A Summer of Snackin’

Written by #WakeEntreprenuer, Heather Crosby

This past summer I had the wonderful opportunity to intern at Siren Snacks, a San Francisco-based company co-founded by Elizabeth and Abby Giannuzzi.  As a Marketing and Public Relations intern, I worked on building brand awareness for Siren’s delicious line of plant-based protein bites. The bites are available in five flavors: Lemon Poppyseed, Dark Chocolate Brownie, Cookie Dough, Snickerdoodle, and Birthday Cake. Everything is handmade using simple ingredients, free from dairy, grains, gluten, eggs, soy, and GMOs. Coming into the office, which doubled as the kitchen and overlooked the Bay Bridge, was the ultimate treat –I witnessed (and taste-tested) the bites being made in-house.

I was fortunate enough to work alongside the company’s co-founders. I helped manage Siren’s social media platforms, creating and posting high-quality content for the Instagram account and Pinterest page. Our goal was to further develop Siren’s online presence and following, increasing the number of profile visits each week. By actively engaging with the Siren community in this way, we took note of customer feedback and were able to build brand loyalty.

I learned how to use MailChimp to design the newsletter that was sent out to the Siren community on a weekly basis. We launched the “Siren Spotlight,” which features one of the company’s fantastic followers. Each week, I interviewed a fan and included his or her responses in the newsletter. In addition, I coordinated the writing and posting of new articles on Siren’s blog, including one that shared an  inside look at a health coach’s kitchen and another giving the down low on dairy-free milks. I also took the lead on organizing giveaways, reaching out to companies with a similar, health-conscious focus and scheduling collaborations with them. I especially enjoyed working on these projects because they allowed me to get creative in the kitchen and experiment with new recipes, including smoothie bowls and toasts!

One of the highlights of my time at Siren was assisting the Regional Field Marketing Manager at local events in the city. We sampled the protein bites at an Equinox spa event, lululemon’s private shop party for marathon runners, and the San Francisco Marathon’s Finish Line Festival, where we collected over 200 email addresses to add to our newsletter recipient list. I had so much fun meeting Siren’s incredible fans in person.

I could not be more grateful for my summer of snackin’ in the Bay Area. I look forward to staying in touch with Elizabeth and Abby, a fabulous sister duo with whom I so enjoyed working. I am very excited to follow the company’s future successes as well!