Why is Olipop Hiring Two Creators to be Part of Its Nationwide Tour?

There is a gut-healthy soda brand called Olipop on the verge of embarking on a national tour, and they are looking to hire two people as senior soda consultants to help the brand on its journey.

By utilizing LinkedIn and a separate post, Olipop decided not to pursue a paid campaign and instead, announced the position through a job posting. Applications are being accepted until March 22.

The positions offer consumers the opportunity to collaborate with Olipop while traveling to up to four cities and producing content for the brand. As part of this initiative, Olipop will cover all related expenses and offer compensation up to $40,000. Olipop’s goal is to expand its presence within the competitive better-for-you market.

According to Steven Vigilante, OLIPOP’s Director of Growth and Partnerships, the brand launched this due to the thousands of inquiries of consumers and other people via email and social media wanting to represent the brand as a sales representative. According to Vigilante, the job posting has gained over 180,000 views within a few days compared to other job postings that have accumulated normal views.

“We had 90,000 applications last year for 40 roles that we hired and we obviously can’t hire everybody, but it’s cool to not just throw up a specific marketing or creative job description and actually make it open to real superfans and content creators,” he said.

Vigilante emphasized that Olipop is not seeking only two influencers, since that would be an obvious choice. Olipop aims to evaluate the applications as they come in and prioritize individuals with a knack for content creation. Additionally, Vigilante said it is looking for candidates who are capable of generating creative concepts, shooting, editing, and handling post-production. Furthermore, Vigilante said applicants do not need to be professional content creators or influencers, but they should have some experience in creating content.

“This method not only increases the brand’s visibility but also fosters a deeper connection with consumers by offering them a unique, immersive experience,” said Courtney Lupilin, CEO and Founder of Little Red Management. “There’s also a bigger trend here – brands are increasingly adopting more creative and interactive strategies to engage with their target demographics.”

Aside from this, Olipop acknowledges that TikTok emphasizes virality, education, and entertainment over direct sales tactics. The brand’s approach to the platform is focused on creating engaging and relevant content rather than adopting a sales-oriented approach. Olipop aims to produce entertaining content that resonates with users who may come across their content while scrolling through their “For You” page, regardless of whether they are familiar with the brand.

“We don’t like jamming brand messaging down people’s faces and that’s only relevant to people who do know who you are so we just try to come up with like funny, interesting stuff that’s eye catching,” said Vigilante, explaining that its content is designed to be humorous and entertaining, regardless of the viewer’s familiarity with Olipop.

Olipop is not the only brand that is doing a unique experience that gained attraction outside of content creators. Days Inn by Wyndham just concluded its contest as the brand is looking for two people to capture content of the upcoming solar eclipse. There is clearly a shift happening in the creator economy currently, with brands increasingly seeking non-traditional ways to engage with creators and consumers alike in order to thrive in this tough economic climate.

According to Randi Matthews, CEO and Founder of Multi-Hyphen Media, Olipop shunned traditional media approaches in 2021 and focused on creators and user-generated content. Matthews also added Olipop’s strategy emphasized product placement, authentic testimonials, and genuine content to capture the attention of their target consumers.

“It isn’t surprising to me that they will be rolling out creator-first content projects because that has been their bread and butter, specifically on TikTok, which has been where their brand has seen virality,” said Matthews. “Giving consumers real-time, first-person narrative to experience a product and its value is key to their social culture, and this is just another step in the evolution of their brand creativity. Creators perform best when allowed to use their own voice and content style, even when performing on behalf of a brand.