Poppi vs. Olipop: Two Similar Products, Two Different Marketing Strategies

Many members of our team are self-proclaimed “beverage goblins,” enjoying our fair share of fizzy drinks. That said, we’ve seen a lot of confusion, both personally and online, about the difference between Poppi and Olipop—two prebiotic soda brands with similar names. In truth, we’ve tried both beverages, and their flavor profiles are both special in their own ways. But what makes them truly unique are their marketing strategies.?

Whereas Olipop claims to be a healthier alternative to the sodas you know and love, Poppi calls itself “the future of soda,” presenting an entirely different product than what’s on the shelves. We’re taking a look at these two products to identify the specific marketing tactics that make them unique, displaying how your brand’s mission, vision, and messaging can make all the difference when it comes to addressing your target audience’s needs.

The main difference between Olipop and Poppi, product-wise

Olipop’s slogan is “A new kind of soda,” taking the flavors we’re used to—think Coke, Fanta, and root beer—and creating a version with less sugar and healthier ingredients, including prebiotics designed to boost your gut health, immune system, and metabolism. It’s positioned as a traditional soda replacement, and when you drink it, you’ll experience sweet flavors and soft bubbles.

Poppi, on the other hand, markets itself as its own novel product, with the slogan “Be Gut Happy. Be Gut Healthy.” As a first-time Poppi drinker, you may be surprised by the flavor. It’s very fruit-forward, with a subtle aftertaste of apple cider vinegar, which adds a fermented flavor reminiscent of kombucha. It’s juicy and, like Olipop, includes prebiotic fiber that is known to improve digestion and strengthen the immune system.?

Essentially, Poppi and Olipop are two presumably healthy beverages that taste completely different but have similar benefits, names, and branding. So how do they use their marketing strategies to convey this to consumers while also differentiating themselves from one another?

A deep dive into Olipop and Poppi’s marketing strategies

Now that we know the distinction between each soda brand’s flavor profiles, let’s look at the elements of their marketing strategies that set them apart, from messaging and target audience positioning to influencer and packaging strategies.

Messaging

Both Olipop and Poppi’s messaging is focused on health in some way, but they communicate the benefits of their products differently. Olipop is more focused on straightforward claims of their beverage’s health benefits. One section of their website is dedicated to talking about the drink’s impact on digestive health, taking a lighthearted but educational tone, reading: “OLIPOP tastes like the soda you grew up sipping, but with the added benefit of microbiome and digestive health support. With plant fiber, prebiotics, botanicals, and a touch of magic, we made soda healthier AND more delicious!”

Poppi’s “Benefits” page takes a different approach, first leading with the emotional experience that can come with drinking it. One section reads: “No more hiding cans in the bottom of your recycling bin or sipping sparkling water with your burger and fries. You deserve that mouth-watering swirl of flavors and bubbles without the baggage. Get all the soda feels with 5g sugar, ingredients you can love and prebiotics. Remember: cravings aren’t a crime, people!? It’s time to love soda again. Like right now!” The page then goes into the purpose of prebiotics.

These examples exhibit how Olipop and Poppi define themselves as brands. Olipop leads with knowledge, appealing to an audience that wants the nitty gritty on what makes the product healthy and why. Poppi focuses more on relating to the audience emotionally, showing its purpose beyond creating a health-conscious beverage.

Target Audience Positioning

These two beverage brands have two different primary audiences. Poppi appeals to health-conscious individuals who want to be forward-thinking trend setters, whereas Olipop connects best with those who love and miss regular soda but want a healthier alternative.?

Olipop’s original flavors were Ginger Lemon, Strawberry Vanilla, and Cinnamon Cola—all reminiscent of those you’d find at a vintage soda shop, a new take on ginger beer, cream soda, and typical cola, respectively. Cinnamon Cola later became “Vintage Cola,” taking on even more of that antique nostalgia, and the brand introduced other classic flavors into their catalog, like root beer, cream soda, grape soda, ginger ale, lemon lime, and “Doctor Goodwin,” a play on “Dr. Pepper” and the name of one of Olipop’s creators, Ben Goodwin. In addition, they created more fruity flavors that are completely original, like banana cream and watermelon lime.

Poppi launched with several flavors, including “Raspberry Rose” and “Pineapple Turmeric.” Its most popular flavor, however, is “Strawberry Lemon,” a blend of sweet and sour that, according to Poppi, is “so bold, it just asked for your number.” Drinkers also love “Orange,” “Ginger Lime,” and “Doc Pop,” Poppi’s take on the popular Dr. Pepper flavor. Although Poppi’s flavors hint at familiar sodas, this brand is more widely known for its unique taste profiles.?

Fun fact: The founders of Poppi introduced these flavors to the world on Shark Tank, when the brand was called “Mother Beverage.” They described the benefits of apple cider vinegar as a supplement and shared their own experiences with using it as a way to decrease bloating and lose weight. But, they wanted a better-tasting alternative to taking a shot of the acidic vinegar every morning. They later rebranded to Poppi to better appeal to a wider and younger audience.

Although we consider these products to have two different audiences, we have to acknowledge that they often overlap. Someone who’s extremely health conscious may also be someone who wants a healthier alternative to soda flavors they love. This is why they’re such strong competitors in the prebiotic soda space, an area that isn’t too crowded and still has room for growth.

Packaging

Despite many consumers’ confusion between the two brands, Poppi and Olipop take very different approaches when it comes to packaging.?

A can of Poppi is characterized by bright and bold colors. Its main visual element is the fruit on the front of the can. The brand name, although prominent, is a bit more out of the way. The can includes the tagline “It’s time to love soda again,” and other text is lighthearted and often humorous, aligning with the brand’s typical voice and tone.

Olipop’s packaging includes pastel colors with a deliberately vintage vibe. The “Vintage Cola,” can, for example, showcases a classic glass bottle of cola with a straw poking out the top. Compared to Poppi’s can, the flavor-defining icon is much smaller, while the brand name is much more prominent across the top of the can. Olipop’s tried-and-true slogan, “A new kind of soda,” is featured just below the can’s rim.?

Despite these differences, both brands include the number of grams and sugar and prebiotics as a selling point on the front of the can.?

Influencer Marketing

In 2021, Olipop made a bold change to their marketing strategy, deciding to quit using paid advertising and instead invest their money into influencers on TikTok. The brand found this method to be beneficial, nearly tripling its revenue from $70 million in 2022 to $200 million in 2023. The brand found social media creators that meshed well with their brand and provided a sense of authenticity. Although digital advertising is an extremely valuable marketing tool for many brands, Olipop found that sponsoring influencers made a more lasting impact on the audience it was trying to attract.

Across platforms, Olipop partners with a variety of popular influencers and has several celebrity sponsors, including pop singer Camila Cabello, who was featured in the brand’s debut television commercial.

Poppi has a similar influencer marketing strategy, although the brand is starting to move toward larger creators and celebrity partners. In 2024, rapper and singer Post Malone became a brand partner, and Poppi dedicated its “Wild Berry” flavor to him, calling it “Posty’s Soda.” This was an especially notable partnership because Post Malone had recently publicly shared how he gave up traditional soda for his personal health—a perfect example of the transformational personal anecdote that makes a brand that much more powerful.

Poppi is also known for taking influencers off screen and inviting them to exciting events to promote the brand. In September 2024, it released its new “Cherry Cola” flavor with a launch party and pop-up shop in New York City during Fashion Week. In addition to popular influencers like Emily Ratajowski, Jake Shane, and Brooks Nader attending the event, rapper 50 Cent performed. Tapping into creators and celebrities with a devoted, niche following is a fantastic method for opening up the Poppi brand to new audiences.

Most recently, Poppi has been in hot water for its Super Bowl LIX campaign, where the brand gifted large influencers with $25,000 branded vending machines to boost brand awareness ahead of the big game. However, it backfired because many social media users deemed the campaign extravagant, suggesting that Poppi should have placed these vending machines where the public could use them for free, rather than gifting them to “rich” influencers.

Many of the influencers who received these vending machines were featured in the brand’s Super Bowl ad, which encouraged people to ditch traditional soda for a Poppi.?

How to differentiate your brand from the competition

Regardless of the greatness of your product or service offering, it’s likely that you’re going to face competitors. Here are some key takeaways you can learn from observing the marketing strategies of Poppi and Olipop:

The importance of brand messaging

Your brand’s messaging gets your products into customers’ hands. Your product isn’t enough to convince consumers to buy, but the message you craft around it can be the thing that holds your brand back or catapults it to new heights. A distinct brand narrative allows your brand to truly connect with your target audience. Early adaptors may know your product is valuable, but how can you share that with others??

Go beyond product features

Listing a product’s features can only extend your reach so far. Instead, tell a story that speaks directly to your audience's pain points and shows how your product will improve their lives. Lots of brands, Poppi included, tell the story of the founder, and how what they were looking for didn’t already exist, so they set out to make it themselves.?

Implications for brand development

When you’re creating or revisiting your brand’s development, it’s important you have a mission and vision with your marketing. What’s the specific goal you want your marketing to achieve? Whether you're trying to increase sales or boost brand awareness, developing content pillars and buyer personas will help you create focused, strategic content that resonates with your target audience and supports your overall business objectives.

The prebiotic soda market demonstrates how two brands can take similar products and overcome that potential brand confusion by creating distinct identities through carefully crafted marketing strategies. While Olipop embraces nostalgia and offers health-conscious alternatives to classic favorites, Poppi positions itself as an innovative trendsetter in the current—and future—beverage space. Their differing approaches to messaging, packaging, and influencer partnerships show that success isn't just about having a great product: it's about understanding your audience and creating a brand identity that authentically resonates with them.

Learn more about the world of marketing and branding. Subscribe to our twice-monthly digest to keep your finger on the pulse.