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In a market that’s saturated with food and lifestyle brands, Graza Olive Oil has managed to carve out a unique, flavorful space of its own in the kitchens of home cooks and seasoned pros across the country. Known for its signature squeeze bottles and playfully approachable brand identity, it’s rapidly grown from a niche newcomer into a household name now carried by Costco and Whole Foods — largely thanks to its deep commitment to culture, content, and community-building efforts.
Graza’s brand and products spark joy, and that really resonates with people.
— Kali Shulklapper, Director of Brand Marketing
studioID sat down with Graza’s Director of Brand Marketing Kali Shulklapper to get an inside look at the company’s content strategy, the cultural touchpoints that drive engagement, and the authentic relationships that fuel its growth. Dive in to discover universal takeaways that go beyond the food and beverage industry to bolster any kind of brand marketing.
Early Days and Organic Foundations
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When Graza first launched at the start of 2022, the company didn’t rely on massive ad spend or elaborate influencer partnerships. Instead, armed with a distinct brand voice and outstanding design, they focused on four core organic channels: an ongoing creator gifting program, a consistently engaging social media presence, stellar email marketing campaigns, and a killer blog.
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While companies with similar products might view a blog as an afterthought, Graza has turned its content hub into a stylish editorial destination. With a focus on mouthwatering recipes, cultural features, and educational resources on all things olive oil, the blog “has always been a core piece of Graza’s larger content strategy,” according to Shulklapper.
The Glog hosts lots of tasty recipe content, interviews with chefs, and a deeper dive into our olive oil and the production process — which makes it a great place to drive email traffic.
studioID Takeaway: Quality Content Makes For Serious Currency
While content and social media activations have built visibility, with a mix of whimsy and authenticity, email marketing has proven to be Graza’s most reliable revenue driver. Not surprising when considering research from the Data & Marketing Association found email marketing to have an average ROI of $44 for every single dollar spent.
The company’s emails mirror the playful personality seen across its channels, maintaining a conversational, approachable tone and teaser content that drives curious users to their site. But the Glog’s success also highlights the enduring power of high-quality, value-driven content that isn’t measured by incoming traffic, SEO, and other familiar KPIs alone. The distinction? A deep and dedicated focus on building real community by tuning into what their audience cares about: in this case, foodie culture, knowledge-sharing, and a genuine celebration of cooking.
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Innovation, Influence, & the Power of Gifting
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As word spread about the gourmet-quality olive oil, the team noticed a new need emerging amid consumer comments and conversations via email, post-purchase surveys, and social. The message was clear: while Graza’s signature bottles are made from recyclable plastic, people wanted a more sustainable alternative — especially when it came to refills.
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Enter the aluminum beer can, the company’s innovative new vessel and first product release since its flagship cooking and serving olive oils hit the market. To hype the release, “We sent a special package featuring the new refill cans to a bunch of creators and brand friends ahead of the launch, which helped generate a ton of buzz and excitement around it,” Shulklapper explained. Rather than curating a list of high-profile influencers, the team focused on sending products to a broad, diverse group including niche culinary creators along with everyday food enthusiasts.
We’ve tried to reach as many folks as possible, both within and outside the culinary community — restaurant chefs and TikTok creators alike.
And while “there’s never really been a true ‘strategy’ when it comes to gifting product,” Shulklapper said one thing’s for sure: The team didn’t micromanage the content or ask for specific shoutouts. They simply trusted that the olive oil would find its way into a variety of videos and posts — and it did.
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studioID Takeaway: It’s Best to Let Your Product Speak For Itself
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When content creators genuinely love a product, their audience takes notice. And brands that trust their product to speak for itself can create even more meaningful, authentic connections with buyers-to-be. “We never instruct the creators to do anything with the product or say anything about it,” Shulklapper said, “so the fact that so many folks are seen cooking with it in their content speaks to its quality.”
By gifting products with no strings attached, brands can let creators express their natural enthusiasm instead of a stilted sales pitch. And it’s that organic visibility that has now made the bottles so instantly recognizable in countless kitchen, cooking, and lifestyle social media videos.
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Beyond the Bottle: Building Rich Culture & Community
Graza’s growth didn’t just stem from clever content — it blossomed through intentional culture- and community-building around joyful, unfussy cooking. From its light-hearted social media presence on TikTok and Instagram to interactive content initiatives, the brand is always finding new ways to engage fans and partners in a way that goes far beyond product promotion.
‘Pantry Portraits’ showcases real kitchens and the people who cook in them, while the ‘Cookbook Club’ spotlights bookstores and fosters conversation around literary picks and culinary favorites. But the most successful series has been the restaurant-focused ‘Friends of Graza’, according to Shulklapper. “We’ve been able to feature so many awesome, talented folks through the series, and…
it’s helped shed a light on people who may be lesser-known in the culinary community but are doing really cool things.
studioID Takeaway: Be Authentic and Keep It Fun!
Features like the “Friends of Graza” Q&A series celebrate the people who love the product — not just the brand itself. This approach turns customers into advocates, and the lighthearted tone helps the company stand out in a category that’s still somewhat formal and traditional.
Underscoring Graza’s belief in the kitchen as a communal, creative space, these efforts work to amplify food creators while making the brand feel even more personal, relatable, and inclusive.
“At the end of the day, we’re olive oil nerds, and we believe that cooking should be fun,” Shulklapper said. “That translates to a very whimsical and joyful brand ethos that people deeply connect with.” The key? It’s simple:
Don’t over-engineer things; just try to make people laugh and smile.
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What’s Next for Graza?
As Graza looks to the future, it plans to double down on what works: authentic social content, engaging emails, and community-driven activations. “We’re continuing to invest in all of the things that have been successful for us to date,” Shulklapper said. “A strong and engaging social presence, fun-to-read email campaigns, tasty recipes, unexpected partnerships, and delightful brand experiences.”
Because ultimately, Graza’s story isn’t just about olive oil. It’s about building a brand that feels like a friend in the kitchen — someone you can rely on for a cooking tip, restaurant rec, or an extra cup of sugar. For marketers looking to replicate their success, the takeaway is clear: focus on building strong relationships and providing real value via consistent content that actually resonates. And never underestimate the creative power of your unique brand.
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