The rise of the bubbly underdog
Let’s rewind for a second. Just a few years ago, Poppi was the kind of startup you’d walk past in the niche aisle of a health food store — a fizzy little can with bright colors and gut-friendly promises. It wasn’t the kind of drink you’d expect to go head-to-head with Pepsi, let alone end up owned by them. And yet, here we are.
PepsiCo’s decision to spend nearly $2 billion on Poppi didn’t happen overnight. It was the result of something far deeper than flashy packaging or even the wellness trend. It was about momentum. About how a small brand tapped into a generation’s desire for healthier alternatives and used community-first marketing to build something much bigger than soda.
This is where prebiotic soda entered the conversation — not as a gimmick, but as a new category built on authenticity, timing, and relentless storytelling.
More than a drink — a movement in a can
Poppi wasn’t just selling soda. It was selling lifestyle shifts: fewer sugar crashes, better digestion, and something that felt playful but functional. A lot of that magic wasn’t in the formula, but in the way they showed up. Bright cans, unfiltered social content, TikToks that didn’t look like ads, and a tone that felt like a friend — not a company — talking to you.
That connection drove real numbers. In 2024 alone, Poppi racked up $500 million in sales. The brand didn’t just ride the health wave — it helped create it. And that’s a key takeaway for anyone watching: product-market fit matters, but brand-market resonance is everything.
PepsiCo realized that. They tried launching their own health-forward soda under the Soulboost label, but it quietly fizzled out before it even made a splash. Instead of pushing harder with their own label, they bought into something that already had prebiotic soda fans lining up on both coasts and across digital platforms.
When buying beats building: A lesson in timing
Here’s where the business meets the marketing lesson.
PepsiCo’s acquisition of Poppi wasn’t just a cash deal. It was an acknowledgment that the rules of the game have changed. Big brands no longer have to build everything from scratch — especially not when independent brands are already doing it better, faster, and with way more cultural awareness.
Poppi had become a known name not because of a huge media budget, but because it showed up consistently in the places where its audience hung out—It leaned into founder storytelling. It embraced user-generated content. It built buzz not with polished perfection but with community-fueled authenticity.
So when PepsiCo stepped in, it wasn’t just buying product innovation — it was buying brand equity. The kind that can’t be faked in a boardroom. The kind that makes a can of prebiotic soda something more than a beverage — it makes it a signal of belonging.
What small brands and marketers can learn
You don’t need to have Super Bowl budgets to build something meaningful — but you do need to show up with consistency and clarity.
Here’s what brands can take from Poppi’s playbook:
- Know your niche, own your tone. Poppi didn’t try to be everything to everyone. It spoke directly to gut-health-conscious millennials and Gen Z, and stuck to that voice — playful, bright, wellness-curious.
- Invest in community early. Before it had mass retail, Poppi had real followers. And not just passive followers — people who were sharing it, hyping it, and showing off their fridges full of it on TikTok.
- Brand experience > product perfection. While the formula matters, the vibe of the brand mattered more. The look, the voice, the social media, the energy — that’s what kept people coming back for another can of prebiotic soda.
- Partnerships and momentum. Poppi grew fast, but it didn’t try to do it all alone. From early investors to influencer marketing strategy and retail rollouts, every step was about aligning with the right partners who added fuel, not friction.
The bigger picture: A shifting soda landscape
This is bigger than Poppi and Pepsi. This is about a shift in customer wants across generations. Reading ingredient labels is a trend among the same generation that grew up on sugary drinks. They desire companies that don’t talk down to them and want brands that provide less sugar content and functional ingredients. Prebiotic soda, then, is more than a health trend; instead, it is an indicator of a larger shift in consumer culture.
The true lesson here is that. You will be behind if your brand, either small or large, continues to treat marketing like a loudspeaker rather than a conversation. People crave authenticity. They want useful. Instead of being disrupted by pitches, they appreciate brands with whom they have like minds.
Poppi didn’t wait for validation—it created it. And that’s exactly why PepsiCo had to pay nearly $2 billion to get a seat at its table.
Final sip:
PepsiCo’s gamble on Poppi is more than a front-page story; it’s a reminder that promotion isn’t about making the most noise anymore. It’s about being the most connected. For startups everywhere, this is your playbook: create something people care about, support it with actual value, and never undervalue the importance of being human.
FAQs
1. How did Poppi get so much attention online?
They leaned hard into fun, fast-paced TikTok content and let real fans do the talking.
2. What made their marketing different from other soda brands?
Poppi felt more like a person than a brand — bold colors, casual captions, and zero corporate vibes.
3. Do I need a big budget to market like Poppi? Not at all — start by showing up where your audience hangs out and actually talk to them, not at them.