How Poppi is reinventing soda culture for Gen Z and Millennials

Soda has shaped culture and nostalgic moments throughout the last century, but American consumers are looking for more natural, lower sugar and functional ingredients in their carbonated beverages. Alison Ellsworth set out to build just that with Poppi. What started as a farmers market hit has become Amazon’s best-selling soft drink. Poppi’s market share is 19%, which is 1.5 times more than Cola’s. Over the past four weeks, Poppi has been his 11th fastest-growing beverage brand by dollar sales, outgrowing Monster Energy, Gatorade, Liquid Death, Vitaminwater, and many other brands. More importantly, Poppi is reimagining soda culture for his Gen Z and Millennials.

Ellsworth and her husband Stephen developed Poppy, which combines fruit juice and prebiotics to create a delicious, refreshing, full-flavored soda with less than 5 grams of sugar and 25 calories. The two secured an investment on Shark Tank from Lohan Oza, and have since attracted celebrity fans and investors including Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner, Billie Eilish, Russell Westbrook, JLo, and Olivia Munn. has built a roster of Poppi currently comes in 11 flavors including Strawberry Lemon, Raspberry Rose, Orange, Ginger Lime, Watermelon, Cherry Limeade, Grape, Classic Cola, Root Beer, and Doc Pop, and is available at major drug stores, convenience stores, and It’s sold at grocery stores like Whole Foods and Target. , Kroger, Costco, and Publix.

Over the past two years, Poppi has built a grassroots strategy using organic social marketing and influencer marketing, reaching 204 million impressions and 2.3 million engagements in 2023. This allowed Poppi to reach his 5 million new households per month in 2024 and turn consumers into cult-like fans. “Poppi has become more than a fizzy drink, it is now a close-knit community and lifestyle. We are part of people’s daily lives and we don’t take it for granted. Exclusive From exclusive products to exciting collaborations with other brands, we’re creating hype and interest that goes beyond our products. As soda lovers, we love the joy and joy of drinking soda again and normalizing it. We want to share freedom. Soda has had a bad reputation for a long time, and it’s our mission to change that. The response from Gen Z shows we’re on the right path. ” cried Ellsworth.

Most recently, Poppi reimagined the soda experience with Poppi Mart, a forward-looking interactive pop-up to celebrate the launch of its first 16-ounce can at 7-Eleven. Inspired by nostalgic convenience store slushies, consumers could visit this futuristic pop-up, pick up a Poppi slushie or soda, and shop while navigating an Instagram-worthy installation. . Capitalizing on a major cultural moment, Poppi’s Super Bowl commercial was the most-watched commercial of the game, reaching 29.1 million people. Poppi’s other pop-ups include Poppi Hamptons House, Poppi x Marc Jacobs Bloomingdale’s, Surflodge, Montauk Beach House, and USA. Opening a pop-up in New York. Additionally, Poppi is an official sponsor of the Miami Pickleball Club, which is owned by Naomi Osaka, Nick Kyrgios, Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes, DJ Kygo, and more.

Ellsworth’s efforts to intersect better-for-you products with virality, celebrity, and cultural moments fueled Poppi’s cult following with Gen Z and Millennials. “I think people in those age groups were naturally drawn to us for a variety of reasons. Millennials, like myself, grew up loving and drinking soda, so soda is very much a part of us. It is closely associated with many memories. When we had barbecues in the backyard, watched movies, or hung out with friends, we always drank traditional soda. It is not the healthiest. I think the mindset started to change once everyone realized that, and now Millennials are looking for brands like Poppi that can offer products that taste just as great and come in healthier packaging.Diet Coke Culture and artificial ingredients are not appealing to Millennial and Gen Z consumers. We connect with Gen Z because we are very social and spend a lot of time connecting with online communities. I think it’s because I spend so much energy on it. I decided years ago to make TikTok the center of my marketing efforts, so I was ahead of the curve and now have over 400,000 followers on that platform. I also think Gen Z consumers are very savvy. They want products that are made with better ingredients and are better for their health without sacrificing taste. We don’t want to, but neither do we,” she said.

Coco-Cola, which boasts triple-digit month-over-month growth and a loyal customer base, is rumored to be in the process of acquiring Poppi. Regardless of whether Poppi’s sales are in the near future, Ellsworth continues his mission to bring Poppi to the masses.