New national social media campaign in English and French, leveraging the power of celebrities, content creators and influencers to raise brand awareness and engagement. Toronto Raptors’ NBA 2023 first draft pick, Gradey Dick, to host English challenge with leading influencers, Kayla Grey and Hassan Phills. Challenges with music, arts, sports and fashion themes will run for an eight-week period, with bi-weekly winners and three basketball VIP weekend grand prizes.

MONTREAL, Sept. 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GURU Organic Energy Corp. (TSX: GURU) (“GURU” or the “Company”), Canada’s leading organic energy drink brand¹, is thrilled to announce the launch of its ‘Feel Good Energy Challenge’, a national social media campaign in French and English, which will take place over an eight-week period on Instagram and TikTok. TSN sports journalist, Kayla Grey, and comedian and entertainer, Hassan Phills, will go head-to-head in the English challenges hosted by Toronto Raptors’ NBA 2023 first draft pick, Gradey Dick.

Carl Goyette, President and CEO of GURU, introduced the ‘Feel Good Energy Challenge’ saying: “Our objective is to build brand awareness to drive trial and product adoption through a social-first marketing approach. The campaign speaks to our different communities through music, arts, sports and fashion and aims to bring us even closer to our target audience through these exciting challenges and social media personalities. We believe that this initiative will continue to reinforce our unique value proposition as the best natural energy drink on the market.”

The ’Feel Good Energy Challenge’

Every two weeks, Kayla Grey and Hassan Phills will invite well-renowned influencers to join their team and participate in a new challenge. Social media users will be invited to complete the bi-weekly challenge and use the hashtag #FeelGoodEnergy @guruenergydrink on Instagram and @guruenergydrink on TikTok when posting for a chance to win bi-weekly premium prizes.

Participants can enter to win one of three basketball VIP weekend grand prizes by using the hashtag #FeelGoodEnergy on Instagram and TikTok and nationally at selected retail stores across Canada. Winners will be announced on November 6, 2023.

For those wishing to participate in the French-language challenge, go to @guruenergie on Instagram, @guruenergydrink on TikTok or search #ChallengeBonneÉnergie on either platform. Further details about the French challenge can be found in the French version of this release on our website at https://investors.guruenergy.com/fr/nouvelles.

GURU on Campuses Across Canada
GURU will return to university campuses by hosting back-to-school pop-ups across Canada. These unique activations will bring brand ambassadors, sampling programs, social media contests and more to universities across the country this fall. This initiative has been gaining traction over the years and enables the Company to continue building brand awareness in the young adult demographic.

About GURU Products
GURU energy drinks are made from a short list of plant-based active ingredients, including natural caffeine, with zero sucralose and zero aspartame. These carefully sourced ingredients are crafted into unique blends that push your body to go further and your mind to be sharper.

About GURU Organic Energy
GURU Organic Energy Corp. (TSX: GURU) is a dynamic, fast-growing beverage company that launched the world’s first natural, plant-based energy drink in 1999. The Company markets organic energy drinks in Canada and the United States through an estimated distribution network of over 25,000 points of sale, and through www.guruenergy.com and Amazon. GURU has built an inspiring brand with a clean list of organic ingredients, including natural caffeine, with zero sucralose and zero aspartame, which offer consumers Feel Good Energy that never comes at the expense of their health. The Company is committed to achieving its mission of cleaning the energy drink industry in Canada and the United States. For more information, go to investors.guruenergy.com or follow us @guruenergydrink on Instagram, @guruenergy on Facebook and @guruenergydrink on TikTok.
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Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, information with respect to the Company’s objectives and the strategies to achieve these objectives, information and statements relating to potential future purchases by GURU of Shares under the NCIB, as well as information with respect to management’s beliefs, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions. These forward-looking statements are identified by the use of terms and phrases such as “may”, “would”, “should”, “could”, “expect”, “intend”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “believe”, or “continue”, the negative of these terms and similar terminology, including references to assumptions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these terms and phrases. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purposes of assisting the reader in understanding the Company and its business, operations, prospects and risks at a point in time in the context of historical and possible future developments and therefore the reader is cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements are based upon a number of assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond management’s control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following risk factors, which are discussed in greater detail under the “RISK FACTORS” section of the annual information form for the year ended October 31, 2022: management of growth; reliance on key personnel; reliance on key customers; changes in consumer preferences; significant changes in government regulation; criticism of energy drink products and/or the energy drink market; economic downturn and continued uncertainty in the financial markets and other adverse changes in general economic or political conditions, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and geopolitical developments, global inflationary pressure or other major macroeconomic phenomena; global or regional catastrophic events; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; inflation; revenues derived entirely from energy drinks; increased competition; relationships with co-packers and distributors and/or their ability to manufacture and/or distribute GURU’s products; seasonality; relationships with existing customers; changing retail landscape; increases in costs and/or shortages of raw materials and/or ingredients and/or fuel and/or costs of co-packing; failure to accurately estimate demand for its products; history of negative cash flow and no assurance of continued profitability or positive EBITDA; repurchase of common shares; intellectual property rights; maintenance of brand image or product quality; retention of the full-time services of senior management; climate change; litigation; information technology systems; fluctuation of quarterly operating results; risks associated with the PepsiCo distribution agreement; accounting treatment of the PepsiCo Warrants; and conflicts of interest, as well as those other risks factors identified in other public materials, including those filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities from time to time and which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to management or that management currently deems to be immaterial could also cause actual results to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained herein are based upon what management believes are reasonable assumptions as at the date they were made, investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on these statements since actual results may vary from the forward-looking statements. Certain assumptions were made in preparing the forward-looking statements concerning availability of capital resources, business performance, market conditions, and customer demand. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements contained herein are qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements, and there can be no guarantee that the results or developments that management anticipates will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences or effects on the business, financial condition or results of operation. Unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise indicates, the forward-looking statements contained herein are provided as of the date hereof, and management does not undertake to update or amend such forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law.

¹ Nielsen: 52-week period ended July 15, 2023, All Channels, Canada vs. same period year ago.

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