In this episode of "YouShouldTalkTo," our host Daniel Weiner chats with Steph Hoppe, the Vice President Omnichannel Marketing at Casey's. Casey’s is a well-known Midwest giant and they are currently launching a brand new coffee venture. Steph and her team have been pouring over the data they’ve collected for weeks. But she’s also realizing that sometimes you have to ignore the data and trust your gut.

Having the skill to trust her gut has been such an asset to her and her team. For example, the data they collected is incredibly useful, but it would have made their campaign very basic. By looking at the data, she felt that consumers were very comfortable with the way that they’ve been marketed to when it comes to coffee. She didn’t want comfortable. Steph wanted to shake up the industry. So she trusted her gut and went in a completely new direction. Tell us what you think of Steph’s work when Casey’s coffee program launches!

Steph and I also talk about the differences in the marketing practices in the last five to ten years. It used to be that brands decided who they were and what they meant to the consumer. Now we’re finding that the other consumers' opinion of the brand has a much stronger hold on buying practices than it used to. Consumer influence is now a huge part of marketing and whether it’s from an established influencer or someone you know, it’s definitely shaking up the marketing industry. And while that means that some of our strategies aren’t useful anymore, we know that we can always go back to the basics.

Steph has had a ton of experience with contractors and agencies over the years. She says that the most positive experiences were with people who knew how to be problem solvers. When contractors and agencies are as invested in your business as you are, they don’t come to you with more problems. They are invested, and therefore, they are invaluable.

Tune into Steph’s episode to hear more about how she leads a midwest giant, like Casey’s and how you can partner with companies like hers in the future.

Guest-at-a-Glance

💡 Name: Steph Hoppe, Vice President Omnichannel Marketing

💡Company: Casey's

💡Noteworthy: People now own brands

💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn

Key Insights

Get Scrappy

In this week’s episode, Steph tell us that the marketing industry is changing and that can mean needing to work with what you’ve got. When budgets are no longer unlimited, reusing the content you have on different platforms is a surefire way to get the most bang for your buck!

It’s Me Or You

When asked about her worst agency experience Steph brought up the time and agency was more focused on winning an award than they were on doing the work they were hired for. This agency had great ideas, but it just wasn’t what they wanted at Casey’s. But this agency kept pushing. In the end they had to go their separate ways.

Authenticity Above All

When asked about her most positive agency experience, Steph brought up one agency that was as invested in their work with Casey’s as she was. And it’s not that they were completely perfect either. They made their fair share of mistakes. The difference was that they owned up to it and they were honest with her. That authenticity set that agency apart from the rest.