We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mariah Hodges. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mariah below.
Hi Mariah , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
Finding a name for your business that can be trademarked is hard. When I started my business, I knew I wanted a name that stood out and people would not forget. A name that would make them stop and think about it and be like ‘what is that?’ Since I design liquid glitter filled vinyl products, it is a really girl, whimsical, cute thing but the vinyl makes it seem a little more edgy and not so soft like most items you associate the word girly with. So I felt like the brand needed a name that captured both the girly side and the edgy side of the products. I came up with a number of names initially but none of them stuck or they were already being used. After a couple weeks of nothing working, I started to think about the different fashion design projects I had done in college and the themes I used for them. I had done a project that was completely inspired by bubblegum and I had done another project that was inspired by arcades from the 80s that had all these neon electric light prints. Both projects had totally different vibes but at the end of the day were 100% still my style. And thats when it occurred to me that my new brand needed to be called Electric Bubblegum. A mix of girly and edgy which absolutely defined my personal aesthetic. When I told my family and friends about the name at first, they were not so sure about it. They weren’t sure whether it was the right fit but at this point, I was confident that it was the right name. After all the branding was finished and the logo was created it fit with my products so well and it really brought the liquid glitter world I was trying to create to life! Finally everyone was on board and thrilled with the name. I was able to secure the trademark for it 6 months later. To this day our customers have really resonated with the name and it has really made our products as a whole come to life!
Mariah , 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?
Electric Bubblegum was founded five years ago by a girl who has a passionate love for pink and glitter. After graduating with a degree in fashion design from Savannah College of Art and Design, founder and designer Mariah Hodges started Electric Bubblegum in 2017 based on ideas explored in her senior thesis project, which involved using liquid glitter and her personal style as a new avenue for fun, fearless fashion. Since, Electric Bubblegum has become a home for all things liquid glitter and has continued to create products that can only be found here.
Now Electric Bubblegum has a small team of people who are committed to designing products that bring happiness and fun for our customers. We hand make all of our products in our bright pink studio in Denver, Colorado.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
Social media has been the key to growth for my brand. Instagram and facebook specifically have done wonders in the last 2 years for helping us grow a much larger customer base and brand awareness. We are just getting into TikTok now but I think it will also be a huge help in the future!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Being given the ability to express yourself completely and bring joy to other people through your self expression in the products you sell!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://electricbubblegumshop.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/electric_bubblegum/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/electricbubblegumshop/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/electricbubblegum
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/electricbubbleg
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@electric_bubblegum
Image Credits
Photographers: Madilyn Marshall Lucas Garlock Mariah Hodges Models: Mariah Hodges Ariana Burrell Ava Segur Vivan Vovan