JKR

Fraser Doherty

Lessons from Fraser Doherty at Platform.

The story of SuperJam has a bit of a real-life, fairytale to it. 14 year old Fraser Doherty started out selling his Gran’s jam to friends, neighbours and then at farmers’ markets. 7 years later he has a global brand sold in thousands of supermarkets, is finalising his launch into the US and has picked up almost every possible entrepreneur of the year award.

The best thing about the story is that his success has come through hard work, enthusiasm and a large helping of humility. When you hear Fraser speak, you can’t help but want him to succeed.

As well as making you wonder whether you could have been a bit more productive with your teenage years, he reminded us of some useful principles:

1. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel
At a time when so much business success is determined by technological advancement, SuperJam shows us that you can still take a product as old as jam and create a successful, new brand from it.

2. The right label
Early pack designs based on a theme of superheroes won Fraser’s heart but not that of the retailers. Despite belief that Fraser had the right product, the Waitrose buyer would not list it with the wrong label. A total re-design was required to get SuperJam onto the supermarket shelves.

3. It’s not always about the 5-year plan
Fraser described meeting the buyers of the groceries as being a bit like performing on X Factor. In the absence of a detailed business plan, his passion for his product obviously impressed the Waitrose judge and he is quick to acknowledge that it was a pivotal moment for the business.

All of that said - there is no question that the key to SuperJam’s success is Fraser himself. He embodies the goodness that goes into his 100% pure fruit product. Best illustrated by the fact that he is already giving something back. He regularly holds 'SuperJam Tea Parties' for the elderly and people living in care homes, where he offers tea, scones and of course, SuperJam.  With 120 tea parties last year, he will be hosting one with 3000 guests in 2012.

To hear another story of super-entrepreneurial spirit, join us at Platform on 19th July when our speaker is Tom Mercer, Founder of Moma Foods. Places are in high demand but if you’d like to come along e-mail Amy at amymaw@jkr.co.uk and she’ll do all she can to get you onto the list.