Chamberlain Coffee Names Liz Ahern as CMO
Amid continued efforts to ramp up its omnichannel growth, Los Angeles-based specialty coffee brand Chamberlain Coffee has named Liz Ahern as chief marketing officer, where she will be tasked with overseeing brand strategy, distribution expansion and integrated campaign planning and execution across all marketing touchpoints.
Ahern previously spent seven years at Red Bull managing national product launches in addition to regional campaigns in the Southwest. Most recently, she led brand marketing at Carvana, overseeing the company’s advertising campaign development and brand strategy.
“Liz is a highly experienced, ambitious leader in CPG marketing and I am beyond excited to have her join the team,” said Chamberlain Coffee CEO Christopher Gallant in a press release. “With her extensive knowledge in experiential growth and product marketing, I am confident that she will be able to build our team and support our growth.”
“I’ve always noticed that Chamberlain Coffee has had their finger on the pulse of their audience’s needs since the brand’s inception,” Ahern told NOSH. “I’ve been so impressed with how quickly the brand has been able to bring high quality products to market. It’s easy to see why the brand has had such success.”
Founded in 2019 by YouTube star Emma Chamberlain, Chamberlain Coffee began as a D2C brand that marketed a range of organic blends in whole bean, ground and steeped varieties. Over the past few years, the business has grown into categories such as matcha, hot chocolate, flavored blends (Witty Fox Hazelnut and Fluffy Lamb Vanilla), and, most recently, chai. It also expanded beyond D2C into limited retail with partners including Sprouts, Bristol Farms and Erewhon and digital delivery market Gopuff.
Ahern’s appointment comes on the heels of the brand’s $7 million funding round in August led by venture builder Blazar Capital and Emma Chamberlain herself. Following the round, Gallant told NOSH the capital would go toward fueling growth as the brand aims to become the go-to coffee brand for Gen Z.
He outlined plans to build Chamberlain Coffee’s retail and wholesale presence with hopes of reaching 250 doors by the end of the year, noting the importance of “meet[ing] your consumers where they want to buy your product.” In her new role, Ahern will be charged with overseeing retail expansion, collaborating with Chamberlain to bring the brand to life in stores.
Over the past year, Chamberlain Coffee has solidified its footing in the specialty coffee and tea set with several new product launches, including Vanilla and Mango matcha varieties and seasonal coffee blends Clever Cardinal Peppermint Mocha and Sneaky Bat Pumpkin Spice. Last month, the brand made its first foray into the chai category with Gentle Hummingbird Chai.
Additionally, the brand has seen recent success with cross-brand collaborations, including its Chamberlain Coffee x Swoon Matcha Lemonade product and Nutpods’ “Emma’s Favorite Flavors” collection. Looking ahead, the brand has no plans to slow down these collaborations.
“We like collaborating with some of our fans’ favorite brands/products and creating something new and unique,” said Ahern. “These collaborations also allow us to reach new customers and allow for our already loyal customers to experience Chamberlain Coffee in a fun and unique way.”
