Case Study: Poppi

Why Was Poppi Unique, and What Made Them Stand Out?

Poppi is unique because it didn’t try just to be another “health soda”; it redefined what soda could be while leaning heavily into culture, community, and design. Some of the standout aspects:

• Origin + Founder Story: Poppi began as Mother Beverage, created by Allison Ellsworth after she found relief from gut issues by using apple cider vinegar. Wanting a better-tasting option, she mixed ACV (apple cider vinegar), fruit juices, and bubbles. That functional origin gave Poppi a health-backed purpose from the start.

• Rebrand & Packaging Overhaul: In 2020, Poppi rebranded from “Mother” to “Poppi,” shifting the name, the logo (from old script to bold modern typography), packaging (glass bottles to vibrant cans), and positioning (from “vinegar health drink” to “prebiotic soda”). That pivot transformed its appeal to younger consumers.

• Functional Beverage + Low Sugar: Poppi emphasizes gut health (uses prebiotics, ACV), all while keeping sugar relatively low (often 5 grams or less) and calories low. That combination of “better-for-you” + taste + fun branding is relatively rare in the soda space.

• Rapid Growth + Acquisition: By 2024, Poppi reached ~$500 million in revenue. In March 2025, PepsiCo acquired Poppi for $1.95 billion. It is available in many thousands of retail locations.
  

  

Their Detailed Marketing Strategy

Poppi’s marketing strategy is multi-layered, combining product design, creator culture, media innovation, and strong community focus. Here are the key elements:

1. Branding & Visual Differentiation
   They used bold, bright can designs, playful typography, energetic colour palettes. The visuals are much more cheerful and stylized than typical soda packaging. The rebrand shifted them from health-remedy aesthetic to lifestyle product. This helps with shelf visibility and social shareability.

2. Found-er-Led & Social Media Content
   Allison Ellsworth and co-founders shared the brand’s story openly, including gut health narrative, her own experiences, etc. Poppi leaned heavily into TikTok, short-form video, user-generated content, influencer gifting. They didn’t always require highly polished production; raw, personality-driven moments often did better.

   

3. Experiential & Community Touchpoints
   Poppi has done pop-ups (e.g. “Poppi Mart”), launch events for flavor drops, influencer gifting, sampling, and using QR codes or fun visuals in real life. They also use humor, culture references, and irreverence (not preaching, but playful) to engage.

4. Use of Paid + Mass Media Strategically
   While much of early growth came from direct-to-consumer, community, and social media, Poppi also made smart investments in larger media moments (TV spots, Super Bowl ads, out-of-home displays). They timed these to amplify what was already working in social channels.

   

5. Retail Footprint & Availability
   Expanding from passionate fans online to physical retail presence: Whole Foods, Target, 7-Eleven, Kroger, etc. Making the product available where people shop daily, not just specialty stores, helped scale. Also frequently ensuring repeat rates are strong in existing locations.

6. Messaging Focused on Health + Culture, Not Guilt
   Poppi’s messaging doesn’t shame people for drinking soda; it offers “soda that loves you back,” emphasizing that you can enjoy bubbles and flavor and still care about wellness. Their product claims are sometimes under legal scrutiny (see class-action lawsuits regarding how strong prebiotic benefits are) — this has forced them to balance hype with clarity.

How Can Other Business Owners Use/Implement This in Their Business?

Here are ways that other brands (especially in CPG, beverage, wellness, or consumer goods) can take lessons from Poppi:

• Start with a strong, functional product + unique value proposition — Poppi’s gut health angle (ACV, prebiotics) gives them credibility. If you can clearly state why your product is different, it helps all downstream marketing.

• Design for shareability & shelf-impact — packaging, logo, colours matter. Poppi’s can designs help them attract attention both on shelves and on social feeds.

• Use founder or story-led content — people resonate with stories about real problems and how the product came to solve them. Founder visibility (sharing origin, mission) builds trust.

• Engage your community early — through sampling, small influencer gifting, experiential events. Let early adopters become advocates.

• Be thoughtful with scale + large media moments — once you have validated demand, invest in broader reach via TV or out-of-home to amplify visibility, but ensure your brand voice is consistent.

• Measure repeat, not just awareness — Poppi focused on repeat purchase, increasing volumes in existing stores, not just adding new stores.

• Balance fun + honesty — when health claims are part of your brand, you need to ensure clarity and compliance, avoid misleading statements.

Takeaways

• Poppi’s success shows that brand + authenticity + design + culture can disrupt legacy categories (like soda) if done well.

• A strong rebrand + packaging redesign can dramatically shift consumer perception without changing the core product much.

• Gen Z & Millennials increasingly expect wellness, meaning, and personality in what they consume—not just functional benefits.

• Social media strategy that favors raw, personality-driven content often outperforms overly polished ads, especially early in the growth curve.

• Strategic acquisition (by PepsiCo at $1.95B) proves that big companies are watching brands that combine product + culture + growth.