We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alli Miller. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alli below.
Alli, appreciate you joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
Creating unique, local flair flavors of gourmet popcorn is fun and exciting and I want my business name to reflect that. I also want customers to feel like they are at a party, where every detail of the product and branding was thoughtful and themed.
When starting my popcorn business the brand guidelines I implemented were “whimsical, neon- party”. I went through a cornucopia of names before landing on “Hip Pop Hooray!”. The name came to me when I was grocery shopping in the produce section, I quickly ran to the snack section thinking there’s no way this name doesn’t exist yet for popcorn on the shelf. It didn’t! I excitedly called my husband and said, ” I got it! Hip Pop Hooray! That’s the name of my popcorn business!” A few minutes after hanging up with him I received a text confirming that he bought the domain name for Hip Pop Hooray! It’s funny how important ideas don’t always pop up at a big conference table but in the normalcies of life.
Alli, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Hip Pop Hooray! prepares fresh gourmet popcorn in a variety of unique and local flair flavors! Some of our most popular flavors include The OG, Boise Blend (cheddar + caramel), Wrangler Ranch, Caramel, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt, Sundried Tomato Garlic, Idaho S’mores, Banana Puddin’ and Mexican Hot Chocolate.
We love to get the party poppin’ anywhere we go and enjoy going to farmers markets, corporate or special events, wineries, weddings and food truck rallies. Hip Pop Hooray is a little food trailer that pops around to different locations preparing fresh gourmet popcorn on site. Having a food truck provides great flexibility in running a small business while working full time in my corporate career as a global product manager.
There’s is nothing small about small business and entrepreneurship, but it sure is fun! I thoroughly enjoy popping popcorn and creating new flavors. We love to support other small businesses by using their high-quality ingredients to create truly unique Idaho popcorn. My goal with Hip Pop Hooray is to create a fun atmosphere where customers enjoy their experience, crave the popcorn and remember the nostalgia of a well-loved snack! It’s wonderful to hear all about other’s experience with popcorn and how something so simple was so special to them – whether it be popping the kernels on the stove, in the microwave or over the fire. It seems most have a fond memory with the snack and it’s delightful to share a new popcorn memory with them.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Popcorn is in high supply and is quite a saturated market. I continually need to differentiate my popcorn and brand from the products on the shelf and do that through quality, freshness and customer retention. Hip Pop Hooray has only been in business for 2 years, so I am still growing my clientele. I find that going to events and hosting popcorn bars that provide free samples is the best way to showcase the quality ingredients, the freshness of the popcorn and get people coming back for more! I could spend my whole marketing budget on ads, billboards, or social media mentions which have been successful, but aren’t as successful as budgeting a few event donations and free samples of popcorn so that customers can taste and experience the quality of Hip Pop Hooray!
I enjoy meeting the customers and getting their feedback as they sample. Customers are also able to put a face and personality to the brand and see the passion I have for creating unique, high-quality gourmet popcorn. It’s been so great to get booked for events or have large orders placed from clients who sampled popcorn and want it for their special occasion.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
At Hip Pop Hooray I strive to create an atmosphere and experience that makes popcorn and business fun! I love bright colors and incorporate a pop of color anywhere I can – it’s exciting to see people stop and take a picture in front of my hot pink neon sign that says, “Let’s Get This Party Poppin’!” I enjoy showing my passion for business, branding and culture through popcorn and know this little snack can leave a lasting impression.
We love using local ingredients and love pairing our popcorn with local Idaho Wine. Hip Pop Hooray has partnered with the Idaho Wine Commision and enjoys teaming up with local wineries in Boise, pairing their delicious wines with our gourmet popcorn. We even sell a popcorn + wine pairings box which makes a great gift.
Hip Pop Hooray is known for quality, gourmet popcorn served in a fun atmosphere – creating a new popcorn experience for all customers!
Contact Info:
- Website: HipPopHooray.com
- Instagram: @HipPopHooray_Popcorn
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HipPopHoorayPopcorn/
Image Credits
Whitney Bilbao Photography