{"id":12322,"date":"2023-09-05T02:33:53","date_gmt":"2023-09-05T02:33:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/leadership\/from-rhode-to-summer-fridays-branded-juice-collabs-are-big-business\/"},"modified":"2023-09-05T02:33:54","modified_gmt":"2023-09-05T02:33:54","slug":"from-rhode-to-summer-fridays-branded-juice-collabs-are-big-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=12322","title":{"rendered":"From Rhode To Summer Fridays, Branded Juice Collabs Are Big Business"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you\u2019ve noticed a proliferation of beauty and lifestyle brands creating smoothies \u2014 and going viral \u2014 then join the club.<\/p>\n

While smoothie collabs are an entire product category on their own, brands have long been partnering with iconic foods to create limited-edition signature flavors and products.<\/p>\n

Pairing a food and beverage companies with a celebrity, or a fashion, beauty or lifestyle brand can be a successful way to tap into a whole new audience and ignite some buzz.<\/p>\n

When it comes to predicting the formula for a viral drink, the equation seems<\/em> straightforward, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

1- Align with a noteworthy, popular founder, creator or brand.<\/p>\n

2- Create a flavor profile that\u2019s both delicious and highly Instagrammable.<\/p>\n

3- Offer the drink for a limited time (this isn\u2019t always<\/em> the case but urgency is often part of the mix).<\/p>\n

And yet, only a select few have cracked the code for smoothie collab success. That\u2019s because there\u2019s no true copy-paste template for this type of branded liquid gold.<\/p>\n

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I spoke with three brand founders who have mastered this, as well as branding and marketing experts who have harnessed the power of virality.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no question about it: Erewhon, the Los Angeles-based certified organic retailer (that also has B Corp Certification), helped unlock a new level of stratospheric success with its smoothies.<\/p>\n

Marianna Hewitt and Hailey Bieber are the two influencers and beauty founders who helped propel <\/strong>this trend at Erewhon in 2022 \u2014 starting with Hewitt\u2019s “Coconut Cloud\u201d in March, followed by the release of Bieber\u2019s “Strawberry Glaze Skin\u201d smoothie (dubbed the \u201cHailey Bieber\u201d), soon after in June.<\/p>\n

According to Vito Antoci, Erewhon Executive Vice President (who has been named among Glossy<\/em>\u2019s \u201cTop Marketers of 2023\u201d), Marianna Hewitt\u2019s \u201cCoconut Cloud\u201d is what changed it all for Erewhon and showcased the endless possibilities within this new product category.<\/p>\n

Bieber is currently making waves with the late August launch of Rhode\u2019s newest Peptide Lip Treatment, which bears the same lip-smacking name as the infamous and still extremely viral Erewhon smoothie.<\/p>\n

Bieber\u2019s \u201cStrawberry Glaze Skin\u201d smoothie is still going extremely strong: \u201cIn Hailey’s first month, she sold about 36,000 smoothies,\u201d Antoci shares. \u201cWe had our biggest month ever this past August \u2014 we saw a spike of 16,000 units.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Antoci, 1,200 to 1,500 of Bieber\u2019s \u201cStrawberry Glaze Skin\u201d smoothie are sold at Erewhon, per day. Sales and social media posts of the drink were even boosted in August, which Antoci attributes to Taylor Swift\u2019s L.A. stop of The Eras <\/em>tour: that week led to a significant spike in sales, as concertgoers visiting Los Angeles wanted to get in on the \u201cStrawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie\u201d phenomenon (and share about it on social).<\/p>\n

With the belief that brands can have a positive impact on their community, Rhode built the Rhode Futures Foundation as part of the brand’s DNA since day one. Partial proceeds of the $18 smoothie went to the brand\u2019s Rhode Foundation.<\/p>\n

(All of Erewhon\u2019s smoothies have a give-back component, with proceeds going to the creator\u2019s non-profit organization of choice.)<\/p>\n

On the opposite side of the food spectrum as Erewhon, Krispy Kreme temporarily reintroduced its Strawberry Glaze donut, until September 4. So now fans of Rhode\u2019s Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie can have their proverbial cake \u2014 and donuts too.<\/p>\n

(It\u2019s safe to assume that Erewhon\u2019s target consumer is sipping<\/em> its way to Strawberry Glaze Skin, as Bieber hinted that it\u2019s a \u201cStrawberry Girl Summer,\u201d but the beauty of unpredictable branding makes the Krispy Kreme tie-in that much more compelling.)<\/p>\n

Summer Fridays founder Marianna Hewitt has since launched a follow-up smoothie at Erewhon: this summer\u2019s “Strawberry Lemonade Summer Crush.”<\/p>\n

Flavor and aesthetics are two benchmarks of a standout smoothie, so when it comes to creating the look, let your brand\u2019s image take the lead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am someone who thinks social and digitally first to get people excited, so I knew I wanted it to be visually beautiful, featuring a nod to Summer Fridays with a shade of blue,\u201d Hewitt says about her \u201cCoconut Cloud\u201d smoothie. \u201cBut it had to taste good in addition to being beautiful, so together with the Erewhon team, we created this drink.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe like to tie it into something that\u2019s natural to the brand \u2014 with \u2018Coconut Cloud\u2019 it was the blue color of Jet Lag Mask, and with \u2018Strawberry Lemonade\u2019, it\u2019s the name \u2018Summer Crush\u2019 that ties into the brand name and feeling of Summer Fridays. We were also able to do a sample with purchase of our ShadeDrops Mineral Milk Sunscreen, so we could reach a new audience with our products.\u201d<\/p>\n

For “Strawberry Lemonade Summer Crush,\u201d lemonade-flavored electrolytes were added to the drink for hydration, to bring in the functional aspect of the drink.<\/p>\n

When it comes to Erewhon smoothies, flavor and look aren\u2019t enough \u2014 a functional element must be part of the equation.<\/p>\n

This past June, the retailer collaborated with gut health brand Arrae to create its signature \u201cCocojito\u201d smoothie.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had done a big retail display partnership with Erewhon last year, and then again this year, and both went really well,\u201d Arrae founder Siffat Haider explains. \u201cErewhon customers are our target demo, and we had substantial data to back up the fact that a smoothie partnership with them would be a smart marketing decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cCocojito\u201d smoothie, which doubles as a debloating drink, contains the formula of its bestselling Bloat product, in addition to vanilla collagen.<\/p>\n

Viral smoothie collaborations aren\u2019t limited to beauty and wellness brands: entrepreneur, confidence coach and media personality, Serena Kerrigan, co-created a shake with global coffee and juice brand Joe & the Juice, called \u201cFor The Plot\u201d \u2014 a tribute to her signature tagline. Kerrigan\u2019s drink is available at all Joe & the Juice locations across the U.S., until Labor Day.<\/p>\n

Kerrigan\u2019s \u201cdo it for the plot\u201d motto has inspired thousands of people to live life genuinely and unapologetically.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis collab with Joe & the Juice felt like the perfect next step for me because it fits right in with my target audience, while being widely accessible to many who might not be familiar with my brand,\u201d Kerrigan shares.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most important element executives should narrow in on when looking for talent to collaborate with, is finding someone who has a unique story to tell. I wasn\u2019t selling a shake with this collab \u2014 I was selling a feeling. It’s an everyday reminder to embrace yourself as the main character, and do it for the plot of your life. Empowerment is truly at the center of this marketing campaign and I believe embracing yourself sends a very powerful message. Brands should look for talent with loyal communities and a strong POV.\u201d<\/p>\n

Antoci agrees with this thought: \u201cWe do not do smoothies with brands, we do smoothies with celebrities. Celebrity influencer smoothies are 100% our biggest viral moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

The plot thickens: According to Joe & the Juice, the out-of-home advertising in Soho drew a combined total of 70M monthly average views. The campaign images were seen on a billboard, through wild postings and sidewalk stencils. On the social front, the collaboration amassed more than 1.3 million views on TikTok. The ‘For The Plot’ shake sales propelled a 5% increase in sales within the first month and attracted over 10,000 new customers to Joe & the Juice. Over 15,000 of Kerrigan\u2019s shakes have been sold and to no one\u2019s surprise, New York, Kerrigan\u2019s home state, emerged as the top selling state.<\/p>\n

Juliana Goldman, founder of Potion and the agency of record for Joe & the Juice, shared her thoughts on the magic of collaborations.<\/p>\n

\u201cCo-creating a product is a powerful marketing play that extends beyond the beverage space and holds incredible value. It can significantly boost customer engagement, facilitate personalized experiences, generates a ton of buzz, and promotes advocacy. Brands embracing co-creation are positioning themselves for future success. Today, customers seek more than just products \u2014 they crave experiences and purpose-driven interactions with the brands they support.\u201d<\/p>\n

Haider of Arrae adds: \u201cI see it as a brand awareness and marketing play. If you’re concerned about ROI, know that it probably won’t be instant, but rather a trickle-down effect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those who launch a smoothie or collab with a food and beverage brand have hopes for going viral \u2014 but unlike the drinks themselves, virality cannot be bottled.<\/p>\n

Adee Drexler, founder and CEO of Infinity Creative Agency (a.k.a. ICA), is the mastermind behind one of this year\u2019s most viral moment: Sofia Richie Grainge\u2019s TikTok debut right before her wedding.<\/p>\n

Drexler shares her thoughts on going viral: \u201cVirality can\u2019t be forced. It\u2019s more about having a perfect storm of several factors, all happening at the same time. Timing, relevance, a sense of effortless execution, and some luck all come into play. And if you\u2019re trying to make something go viral, people can sense that you\u2019re trying too hard, which can come off as inauthentic and performative. You can\u2019t orchestrate it.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it comes to hoping for virality, Antoci is aligned \u2014 it\u2019s not something you can ever project or predict. \u201cI think it\u2019s much better when you try things for fun. At Erewhon, we launched these smoothies and drinks for fun \u2014 it has to be very organic and it has to feel very right to our audience first. And then everything else comes with it. That’s been the magic of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n