Right off the bat, Dirty Pop already hooked me—I'm a vegetarian Gen Z student who cares about wellness but loves soda! I'm also quick to judge a brand based on their social media presence. I think a good hook/story is going to focus on these things:

• The benefits. Why should we choose you over Poppi or a protein shake? Make content that answers this exact question! Leading with the answer (taste, convenience, lighter experience, etc) is going to give credibility.

• The audience. I know it's for Gen Z, vegetarians, and wellness enthusiasts, but does it appeal to people outside those categories? Can it be for gym lovers, vegans, and people who hate the gym and love meat all at the same time? That being said, since we do know the target categories, a good way to engage could be to tap into the aesthetics and lifestyle habits that already exist. For example, a TikTok slideshow: "come eat with me as a vegan college student ft. dirty pop!"

• The visuals. I'm really drawn in to the existing branding, and I think leaning into that will help! Film photography is HUGE right now with Gen Z. I'm thinking about a campaign centered around film photography featuring Dirty Pop!

I think social media marketing is hard to navigate right now in the age of bots and unpredictable engagement. Audiences, especially Gen Z, want to see the real people behind or associated with the products. We give engagement to content that resonates with us, even if it's not directly about the actual product. (Think about how people engage with Wendy's or Denny's, just from their social media marketing!)

All of that being said, I think sentiment (in comment sections and across platforms) and followers are more important metrics beyond just views and likes. Anyone can get hundreds of thousands of views from luck or just being "out there" enough, but positive sentiments are what keep people coming back. Creating great content (funny, informative, visually appealing, etc.) is one big key to success, and Dirty Pop is actually in a great spot right now with the visual branding. I think emphasizing that they want to make customers feel good with a drink that tastes good is going to be key to drawing people in! Gen Z is always looking for novelty and the newest thing, especially now that summer is coming up.

For protein soda specifically, differentiation is important since it's competing with other health sodas on the market but capitalizing on the protein wave happening currently. To me, a good approach has to balance the following: authentic, humorous product reviews from real people/creators, and honing in on the most compelling aspects of the drink itself. It's one thing for the brand to list the health benefits, but it's another for people to hear that it actually tastes good from people that they trust!

I move comfortably between Photoshop, Illustrator, Canva, Figma, and InDesign. I love learning new platforms/tools and am always looking for new tips and tutorials to expand my skill set! I think Photoshop and Illustrator are excellent as industry standard tools, and Canva is an amazing platform for quicker output while still maintaining quality.