul•gence is intended for.

FOR “OVERBOOKED” WOMEN WHO DESERVE A TREAT
“Cheryl and I both are busy, stressed, overloaded and overbooked each day, but we always find the time to reward ourselves with a little treat,” notes Kris, who adds that they conducted research and taste tests this past year then hired a female chef who was accustomed to working with decadent, premium ingredients. “Premium” seems to be an understatement: the list of ingredients in the five new products reads like a list of global gourmet collectibles: Belgian dark chocolate, sweet clover honey, white chocolate fudge, English toffee, hazelnuts from Turkey, pumpkin seeds from China, sesame seeds from India, macadamia nuts from Kenya and pistachios from good ol’ California.

Each of the five flavors is sold as a 3.00-3.5 oz package at a retail price of $3.99. The line will be available March 1, and sold through grocery and drug stores nationwide. The new line includes: Nights in White Chocolate; Belgian Love Affair; Simply Diva; Toast of the Town and Chocolate Crush.

“Obviously taste comes first,” explains Kris. “We are in the snack business. But to make this snack stand out from anything else, we gave it a playful personality, dramatic jewel tone packaging, inspirational witticisms on the inside panel and a mission that we can truly all be proud to be part of – by teaming up with CARE. Through the relationship with CARE, In•dul•gence will make a donation with every product sold, up to $50,000 — to help empower women in poor countries with tangible resources that can help lift their families and communities out of poverty.”

SWEET TREAT OPENS DOORS FOR WOMEN THROUGH UNIQUE TIE-IN WITH CARE
“We clearly understand the complexity of today’s modern woman,” adds Cheryl. “She is hardworking; has a sense of humor, self and family; isn’t afraid to reward herself now and then; but also wants to help others not as fortunate. And while In•dul•gence on the surface definitely is a powerhouse of rich, distinct flavors… through our tie-in with CARE, In•dul•gence is a lot more than that. In•dul•gence is a means to help women start an income-generating handicraft business; provide villages with access to clean water; help women grow crops with better nutritional value and protect those crops in drought or heavy rain; and enable young girls to stay in school – something that will ultimately create many new opportunities for each girl and have a lasting, positive impact on her whole family as well. We are all about opening doors and creating new possibilities.”

One dollar of every package bought, up to $50,000 will go to CARE to fund programs that empower women and their families to become self sufficient. To increase the total possible contribution, In•dul•gence is also inviting consumers to participate in a matching gifts program. For every dollar that a consumer donates to CARE through this program, In•dul•gence will match that donation, up to an additional $50,000 total. Consumers can get more details at www.care.org/poppycock.

“CARE is thrilled to be working with Ubiquity Brands on the launch of In•dul•gence by Poppycock,” says Dr. Helene Gayle, CARE’s president and CEO. “This partnership not only helps support our work in poor countries, but also raises awareness and understanding in the U.S. for the fight against global poverty. Ubiquity Brands’ commitment to telling personal stories of women who have become empowered through CARE’s work, is delivered on every package. It’s a
call to action for women here, in the U.S., to help empower women all over the world. And, I’ve tried the product, so I know that it is as irresistible as the message.”

Each of In•dul•gence’s five new flavors features a personal story about a woman who is working to improve life for herself, her family and her community with the help of CARE’s work. For example, Violeta, a 30-year-old mother of three, living in a small village in Ecuador, organizes women to produce traditional handicrafts and also to create a sustainable food supply by teaching ancestral farming.

“The stories these women have to share are dramatic and uplifting,” Kris adds. “That’s why we chose to feature them on our new line. Hopefully their successes will not only touch the hearts of our consumers but inspire others as well.” Kris and her daughter will be visiting Ecuador and Violeta this summer to see how the In•dul•gence contributions are working to change lives in one community and to visit other CARE projects as well.

“In these kinds of partnerships, everyone wins. You get back just as much as you give, in terms of inspiration and growth,” says Kris.

[You can follow Kris’ adventures in Ecuador this summer on www.snacktrends.com with streaming video and a mother-daughter video diary with candid comments recapping the day’s insights and challenges.]

Each package of In•dul•gence proudly carries a dramatic portrait of these women; four of the five were taken by award-winning photojournalist Phil Borges. The images are aligned with descriptions of special projects that are helping to change and improve their lives.

SASSY AND SENSUOUS
Catherine Zenner, Senior Research & Development Chef with Ubiquity Brands, helped steer the flavor selection and development for the five new products. “These particular combinations of ingredients are so rich that even a small bite will flood the palate and satisfy even the most intense craving for sweets. Many women tell us it’s the high point in their day,” she notes. (Catherine has been developing successful products for more than 25 years as a distinguished research chef and an award-winning culinary arts professional.) The five new products are:

Simply Diva – Clusters of almonds, cashews and pecans devilishly drizzled with caramel Nights in White Chocolate – Honey coated clusters of English toffee, sesame seeds, and whole roasted pistachios drizzled with white chocolaty fudge Chocolate Crush – Clusters of caramel mocha-coated popcorn, hazelnuts and walnuts drizzled with creamy milk chocolate Belgian Love Affair – Clusters of almonds, pecans and cashews drizzled with Belgian dark chocolate Toast of the Town – Double glazed clusters of peanut butter coated popcorn, macadamia nuts, almonds and pecans drizzled with creamy milk chocolate

The products are available in 3.00-3.5 oz packages, that retail for $3.99. They will be available March 1, through grocery and drug stores nationwide.

WORDS TO LIVE BY, WORDS TO SNACK BY…
The back panel of the box opens to reveal the story of a woman who has become empowered with CARE’s help, adjacent to an inspirational message or witticism from a prominent historical figure or icon. For example, the Nights in White Chocolate box
shares a tongue-in-cheek observation from Eleanor Roosevelt: “A woman is like a tea bag – you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.”

According to Cheryl, the line will add new messages and sayings each quarter.

“While consumers nationwide have loved the Poppycock line for years, this new cousin of Poppycock represents quite a dramatic addition. This snack has the spirit, rich taste and good conscience that we can all celebrate. We’re delighted to introduce a forward thinking product like this,” adds Cheryl.

UBIQUITY BRANDS
Ubiquity Brands was formed in 2004 to acquire, grow, optimize and update snack brands that are “delicious and delightful,” and which have hidden potential. Ubiquity acquired Jay’s Foods and Lincoln Snacks in 2004 and Select Snacks in 2006. Many of its brands are nostalgic household favorites, often referred to as snacks with “real personality.” Some of our popular snacks include Poppycock, Fiddle Faddle, Screaming Yellow Zonkers, Krunchers, O-KE-DOKE and Jay’s Potato Chips (which just introduced a bold and spicy new Mexican line of 7 products).

Many of Ubiquity’s senior executives have enjoyed high level positions at Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Kraft, Barilla, Frito Lay, Disney, Revlon and Dean Foods. Ubiquity promises their executives and employees the chance to use their imagination, humor, analytical skills, intuition, sense of fun and speed…to introduce exciting new products that tempt and satisfy.

CARE
CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. Last year, CARE programs improved the lives of more than 45 million people in 70 countries. CARE tackles underlying causes of poverty so that people can become self-sufficient.Recognizing that women and children suffer disproportionately from poverty, CARE places special emphasis on working with women to create permanent social change. Women are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts to improve basic education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives. To learn more, please visit www.care.org.

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