Popular soda brand goes from Shark Tank to Super Bowl LIX

No one would’ve expected something that began in 2015 as an experimental kitchen project by a mother in Texas who wanted to create a healthier soda to fulfill her dependency on the beverage to now become one of the fastest-growing soda brands in the U.S.

Poppi is a prebiotic soda brand that markets itself as a healthier alternative to traditional sugar-filled soda. Although Allison Ellsworth started the passion project in 2015, it wasn’t until 2018 that she and her husband went on the American television show Shark Tank to pitch the idea and struck a $400k investment deal with businessman and investor Rohan Oza to kickstart the company.

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Only four years after its official founding, Poppi delivered profits of over $100 million in 2024, with a gross margin of 65%, a huge jump from its initial $30 million in 2020, landing it among the fastest-growing soda brands in the U.S.

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This milestone is something most mainstream startup companies don’t achieve, nevermind a product as niche as this one. Although Poppi is a tasty soda on its own, its founders attribute the company’s success to taking advantage of a savvy marketing strategy while at its peak. 

Poppi beverages are displayed in Beverly Hills, California.

Phillip Faraone/Getty Images

Poppi’s savvy use of influencer marketing to build a profitable empire

Poppi took a digital-first marketing strategy to promote its modern brand. It put all its bets on social media to grow its customer reach, especially among Millenials and Gen Z, which are the generations that use social media the most.

The company relies on social media influencers to expand its reach. These influencers have a pre-established community and can more easily influence their followers to join the Poppi fanbase, promoting organic growth through sustainable brand awareness. 

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With this strategy, Poppi reached an audience of 642.7K followers on TikTok and engagement rates of up to 28%, which is an incredible amount, considering that the norm for most companies is around 1-3%.  

This rate can be partly attributed to Poppi’s community-first approach, which focuses on creating a bond and emotional connection with its customers through relatable content. This has led the company to achieve engagement rates that are nearly five times higher than those of its competitors.

Poppi makes a controversial move to promote its Super Bowl LIX commercial

Although Poppi has stayed within its loyal customers’ good graces, like any company that is heavily involved in social media, it was only a matter of time before Poppi landed itself in a controversy. 

Poppi’s growth in popularity was on full display this week. After only four years on the market, it purchased a 60-second commercial during the Super Bowl LIX, which is the most expensive real estate on TV. 

A one-minute Super Bowl LIX ad costs $16 million, not counting production costs.

However, Poppi doesn’t seem to be worried about the cost since the company also spent thousands of dollars promoting the Super Bowl LIX commercial before it aired. 

As a creative way to promote the commercial, Poppi sent vending machines to 32 influencers in exchange for social media posts, which, according to Olipop, one of the company’s strongest competitors, cost around $25k each.

Although this campaign created a huge buzz around the company, the response was incredibly negative, making Poppi the target of massive backlash.

Poppi responds to the massive social media backlash

Many viewers deemed the campaign wasteful, arguing that the machines could be used for a better cause, like to supply schools, homeless shelters, hospitals, and libraries.

Poppi’s founder, Allison Ellsworth, took to TikTok to respond to the backlash this high-budget marketing campaign received in hopes of avoiding being permanently canceled by the internet. 

In the video, Ellsworth denied the competitor’s allegations of the vending machine’s cost. She said the campaign was intended to raise awareness of the Super Bowl LIX commercial, which is a milestone for the company.

“We wanted to share Poppi with creators across the US who were hosting Super Bowl parties for their friends and their families. Creator marketing has always been a staple in Poppi’s brand,” said Ellsworth.

“These vending machines will be a part of the brand for years to come, and we want to work with you guys to get them out to places you’d like to see them out in the world,” Ellsworth added.

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Now, influencers are being asked to return the machines to the company so they can be put to better use. However, this wasn’t done until after Poppi had already received the backlash. 

One TikTok user commented, “But why wasn’t this the plan from the beginning?”

Another user expressed their skepticism by commenting, “That’s great, but what’s your timeline for placing these vending machines where we suggest?”

A user pressed Poppi for a response to the actual price of the vending machines, commenting, “Tell us how much it costs then if you are truly being authentic.” 

Poppi replied to the comment by stating that the number referenced by the competitor had been inflated by 60%, yet provided no evidence of the claim.

Even Wendy’s, the fast-food chain, commented sarcastically, “I think we sent our influencers slippers once lol.” 

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