Marketing Happy Hour - The Art of Showing Up in Unexpected Places | Izzy Yellin of OLIPOP

Starting point is 00:00:00 you're listening to the marketing happy hour podcast where we discuss career and industry insights with our peers in marketing we're here to talk about it all like the ups and downs of working in social media how to build authentic relationships in the influencer and pr space managing a nine-to-five and a side hustle at the same time, how to be productive in your life and career without losing your sanity, and more. Ultimately, we're here to build a community with you because we're all trying to navigate the world of marketing together. Are you ready? Grab your favorite drink and join your hosts, Cassie and Erica, for this week's episode.

Starting point is 00:00:58 Okay, everyone, I don't even know if you're ready for this. We have been so, so excited to release this episode because it is with a representative of one of our favorite brands on the market right now. This week, we are catching up with Izzy Yellen, content manager at CPG soda brand Olipop. In this episode, Izzy walks us through her day-to-day tasks in content strategy and creation, gives us a behind-the-scenes peek at her favorite Olipop projects, and explains how the Olipop team utilizes social media content to foster a true community with their consumers. She also shares her best advice for marketing teams looking to elevate their content, find interesting ways to join the conversations already happening online and show up in unexpected places to create memorable brand moments. If you have Olipop in your fridge right now, pause this, go grab one and come back because we are so excited to dive in. Thanks so much for listening.

Starting point is 00:01:56 Hey Izzy, how are you? I'm great. How are you? So good. We are so thrilled to have you on the Marketing Happy Hour podcast today. But before we get started, I have an important question for you that we ask all of our guests. And it's an extra special question today because you represent the brand that we're going to be talking about during this segment. What is in your glass this afternoon? So I have one of my favorite flavors, grape Olipop. It's amazing. It hits the spot. It's I call it's 1130 right now, but I always sip on it right at like noon this time to

Starting point is 00:02:32 get me through the rest of the day. Incredible. I actually also am sipping on an Olipop. Surprise, surprise. It's the classic root beer flavor. Um, the story with that is I never liked root beer and I actually gave it a try again because I wanted to try one of the fun Olipop flavors that you came out with. Um, and I fell in love with it again. So I'm, I'm now a root beer fan.

Starting point is 00:02:58 Thanks to Olipop. You can get you back on the root beer train. Have you done a root beer float yet? I want to so badly. That was actually my plan for this episode. I was going to go get vanilla ice cream and like make it a whole thing. I actually have like a really cute glass with me too. That just has water right now. Um, but I'll probably do that a little bit later or maybe in another episode here too. Definitely keep me posted on that adventure. I will. I will. Cassie, what's in your glass? Yeah.

Starting point is 00:03:25 So I also have Olipop. Surprise. I have vintage cola. It's so funny. I feel like the three of these flavors that we have are definitely my ultimate favorites of Olipop. For me specifically, cola. I absolutely love cola.

Starting point is 00:03:39 So when I first discovered Olipop, having like a healthy version of cola was amazing. And that's, that's the only version of cola I'll drink. I'm a, I'm a huge fan. Yay. I'm glad that also will make a good float as well. I know. I know. After this, after this, we'll all just go make some floats. Those are our cap to this episode. Awesome. Well, Izzy, we are so excited to learn from you today. But first, if you don't mind, if you could tell us a little bit about your background in marketing and how you came into your role you hold today at Olipop. Yeah, of course.

Starting point is 00:04:14 So, you know, I've always held an interest in social and working with brands. So in college, I quickly, you know, had a, wanted to get into it and figure out a way to get into social media. So I held a variety of different internships. I worked for an amazing PR agency, actually, where I'm based in Denver. And I got to touch on a lot of different brand social channels and help with that, as well as their influencer marketing. So that was really, really fun. And then after, you know, I graduated college, I went to CU Boulder in 2021 and I graduated and I got a job right out of school working for Wild Chips. I don't know if you guys know them. It's another CPG brand. Yeah, the chicken, like chicken chips.

Starting point is 00:05:00 Yeah, Chicken Chip Girly. I don't know if you knew that um but now you know I got to start working with them and I ran their social I got them on TikTok uh built up a lot of their you know influencer community there and then I was lucky enough to be you know invited to Expo West which I think you guys probably are familiar with as well and that's actually how after a year of working wild, I went there and I met Steven Vangelanti, who's my boss today. And we met at, you know, a networking event, which is super funny. I really didn't know who he was. We just somehow got connected and he followed me and kind of followed what I was doing at this other company and, you know, invited me to join the Olipop team and help them build out their influencer marketing strategy strategy. Cause he was kind of, you know, owning that and

Starting point is 00:05:49 he needed someone to help. So I joined the team May of 2022 and was their influencer coordinator and then quickly, you know, fell in love with the influencer side as well. But then, you know, always wanted to have my hand in social. I was always kind of giving ideas and feedback and kind of moved up and became the content manager. So it was like a really fun journey starting with influencer. And then I still get to touch on it, which is great. But now I'm really owning the strategy and content here at L.A. Pop. Oh, that's awesome. And we love organizations where you can kind of express what your strong suits and desires are and leaders that are just able to take that and kind of put you into that position. So congrats on that. But almost two years in to working at Alipop, right? So I'm sure your day to day kind of looks different in a given

Starting point is 00:06:40 time or campaigns that you guys are working on, but just in general, what does kind of the normal daily tasks look like for you and what mediums and platforms are your team creating content for? Yeah. Like you said, it's kind of changing every day. And I think a lot of social media managers feel the same way. Like it's never the same. Everything is kind of moving and that's kind of the beauty of the job. You never get bored, which is something I love and really appreciate. And then also Olipop is so great because you get to wear a bunch of different hats. So, you know, again, it's always changing, but usually I start my day with like a task list. I'm like, okay, what actually is this high priority? What do we need to get done here? And then moving into, I always am on a lot of calls, which is great.

Starting point is 00:07:27 We are fully remote. So we are hopping on calls with internal teams, getting synced up of what needs to be done. And then external teams as well. You know, we want to do a brand collaboration or we are talking with influencers to make content on our channels as well. So a lot of calls as well. And then, you know, just planning the content calendars for our platform. So you asked, you know, what platforms we're planning.

Starting point is 00:07:51 So Instagram is my bread and butter. That's what I'm really touching on most days. TikTok, I help run our strategy. We have three amazing content creators that we, that actually make the content. You'll see me featured in them, but I'm not really making it. But help with the strategy there. And then Threads as well. Super fun. What a really fun new platform that kind of all the brands have gone on this year. Oh my gosh. I have to interrupt you for a minute because I love Threads. What's the interaction been like with you and the consumer on that platform? I'm so curious to hear. It's just so fun. Like you said, I think brands are really having such

Starting point is 00:08:30 fun with it. It feels like I'm in a text group chat with friends essentially. So that's where we get to be our like most playful self. I think our bio even says like Olipop unhinged on here. So it's really the fun side of the, of, you know, the fun side of, of marketing and social. It's when you can really express organically and talk to those consumers, like very, you know, not as structured, I would say. And then lastly, Twitter, my boss, Stephen loves, he, he, he owns that platform and, or acts now. So he's running that. Oh, so fun. And I know a lot of content managers, social media managers could probably agree to this, but there's a lot going on that we have to manage at all times, right? So I'm curious for you,

Starting point is 00:09:20 how do you stay organized? Do you have any tips for ensuring that you're kind of ahead of the game with campaigns and things coming up in the year, just so you can kind of work in a very sane manner, I guess is the word throughout the year on your role. Yeah, I think staying organized is huge. So again, for me, it's my task list. I think I could not get anything done. I think I have a bunch of tasks going on at all times and just making sure, even if it's like the smaller things, making sure that those are going to be accounted for. If it's not pressing, then I can get back to them. With content calendars, it's nice because I get to see everything laid out in front of me. So we're usually working two months in advance on the content we're putting out. We're trying to get to three. But, you know, that also allows me to, you know, put filler in and say, this is, these are the important moments that we need to

Starting point is 00:10:11 highlight as a brand or holidays or, you know, fun things that are coming up that we should be touching and talking on. So that kind of gives me a little bit of an organized structure to make sure that we're thinking about those cultural moments and staying ahead of like what we need to do for the brand. A hundred percent. That's great to hear. I'm curious from your end, what are some of your favorite projects or, you know, activities that you've been able to work on with the brand? Yeah, there's so many. One that stands out to me because it was just such a fun experience. We wanted to bring Olipop into where a traditional, a traditional soda space. So we did some impromptu guerrilla marketing and me,

Starting point is 00:10:53 and then one of our other, you know, content creators who runs our TikTok went to a Denver Nuggets game and we sat courtside. She was wearing an Olipop can costume. We got her in. It was literally broadcast, I think it was like a broadcast all over ESPN. We were getting a ton of engagement. We were live streaming it. And it was just such a fun experience bringing Olipop into a space that, you know, traditionally we're not allowed to get into. So that was really, really fun. And what a fun experience sitting courtside, but also in a can costume and documenting that we got to go on the court. We high-fived some players. It was just really, really special. And actually funny enough, we were told at halftime, we had to take the can off because people were chomping in so much about seeing us on

Starting point is 00:11:45 ESPN, which is pretty fun. Oh my gosh, that is so cool. And I've seen a couple other of those brand moments I think that Alipop has participated in, just being out in the general public and just interacting with consumers in that way. And I think that's so impactful. You don't expect to see one of your favorite beverage brands just walking down the street, but when you do, it's so impactful. You know, you don't expect to see one of your favorite beverage brands, just like walking down the street, but when you do, it's so fun and you can create some really great content around that. So applause to you guys for that. Cause that's awesome. The cans on the clock are so fun. They're so fun. I love them, you know, and I have one little in my closet right here. So they're great. You should have worn it. I should have, I should have, but maybe next time, but yeah, they're great. Literally should have worn it. I should have, I should have, but maybe next time,

Starting point is 00:12:26 but yeah, they're great. Literally love, love taking photos with us in the can. Oh my gosh. So, so cool. Well, in creating content for the Olipop brand, what are some of the key strategies that you and your team employ? You know, are you building out those content calendars? I know you mentioned that you were doing some of that work. And what are you, how are you speaking to current and upcoming brand moments or, you know, researching what your consumer's into and then answering those questions or comments that they have in your. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:12:56 So I think, yeah, that's a great question. You know, we always, our brand platform is Real Love Makes Us. I don't know if you guys saw that. We did a campaign with uh Camila Cabello which was so special it was just kind of you know about creating these connections with people human connections bringing emotion into this space um so that's something that's definitely a strategy we employ in a lot of our content we definitely want it to feel meaningful and you know these little moments that people might not think of, but, you know, are anchored

Starting point is 00:13:27 in, you know, sharing a beverage with someone, sharing an lollipop with someone. So that's some strategy that we kind of always have throughout, try to have throughout a lot of our content. And the other one is, you know, we always just try to stay relevant in the sense of like what's going on in social and kind of staying one step ahead of what is going on, looking at, you know, the trends, but in figuring out fun ways that we can incorporate it. And we want to be, you know, creating a community on our platforms of like friendships, I will say, and something that people get really excited to chime into and engage with. So that's definitely a good strategy for us when we're looking at like,

Starting point is 00:14:07 how can we bring in new people? But also, you know, entertain the people that are already following us and make it a really engaging, fun space for them. Yeah. Speaking of engagement too, is there anything in addition to that content that you're creating that you guys are doing to foster relationships with your community, whether on a community management standpoint or anything else and just tips for activating your customers in that way? Yeah, I think we do a really special job. I think our community management, we have some amazing community managers. I always get in there in the DMs and in the comments as well. I think our whole social team really enjoys interacting with

Starting point is 00:14:51 them. It's just fun. So we always try to respond to all of our comments on our channel, but in a really fun and unique way. I think sometimes people can get lost in just like emoji or actually responding to them in funny ways that they're like, wow, Olipop is hearing me, seeing me. We get a ton of organic buzz and chatter. So people are tagging us in their content and then just stories. So we always like to engage with them. And I always, I think something special for me too, is looking at the message requests that we get coming in. We have so many, so it is, you know, daunting to look at all that, but going through it all and seeing these special messages like, Hey, you know, Olipop helped me get through this, or, you know, made me switch to being drinking soda again and being able to have soda back in my life.

Starting point is 00:15:43 It's like very special to have those moments. So I think, you know, never underestimate like getting into the DMs and getting your hands dirty with that. I think you'll learn a lot about your consumer that way. Yeah, for sure. And I think people get super stoked too, of just hearing from their favorite brands back. I think a lot of times us as consumers, especially with the big brands, like you guys, we don't necessarily always expect to get a response back, but as you guys, uh, prioritizing that that's creating that memorable moment for the consumers and something they're going to remember. And then just think of your brand all the time. So it's huge. Yeah. We definitely have some people that, um, we have

Starting point is 00:16:20 built a lot of great relationships with there's's one on Threads where we created a name for Strawberry Vanilla. And anytime we post Strawberry Vanilla, he comments and says the name. And it's really funny. So we try to build those special moments with our consumers at all times. Yeah, for sure. And you guys do a great job at that. But I want to hear, too, what advice do you have for listeners working at CPG brands who want to elevate their content just overall their presence on social?

Starting point is 00:16:50 Yeah, I think, you know, social media managers get tasked with like putting out a bunch of content at all times. And I think that can be scary sometimes. Like, oh, I need to post a certain amount of content every week or every month to hit this deadline or, you know, this task that was given to me. And I think that's where people can get mixed up where it's, you know, you're putting out content that is, you know, maybe aesthetic, but it's not really engaging. And I myself have done this a lot before and trying to learn from that. But, you know, putting out content that people are wanting to engage with and that are meaningful, organic versus just putting out content to have live on your socials. I think that would be a good piece of advice I would give.

Starting point is 00:17:37 Yeah, absolutely. I couldn't agree with you more. Well, you touched on it just a little bit and what you just said about, you know, really honing in on what it is that makes your content thrive. How do you and the Olipop team determine the success of your content then? Are there, you know, any tools or platforms that you typically use to monitor, manage, or measure the performance of your content marketing efforts? Yes. So we were on a platform, but, you know, it wasn't really working for us and what we needed. So right now we're actually in the middle of, you know, looking at a bunch of different platforms. We're doing a bunch of different trials. I've been there. I was the one doing all that research for a hair care brand like a few years

Starting point is 00:18:21 ago. So I have been in your shoes and that is a huge undertaking. So I wish you the best of luck with that. Thank you. Yeah. But you know, I think what we like to look for again, engagement and like how people are responding to the stuff that we're putting out. I think that's really important for us. I think, you know, those organic comments and stories of like, you know, going into the retailer and we're seeing that the content that we're saying, you know, we're in this one retailer and we're seeing them seeing, you know, a week later, everyone posting about that one retailer. It's great.

Starting point is 00:18:53 So I think that's kind of a really good metric for us to look at, like how people are responding to the content we're putting out there. But yes, definitely a big undertaking. And I'm excited to see, you know, which platform we end up with. Yeah, well, and Izzy, you guys are always doing such fun collaborations. You talked about one with Camilla and just all of these things I can think of in the past that you guys have done. So is there anything that you can speak to now that is coming up for you guys, whether on the external campaign side, or just things that you guys are working on internally just to set yourself up for success in 2024? Yeah, we have so much fun stuff coming up. I'm really,

Starting point is 00:19:31 really excited. Unfortunately, I can't say anything, but, you know, we're always looking at, you know, adding in some new flavors. So that might be on the horizon. We are showing up like, you know, in different areas that you might not see us. So some really fun sponsorship opportunities are coming in the pipeline as well. Partnering with, again, really fun influencers and celebrities and expanding that as well. So there is a lot of fun stuff coming up. Definitely get your post notifications on and ready because they're coming. Yes. Well, we can't wait to see everything that's ahead for you guys, but we have to finish out this episode by asking a question we always ask. It's one of our favorite questions here on Marketing Happy Hour. And that is, what do you

Starting point is 00:20:16 know now that you wish you knew even a little earlier on in your career? Yeah, I think this was such a good question. You know, I going into the workforce, I think a lot, a lot of us felt this way, like, you know, not having that confidence a little bit and being like, you know, why would someone want to hire me? I'm just, you know, I'm fresh out of college. You know, I may have had internships, but like, why me? And I think having that confidence and going into the workplace, like thinking everyone's been in your shoes. Everyone has, you know, felt the way and felt the things you're feeling. It is such a, you know, crazy process getting your first job and coming into like the real workforce.

Starting point is 00:20:56 So I would say just go into it with the confidence and like brands are excited to have new people and like that are wanting to learn. And you bring such new insights as well. You know, we have a whole new workforce coming in and there's definitely gonna be things and trends that they know more about than we do. So I think owning that and being like, I got this, that was something I would like to say to myself if I could go back to. Yeah. So good. Thank you for that advice. I think that's, we can never get enough of that, just building confidence. And a lot of times I think too, the things that we're thinking about ourselves, chances are no one else is thinking that about us. So just having that perspective

Starting point is 00:21:32 too. So thank you for that. Uh, well, Izzy, we have to also ask of course, how we can stay in touch with you and everything happening over at Olipop. So please, if you don't mind, share with us the channels and places we can keep up with you. Yeah. So you guys can all follow Olipop at Drink Olipop for Instagram and TikTok and the Reds and Twitter. And then we have our LinkedIn channel as well.

Starting point is 00:22:00 And then me personally, you can follow me on my LinkedIn and that's Izzy Yellen. Awesome. Well, thank you so much, Izzy, for coming on and sharing all things Olipop and just your journey and your expertise. We really loved having you today. So thank you. Thank you. And cheers. Cheers.

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Marketing Happy Hour - The Art of Showing Up in Unexpected Places | Izzy Yellin of OLIPOP

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