Behind Bloom's Coachella marketing success: an interview with Sr. Experiential Marketing Manager, Kim
Ever wondered what really goes into the brand activations you see flooding your social feeds during Coachella? While most of us only see the final product, the strategy behind these moments is far more calculated than it appears.
When wellness brand Bloom rolled their pastel truck into the desert this year, they weren't just creating pretty photo ops - they were executing a carefully crafted experiential strategy designed specifically to cut through the festival noise.
I sat down with Kim Trieu, Sr. Experiential Marketing Manager at Bloom, to uncover what actually makes a festival activation generate real impact in an environment where every brand is competing for attention.
TLDR:
Lead with exclusive community rewards, turning your followers into brand ambassadors by offering them experiences usually reserved for influencers. Bloom created powerful organic content by surprising regular fans with personalised truck visits that generated authentic excitement and sharing.
Design for the specific platform environment: Bloom crafted experiences specifically optimised for TikTok sharing with vibrant colors, interactive elements like bubble mirrors, and shareable moments that felt native to both the platform and festival setting.
Transform everyday problems into shareable solutions: create branded offerings that solve actual audience needs in the moment. When Bloom's refreshing drinks and handheld fans became must-haves in desert heat, people naturally shared their relief across social platforms, extending reach organically.
Balance planned content with organic discovery: mix scheduled deliverables with spontaneous connections for diverse content streams. Bloom achieved this by maintaining relationships with established creator partners while welcoming new creators who showed genuine interest, believing that authentic product experiences often find their way into content naturally.
Introduce yourself and what you do within the Bloom team
Firstly, no words to say how much myself and the Bloom team loves your content here at PLM! I’m honored to be a part of this.
I’m Kim Trieu, and I’m the Sr. Experiential Marketing Manager at Bloom, which means I get to dream up all the ways we show up off-screen - from brand activations and pop-ups to immersive IRL moments that connect our community to the heart of who we are. I also work closely with our brand, social, influencer, and creative teams to bring ideas to life in a way that’s meaningful, memorable, and unmistakably Bloom.
Tell me about your weekend at Coachella! What did you and the Bloom team get up to?!
The Bloom team rolled into the desert with our branded mobile activation - aka, the cutest pastel Bloom truck you’ve ever seen - serving up custom wellness drinks made with our Greens + Superfood, and Colostrum & Collagen, plus cans of our Sparkling Energy.
The most special part was bringing Bloom directly to our community’s doorsteps. We surprised and delighted real fans of Bloom with a personal stop from the truck - an activation that's typically reserved for influencers, and their reactions were everything. There was a ton of genuine excitement, hugs, and lots of “you’re really here?! This is all for me?!” moments.
We also made stops at influencer houses, pulled up to daytime events like Camp Poosh, and retail partners like Stater Bro’s throughout the weekend to hand out refreshing drinks, shoot content, and create shareable moments that felt truly organic.
And we can’t forget the no-throwaway merch we created. From oversized sweatshirts that kept people cozy at night to branded fans that were much needed in the desert heat, our merch flew. It proved just how much value that thoughtful, functional merch can add to a guest’s experience beyond the activation itself.
How do you even start dreaming and planning up a big activation like this?
It started with wanting to show up in the desert to be a part of such a major cultural moment but rather than take over a space, we wanted to bring the experience directly to our community and partners. Our team keeps a dedicated experiential inspo board and used that to create an experience that was authentically Bloom.
Once we had the concept down, we teamed up with our creative team and our agency, Coffee ‘n Clothes to bring it to life. We knew we wanted to showcase multiple Bloom products and provide value to our guests, not just a photo opportunity. Knowing how hot the desert gets especially when at the festival all day and parties all night, we knew we wanted to offer that pick-me-up for attendees.
So your Bloom truck was basically everywhere at Coachella! What was your game plan for creating social-worthy moments that got everyone posting about you guys?
We were intentional about making the Bloom truck feel like a can’t-miss moment in the desert. Our goal was to create an experience that felt native to the festival and to Bloom - bright, bold, and fun.
We leaned into high-visibility placement, eye-catching design, and interactive moments from our menu to our team outfits to the selfie bubble mirror setup, in order to drive organic UGC.
We also created a pre-activation experience on social by giving away wellness stops from the truck to members of our community. The amazing content from those who won, our influencer partners, and those who found us at Camp Poosh and Stater Bros was such a rewarding full-circle moment!
I loved seeing all the creator content coming out of your truck visits to their influencer houses and Coachella homes for the weekend. How do you decide which creators to connect with at these events, and does your approach differ from your usual TikTok strategy?
Our Head of Influencer Marketing, Jillian Freeborn and her team led our influencer efforts for this activation. Our top priority is always to maintain and strengthen the relationships we’ve built with long-time creator partners - those who genuinely love and use Bloom products, making integrations feel seamless and natural. At the same time, cultural moments like festival season offer a unique opportunity to connect with new faces by participating in other brand activations and getting our product in front of fresh audiences.
Bloom has totally mastered TikTok with your creator strategy - was the Coachella activation an extension of that approach? How did you balance making genuine connections versus just handing out free product?
Our Coachella presence was a natural extension of our TikTok strategy. First, we made sure to connect with creators we already have long-standing relationships with, setting up deliverables to ensure a solid social presence. These are partners who understand our brand and love the product, so their content feels organic and aligned.
At the same time, we welcomed the chance to introduce Bloom to new creators who showed genuine interest. We’re always happy to gift products because we believe once they try it, it often finds its way into their content authentically. Whether it’s a creator or a consumer, our goal is to create true fans of the brand, not just one-time posts.
Everyone at Camp Poosh seemed to be drinking their custom Bloom drinks, hehe. They looked great! What would you say is the secret sauce for standing out somewhere like a festival where literally every cool brand is competing for attention?
Such a great question - and honestly, it’s the million-dollar question every brand asks themselves when deciding to show up at a major cultural moment like this.
The “secret sauce” sounds simple, but it really comes down to knowing your audience and delivering value in a way that resonates. At Camp Poosh, everyone gravitated toward the Bloom truck not just because it was aesthetically eye-catching, but because it solved a need. We were the only truck solely focused on better-for-you beverages, offering a refreshing pick-me-up on a blazing hot day that made people feel good. Our handheld fans also turned out to be a hot commodity in 100-degree weather. People were literally running to us for relief!
One of my favorite moments from Camp Poosh was seeing Bloom tote bags everywhere. Having branded totes wasn’t something we heavily promoted, but they became the go-to for carrying gifts and goodies. Totes are a common giveaway, but we were one of the few brands handing them out on-site, so they became a must-have.
In the end, Bloom stood out because we anticipated what people needed in the moment - and delivered it in style. If I had to boil it down: the formula is value and aesthetics. Whether it’s solving a problem, offering inspiration, or just giving people a little joy, that’s what makes a brand unforgettable.
Was there any element of the weekend activation that surprised you: online or offline? Did anything perform way better than expected? Any challenges you and the team had to overcome in the moment?
The demand for our Bloom tote bags was definitely surprising. As someone in experiential, my first reaction would be “Not another tote bag,” - but people couldn’t get enough of them! It was a reminder that even the most common giveaway can become a hot item when it’s thoughtfully designed and serves a purpose (especially when you’re carrying a haul of gifts!).
We saw real value in showing up at an event like Camp Poosh, where our truck could stay in one place for a longer period and interact with more guests than the individual stops. It allowed us to integrate more seamlessly into our creators’ busy schedules and gave us a consistent, high-traffic home base throughout the weekend.
I was also genuinely moved by how our community winners showed up and showed out for us. Their energy, reactions, and love for the brand were incredible. It exceeded all expectations and was such a proud moment for our team.
The biggest challenge was definitely the logistics. Mobile activations come with their own set of hurdles - permitting, scheduling, and the inevitable curveballs but working with a great agency with expertise in mobile activations helped us through every bump in the road.
After the Coachella dust has settled (literally), how are you planning to keep the momentum going? Any tips for brands trying to turn a weekend activation into longer-term community building?
Following the weekend, we continued engaging with our community with a social media giveaway of our merch to ensure they felt included and posted social recaps featuring our community stops.
We never want the relationship to end when the event does, instead we’re thinking about how we can extend the narrative with the connections we made - whether that’s through social content, IRL meet-ups, or integrating this audience into future campaigns.
We’re excited to explore new channels and formats to deepen those relationships. Festival season was just the beginning - and we can’t wait to build from here.
And that's the tea on rocking Coachella, straight from the source!
The biggest thank you to Kim for giving us the inside scoop on Bloom's Coachella fun! I'm loving how they cut through the festival noise by literally bringing the party to their people – something tons of brands try to do but rarely pull off with the same authentic energy.
The key takeaway? Experiential marketing isn't just about a TikTok repost – it's about solving actual problems and creating genuine connections. Bloom didn't just roll up with a cute truck; they showed up with refreshing wellness drinks during a desert heatwave and surprised everyday fans with VIP-style visits usually saved for the influencer crowd.
What's super smart is how they mixed high-visibility moments with personal connections. Their "value + aesthetics" approach turned simple items like tote bags into must-have festival essentials. And instead of ghosting after the weekend, they've kept these festival vibes going in their ongoing community story.
In a world where brands are constantly competing for attention, Bloom reminds us that sometimes the most memorable marketing isn't about shouting the loudest – it's about showing up exactly when and how your community needs you!
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