Serge Bueno, the good Samaritan of the business - Forbes France Serge Bueno, the good Samaritan of the business
The businessman who made his fortune in Tech is revolutionizing the powder drink market by launching a “generosity label” boosted by the sales of his prestigious partners. Called ‘Smart Good Things’, his company is committed to donating 25% of the profits to solidarity and ecological works. Serge Bueno can already be proud of having embarked on this virtuous circle of actors from the cultural world like The Voice and from the sports sphere like PSG, AS Saint-Etienne or the rugby elite with the TOP 14. Meeting between two signatures.
"Let your food be your only medicine!" “, taught Hippocrates four centuries BC. An adage still as relevant in the 21th century in these times of epidemics and aspirations for well-being. In France, and elsewhere, consumers have become aware of the link between their diet and their health, so much so that a trend is taking hold in behavior with an inclination to question the product in order to measure the impact on its health. . Objective: reduce the risk of disease, boost immunity and/or improve physical and intellectual performance. Today the housewife over 50, the millennial, the sportsman, the bobo or the ecologist want to "understand" the nutritional label. Barcodes that they sift through with great reinforcements of technology via applications scanning each ingredient. Expectations are also ethical and environmental in the name of a certain militancy, of an increasingly shared awareness.
A most favorable "context" for shaking up the world of non-alcoholic beverages, which has long been the playground of behemoths like the Atlanta firm...Coca Cola for the uninformed. The serial entrepreneur, Serge Bueno, has invested in the sector with a disruptive approach consisting in creating a “label of generosity”. Convinced that each of us can revolutionize our consumption model by making our choice a true act of virtuous citizenship for health, the planet and society, the businessman assures him: "We can absolutely reconciling performance and philanthropy”. Behind this noble idea, an innovative business model responding to the name: Smart Good Things. Rather than becoming yet another player in this crowded market, the 50-year-old who made his fortune in Tech has chosen to market his drinks under a white label: "The principle of Smart Good Things is to rely on partners - known as 'beneficiaries. right' – who put their mark on our innovative compositions. A quarter of the net turnover generated by the sale will be donated to the benefit of solidarity actions in favor of the community. “says the instigator.
12 years of research & development and 12 million euros of investment later, result in a wide range of natural and sugar-free mixtures ready to satisfy all palates. Caffeinated drinks like iced Americano or hazelnut coffee; iced tea with white peach, green tea with lemon; mocktails with the taste of mojito, beer, ginger ale or pina colado...or even energy drinks, others developed as immune system boosters: there are nearly 28 products in the catalog with a hundred more to come , all developed by a team of nutritionists and doctors. Presented in the form of a stick to be poured into cold water (or milk), these nectars are the trojan horse of this great marketer who is eyeing the highly desirable sports club market. A sector where fans are very fond of derivative products of all kinds.
This fine communicator – on edge – when it comes to defending his impact business project undertakes a real tour of France to embark these interlocutors. And not least, Serge Bueno goes to meet the leaders of Ligue 1 to preach the good word. AS Saint-Etienne becomes its first major partner, enough to comfort the man who has the holy of holies in his sights: PSG. He knows the importance of getting a deal with the club of the capital whose influence is international...
…And he had Ronaldo.
Last June, in the middle of a press conference, Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo asked to replace his Coca-Cola with water, rejecting the soda that was offered. An innocuous gesture commented on at will until opening a debate on the place of soft drinks in our lifestyle. This "Coca-Colagate" amplified by social networks will support the argument of the entrepreneur. Perfect timing: PSG follows it by adhering to its “generosity label” indexed to the sale of drinks stamped with the Parisian logo. From there, the media machine gets carried away. This big coup attracts other prestigious partners like SACEM (the society of authors, composers and music publishers) and The Voice, the famous successful telecrochet broadcast on TF1. “Everyone understood the merits of this win-win partnership. The more people know about my product, the more likely I am that they will buy it and increase the bounty fund. This virtuous system affects the turnover of rights holders and that of Smart Good Things. At the same time, it consolidates the CSR image. “, welcomes Serge Bueno.
He intends to spread his winning recipe also to the world of culture, to that of mass distribution, to public authorities... Ambitious objectives soon to be financed by a fundraising of 10 million euros in preparation. “If we manage to donate 25% of our earnings, it is thanks to the agility of our business model. In detail, we have no bottles to produce, nor raw materials to buy such as water or sugar, which means more transport. So we are making economies of scale. This innovative approach also allows us to drastically reduce waste and the carbon footprint. It is therefore possible to generate 25% of net sales thanks to this distinctive positioning. “, enlightens the latter.
It is clear that his speech generates a certain enthusiasm among the actors of the sporting and cultural world. But not only, the institutional also find themselves in this charismatic personality. Serge Bueno is a committed business angel who appreciates devoting time to others through interventions in social reception centers. In his eyes, it is essential to listen, to inspire, to pass on to young people mistreated by life. "If I can just turn the life of a kid who's been abandoned, resigned, or about to take a wrong turn, then I'll be blessed with the happiness of having done so. Money should never be an end in itself, as an entrepreneur you have to question the societal role of your action. Bringing together, reconciling, re-energizing, this is my personal matrix. “, he confides.
This sensitive soul does not forget the seniors for whom he hopes to make everyday life easier through a concierge platform project at democratic prices. Old age, or how to age well at home, is a subject that agitates him alongside the president of the Loire Departmental Council, Georges Ziegler. This territory was chosen to be the cradle of the launch of this pilot project designed on the model of a subscription. The principle ? Allow seniors to call on concierges for day-to-day assistance (digital formalities, have their shopping delivered, solve a housekeeping problem, book a medical appointment, chat with their grandchildren, etc.). Janitors recruited and trained among young school dropouts and other people far from employment.
In his image, Serge Bueno intends to give of his person to move the lines in this universe as well.
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