From Ariana Grande fan account to viral campaigns at Capitol Records: How Kyle Flora turned fandom into a music marketing career

Kyle Flora’s introduction to the music industry didn’t start in a classroom. It all began with an Ariana Grande fan account in middle school.

What began as a hobby, over time, grew into something more — a fascination with fandom culture, audience behavior and the communities that form around music. Now, Flora is turning that long-standing passion into a post-graduation career, where he will be working at Capitol Records on their viral marketing team. 

Flora is a business administration senior with a concentration in marketing management and minors in photography and video. During his time at Cal Poly, Flora has immersed himself in the San Luis Obispo creative scene, taking on leadership roles and hands-on opportunities that reflect his interest in music and marketing.

Flora served as president of Up & Up Festival SLO, where he helped lead a student-run music festival. He worked with Shabang Music Festival on both the experiential marketing and content creation teams, gaining practical experience in promoting and producing large-scale events. Aside from music festivals, Flora was also involved in the Filipino cultural exchange program, and Take it SLO, a Cal Poly a-capella group. 

Flora credits Cal Poly’s smaller, more intimate environment for giving him the chance to take on leadership roles and explore his interests in a more personal way.

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Q and A: 

Ever Dionne: What are you most looking forward to working at Capitol Records?

Kyle Flora: I’m really looking forward to being able to spearhead a campaign for an artist that I’ve spent so much time listening to or following. There are already artists on Capitol’s roster like Adela, Doechii, Katy Perry and Sienna Spiro, and it’s surreal seeing names from my own Spotify playlists. 

Capitol also gives a lot of ownership to interns and their marketing team, so I’m excited to take on that responsibility and see what that looks like. I’m excited to bring together everything I’ve learned, both at Cal Poly and through my own creative pursuits.

ED: Who is your dream artist to work with?

KF: Ariana Grande, no question. She’s been my top artist since around 2017. I’ve always been really drawn to fandom culture, and I actually started an Ariana Grande fan account when I was about 14. That was one of the first times I realized how much I loved studying audiences including, what gets people excited and how communities form around music. That’s something I’m really passionate about and hope to continue exploring in my career.

ED: What’s one album that you feel describes your life?

KF: I’d say the album Pure Heroine by Lorde. I’ve always connected with her perspective on that in-between stage of life, being caught between adolescence and adulthood. That idea really resonates with me, especially now as I’m about to graduate and step into the next phase of life. It’s an album I keep really close to me.

ED: What’s a piece of advice you’d give your freshman-year self?

KF: Take ownership of something you’re passionate about. For me, a lot of my path came from one opportunity, someone taking a chance on me with the Up & Up Festival, that led to everything else. If a club doesn’t exist yet for something that you’re passionate about, create it.

Everyone wants to play this game, but you really have to know how to play it first. A big part of that is growing your name and getting involved in campaigns or projects you care about. Being able to spearhead those efforts and put your name behind something meaningful can really make a difference.

For the final Peak issue this year, the Peak team chose to hold exit interviews with nine students on the horizon of impact. Whether it’s going pro in a less-than usual sport, starting a cheesecake business or transforming the music marketing scene, nine seniors in the class of 2026 stood out as those led by influence. Check out the rest of the features here.