Hip Pops is a popsicle company started in 2011 in Athens, Georgia. Each popsicle flavor is named after a famous hip-hop or rap artist. The company grew from making popsicles for friends to a full business selling at local stores and events. Hip Pops uses various marketing strategies including social media, websites, and local magazine features. A SWOT analysis found strengths in customer loyalty but weaknesses in few resources. Goals include improving the online presence and hiring employees. The target audiences of mothers and college students require different messaging highlighting ingredients or flavors. While local competitors exist, Hip Pops differentiates by focusing on fresh ingredients and musical pun names.

1. Hip Pops
Client Summary
Table of
Contents
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Julia Kleiber
Advertising Message Strategy
Spring 2015
Landrum
company history
brand history
marketing
history
SWOT analysis
3C analysis
creative brief
visual inspiration
SWOT worksheet
brainstorming
sketchbook

2. 2
Hip Pops:
Handmade
Frozen Pops
Company
History
In May 2011, Melissa
Fontaine started her very
own popsicle business in
Athens, Georgia. After
realizing her occupation at
this point in time wasn’t
meant to be, Fontaine and
her husband played around
with the idea of starting a
business, which later turned
into a reality. Hip Pops,
named one of Athens’
Favorite Local Businesses by
Flagpole Magazine, offers a
wide variety of frozen treats
made with fresh, simple
ingredients. Each pop flavor
is named after America’s
famous hip-pop/rap artists,
which is also how the
company got its name.
Hip Pops began by Fontaine
making pops for close
friends and parties. Because
of all the positive feedback,
she was encouraged to
make the company a full
time career. She gains
business through her
popshop at Chase Street
Warehouses, catering for
events and weddings, as
well as selling pops at the
Daily Co-Op Grocery. A fresh
and healthy Popsicle
Company with flavor puns of
hip-pop artists is the ideal
dessert treat for the locals of
Athens, Georgia. Over the
past 4 years, Melissa
Fontaine has grown Hip Pops
froma small business dream
into an established
company with passion for
flavor.

3. 3
Hip Pops is a relatively newer brand of the Athens’ dessert
market. The current slogan is “pop it like it’s hot!” as
pictured above, with the logo being the purple pop with
headphones on. The typography and bold color palette
used throughout these elements give off a youthful, trendy
vibe. The logo is a memorable image that will stick in
consumers’ minds, reminding which dessert
company is noted for the purple pop with
headphones. The tagline supports the ideas
of the brand and is well communicated to
the audience. The Hip Pops shop, website,
and social media sites all follow a consistent
creative design. The color palette is made
up of bright, fun colors that flow with the pop flavors and
values behind the company. The company’s photos
present the brand as a happy, healthy, wholesome treat
that is simply irresistible on a hot summer day. The upcoming
brand of Hip Pops continues to develop as the consumer
base grows and opportunities for the company arise in the
town of Athens, Georgia.
Brand
History

4. 4
Hip Pops uses a wide variety of advertising vehicles in order to reach a diverse clientele. The
company’s website reachesa broad costumer base and includes the most information
about the brand, the history, and the pops themselves. It is the most explanatory source for
consumers where they are able to find out where the popshop is located, review customer
testimonies, and skim through the owner’s personal blog to gain a knowledge of why.
Hip Pops also uses multiple forms of social media including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
The Facebook page has over 700 likes and is updated with current events, pictures, and
promotions. It is a strong vehicle for the local Facebook userswhocan be reminded of Hip
Pops just while scrolling through their newsfeed. Twitter is a great source for followers to tag
the Hip Pops twitter handle and even retweet to support or for promotional reasons. The Hip
Pops Instagramfeed is full of delectable pictures of pops, as well as quick, current news and
events going on within the company.
Not only is Hip Pops featured on all of these media vehicles, the company also gets a lot of
brand recognition through magazine and online articles. Melissa Fontaine and her frozen
treats weremost recently featured on The Broad Collective, a renowned blog whostrives to
promote to locality of Athens. Another acclaimed publisher, Flagpole Magazine, named Hip
Pops one of Athens’ FavoriteLocal Businesses of 2014.
For a local business, Hip Pops acquires a lot of inexpensivemarketing opportunities which is
one of the many reasons Athens is a prime location for upcoming brands.
Marketing
History
Flavors for Every Taste.

5. 5
SWOTanalysis
Strengths
o Hip Pops has a very
loyal, consistent
customer base of
families and children
because of all the
foot traffic around the
shop.
o Fontaine is very open
to new ideas,
experimenting with
requested flavors, and
adapting to what the
consumer wants.
o Hip Pops are the
healthy & inexpensive
alternative for a
dessert, are made
with fresh, real
ingredients and no
dye.
o The Chase Street
Warehouse, where the
popshop is located, is
a new, upcoming
destination spot for
Athens.
Weaknesses
o It is difficult to build
new relationships
with other
businesses.
o Melissa Fontaine
herself runs the
company of Hip
Pops, no extra
help or
employment is
provided quite
yet.
o Improvements
need to be seen
within social
media updates
and blogs in order
to create more
personality behind
the brand.
o There are few
resources with only
one employee,
one cart, and one
external store
selling the pops.
Opportunities
o In the past few years,
“frozen treats” have
become a societal
trend. It is “cool” to
have popsicles for
dessert or afternoon
snack.
o Athens takes pride for
the localness offered
among restaurant and
food choices, Hip
Pops included.
o Athens has a broad
demographic; there is
a lot of availability to
reach students at UGA
as well as the local
individuals, couples,
and families.
o New organizations
and companies
renting out space in
the Chase Street
Warehouse will create
more brand
awareness and foot
traffic.
Threats
o Local competition is
one of the biggest
threats. There are a
few direct
competitors within
the market, as well
as the overall dessert
market.
o Other frozen treats
become more
competitive with Hip
Pops because of
prices, location, and
convenience.
o Inevitably, weather is
a factor since pops
are typically eaten
during warmer
seasons.
o Potential harms
include the
dependency of foot
traffic based on
other company’s
clients.
POPS PRODUCE SMILES.

6. 6
Based on the strengths and weaknessesof Hip Pops, the company is understood to have a strong,
loyal clientele, yet very few internal resources. In order to grow quickly as a brand, Hip Pops must
assess short-termgoals to improve their online presence as well as their local network. The company
needs to better engage with surrounding businessesand use the popshop location to their full
advantage. As for the long run, two goals could be identified in order to create an appeal to larger
demographics and to hire people to work behind the pops. Within the college community, Hip Pops
has the opportunity to better communicate directly to college students through media vehiclesand
campus promotions. They have potential to hire students to create more word of mouth in town. With
these goals in mind, Hip Pops has the potential to become a better-established brand of Athens.
Hip Pops’ wide array of demographics ordersdifferent communication techniques between the
segments. For instance, the clients who are mothers need to be reminded of the fresh, natural
ingredients of the pops, as well as how this benefits for their child. On the other hand, the college
students’ decision factors are based on the flavor names and options, along with the location and
price. Both of these target consumers are readily available and willing to purchase, but it all draws
back to how the product of the pop is communicated to the specific segment.
Within Athens, there are few direct competitors, yet abounding indirect competitors. King of Pops is
Hip Pops largest local competition. Because they havebeen in Athens much longer gaining the
ability to grow as a franchise, they are more of an acclaimed brand in the consumer’s eyes. Indirect
competition includes Ben & Jerry’s, Pouch Pies, Insomnia Cookies and frozen yogurt shops. Although
these brands aren’t as refreshing as popsicles, they are still dessertsthat strive for just as much
awareness as any other company. Hip Pops must differentiate their brand among these competitors
by showing consumersthe perception behind the pop.
3C Analysis:
Company,
Customers,
Competitors
Frozen with Love.
Company
Customers
Competitors

7. 7
Mini
Creative Brief
Client/Product Name: Hip Pops
Campaign Name: Funkify Your Life
Ad Headline: “Don’t Let Your POP Be Cooler Than You”
Strategy: Claiming Hip Pops as the trendiest, most delectable
dessert local Athens has to offer.
Target Audience: College students, ages 18-24, at The
University of Georgia who are following the current Athens
trend of supporting local, along with making healthier
choices, and are highly infatuated with the music scene.
Benefits: Hip Pops are a guilt-free dessert because they are
made with real, fresh ingredients. In comparison to
competition, theyare on the least expensive end and are
conveniently located just 5 minutes from campus. The pop
flavors are musical puns relevant to today’s most world-
renowned hip-pop and rap artists.
Main Message: Hip Pops offers the most funky, affordable
pop flavors that make anybody’s taste buds sing.
Visuals: Advertisements will contain bright, fun color schemes
in accordance to the website and media vehicles to
maintain consistency. They will be highly visual to speak
loudly and communicate clearly to the target audience.
Resembling the design of a music poster, the advertisement
will draw the specific demographics to the brand’s message.

8. 8
VisualInspiration