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Poppi (drink)

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Poppi
Logo used since 2019
A can of Poppi Strawberry Lemon
TypePrebiotic soda
ManufacturerPepsiCo
DistributorPepsiCo
Country of origin United States
Region of originAustin, Texas, U.S.[1]
Introduced2018; 7 years ago (2018)
Websitedrinkpoppi.com

Poppi (stylized in all-lowercase as poppi) is an American brand of prebiotic soda known for its "gut healthy" approach to the carbonated-beverage market. Launched in 2018, Poppi offers a variety of low-sugar flavors, each with 30 calories or less. As of 2023, the company's sales have surpassed $100 million with the sodas being available in over 120 retailers. In May 2024, the company became involved in a lawsuit regarding allegations that their health claims misled consumers due to the lack of fiber content in the drink. PepsiCo announced in 2025 that they would acquire the brand. The acquisition was completed on May 19, 2025. [2]

History

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Background

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Poppi was initially founded as Mother Beverage by couple Allison and Stephen Ellsworth. The pair appeared on Shark Tank under the name Mother Beverage in 2018.[3] The name 'Mother Beverage' was a nod to the raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar used in the soda. Allison had previously worked in the oil and gas industry and initially sold apple cider vinegar-based health drinks at local farmer's markets. After they were married, she and her husband decided to start Mother Beverage in their hometown, Austin, Texas.[4] The company was given a $400,000 investment on Shark Tank by Rohan Oza, which was used to rebrand Mother Beverage. In 2020, they renamed the soda "Poppi" to attract a more youthful and modern audience.[3]

The company raised a $13.5 million series A funding round in 2021 and a $25 million Series B round in 2022.[5]

In 2023, Poppi launched its Soda's Back ad campaign, which boosted brand visibility and in-store sales at over 120 stores, causing their revenue to surpass $100 million as of 2023.[6] As of 2024, the brand has had partnerships with celebrities such as Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner, Billie Eilish, Russell Westbrook, Jennifer Lopez, Olivia Munn, & Lucas Cruikshank.[7][8]

In 2024, the company began to distribute some of their products in Canada.[9]

Lawsuit

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As of May 2024, Poppi is involved in a class-action lawsuit in California. Brought on by attorney Kristen Cobbs, the suit alleges that the company misled consumers with false claims about the gut benefits the company's "prebiotic" soda claimed to have.[10] Though the soda does contain inulin, a naturally soluble fiber, Cobbs claims that the 2 grams of fiber within the drink is too low to create a meaningful effect for gut health.[11] This lawsuit claims that the company violates California law with false and misleading advertising.[12][4] As of December 2024, there have been no rulings or settlements reported.

Acquisition by PepsiCo

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In March 2025, PepsiCo announced it would acquire Poppi for $1.95 billion.[13] The deal was completed on May 19, 2025. [2]

Marketing

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Poppi Soda's brand advertising includes music and sports as brand pillars. In 2023 Poppi Soda featured music by electronic pop artist Jane & The Boy in a TV Spot.[14] In 2024, Poppi announced a brand partnership with American rapper and singer Post Malone[15] in the wake of his public announcement that he would cut traditional soda from his diet.[16] Also in 2024 the brand debuted a sponsorship of the Los Angeles Lakers.[17]

Flavors

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Poppi offers a variety of low-sugar flavors, each with 25 calories or less.[12] Available flavors include:

  • Classic Cola
  • Root Beer
  • Watermelon
  • Cherry Limeade
  • Grape
  • Raspberry Rose
  • Ginger Lime
  • Lemon Lime
  • Wild Berry
  • Orange Cream
  • Cherry Cola
  • Strawberry Lemon
  • Orange
  • Doc Pop
  • Cream Soda
  • Alpine Blast (citrus)
  • Cranberry Fizz (seasonal)
  • Punch Pop (seasonal)

In June 2025, Poppi announced that they had reformulated their Root Beer flavour following complaints regarding the drink's weaker taste.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "PepsiCo Completes Acquisition of poppi, Accelerating Strategic Portfolio Transformation". Pepsico. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "PepsiCo completes acquisition of Poppi". PR Newswire. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Burns, Emily (December 13, 2022). "Prebiotic Soda Brand Poppi Raises $25 Million Seed Round". WWD.com. Archived from the original on December 7, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  4. ^ a b McSwain, Megha. "Poppi Is Making Soda Cool Again". texasmonthly.com. Texas Monthly.
  5. ^ Yu, Douglas. "Viral TikTok Prebiotic Soda Brand Poppi Raises $25 Million Series B To Expand Nationwide Through DSD". Forbes. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  6. ^ "Soda's Back! Poppi Unveils Largest Consumer-Driven Ad Campaign, Bridging Streaming, Social and Out-of-Home Across Major Markets This Summer". PR Newswire. June 16, 2023. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  7. ^ "Culture's Favorite Soda Poppi Adds Their Twist on a Classic Flavor With Launch of New Cherry Cola". PR Newswire. September 3, 2024. Archived from the original on September 11, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  8. ^ McClelland, Colin. "Making pop history: How a Shark Tank investment helped a prebiotic soft drink go viral". financialpost.com. Financial Post. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  9. ^ poppi. "Culture's Favourite Soda poppi Makes International Debut in Canada". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  10. ^ Wernars, Breanne (July 24, 2024). "Prebiotic or Placebo? False Advertising Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Poppi Soda". JDSupra. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  11. ^ Springer, Jon (June 4, 2024). "What's at Stake in Poppi's Gut Health Lawsuit: Viral Soda Brand had been Easing its Health Message in Favor of Lifestyle Marketing". Advertising Age. Archived from the original on November 4, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Bendix, Aria (June 11, 2024). "New lawsuit challenges Poppi soda 'gut healthy' claims: What you need to know". www.nbcnews.com. Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  13. ^ Lucas, Amelia (March 17, 2025). "PepsiCo buys prebiotic soda brand Poppi for more than $1.6 billion". CNBC. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  14. ^ Poppi TV Spot, 'Soda's Back' Song by Jane & The Boy. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved February 11, 2025 – via www.ispot.tv.
  15. ^ Toneguzzi, Mario (September 19, 2024). "Musician Post Malone partners with beverage brand poppi". Retail Insider. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  16. ^ Ibrahim, Samantha (August 18, 2023). "How Post Malone dropped 60 pounds while performing". Archived from the original on February 9, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  17. ^ Meyers, ByAlyssa. "Poppi makes team sponsorship debut with the Los Angeles Lakers". Marketing Brew. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  18. ^ Gurley, Alex (June 4, 2025). "Soda Company Announces Formulation Change Following Criticism". Parade. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
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