The pop-off
With similar names and colorful cans, how do healthy sodas poppi and OLIPOP push themselves apart?
My IBS and I knew about prebiotic sodas before the Super Bowl, but poppi’s commercial sent me into a hyper-fixation. Do people expect a canned drink to, “redefine everything we thought we knew?” Do we really need to say soda 13 times in 60 seconds? The visuals are pretty sweet, but why all the fuss?
The answer appeared to me in the form of a display snafu—cases of poppi underneath a culture pop sign next to cases of culture pop in poppi displays.
When there are only so many ways to be colorful, pop-reliant, and and gut-healthy, mix-ups like these are bound to happen. As a person who makes a living avoiding it, I wanted to know what brands were doing about it beyond praying people read. Specifically, brands like OLIPOP and poppi with their similar names, flavors, and campaign messaging.
Their respective rebrand case studies focus on the design, but there's a lot to glean voice-wise:
OLIPOP: “Familiar and unique. Retro typography, pastel colors, and minimalist layouts all combine to create a modern identity rooted in nostalgia.” via Break Maiden
poppi: “Poppi's radiant positivity brings you back to simpler times, and invites everyone to pop in. We personified each flavor, immersing the user in joyful technicolor maximalism.” via Zero StudiosWhat’s in a name?
OLIPOP, founded in 2018, comes from Oligosaccharides—“aka complex carbohydrates that form prebiotic fibers. And the pop? Well, we think that one's obvious.”
poppi only became poppi in 2020 after an investor asked them to move the brand from Mother to something more youthful and approachable.
Position
Both brands straddle the lines of nostalgia and newness, leveraging a fondness for sugary sodas of childhood while claiming to be its next best thing. However,
OLIPOP:
“a refreshing soda that’s actually good for you.”
sparkling digestive tonic → sparkling tonic
poppi:
“better for you soda”
apple cider vinegar beverage → prebiotic soda
The cans
OLIPOP’s cans feature education and information.
OLIPOP combines the classic soda you know and love with probiotics, plant fiber, and botanicals to support your microbiome and digestive healthy. Finally, a refreshing soda that’s actually good for you
poppi’s cans speak more to the purpose/end result of the drink with younger-sounding, “rizzy” language.
Facts...no one wants a basic drink. So make every hour happy hour with the bubbly, better for you prebiotic soda that keeps your gut happy and gives your bod a boost. / Classic flavors that are downright delicious these bubbles with benefits will be your new BFF.
Websites
Both voices are consistent from shelf to site. OLIPOP gets into the details with a more straightforward design. poppi uses less copy and technical language, but their design has far more of an angle. Product copy perfectly illustrates these differences.
Social media
poppi’s social is a technicolor, augmented reality, trendy paradise. I expected OLIPOP’s to be relatively straightforward given the rest of their brand, but I was surprised to see a more poppi-like approach.
Though the average shopper might confuse the two, poppi and OLIPOP have plenty of differences.
Though they do their best to be youthful on social, OLIPOP is an enthusiastic-if-nerdy TA. They usually include more detail and science, highlighting health-conscious words like microbiome. poppi, on the other hand is energetic, innocent, and emotive. The younger brand is more about the lifestyle and “vibe” of a healthy soda, speaking more generally about “bubbles with a purpose” and #sodaisback.
NOTE: If the rumors are true about Coca-cola buying poppi, I wonder how much more of the anti-soda rhetoric they'll be able to keep up. It seems poppi‘s strategy is paying off:
poppi leads the race in social following
poppi - IG 321K, TT 485.9K
Olipop - IG 278K, TT 413.5K
culture pop - IG 14.8K, TT 11.2K
Just a few weeks ago, Forbes featured poppi, stating their market share “sits at 19% which is 1.5x bigger than Coke’s. In the last four weeks, Poppi is the 11th fastest-growing beverage brand for dollar sales, with higher growth than Monster Energy, Gatorade, Liquid Death, Vitaminwater, and many others.” - Forbes
Though an inexact science, Google searches trends can point you in the right direction. Both brands have grown with rising interest in healthier sodas, but poppi pulled ahead earlier this year.
NOTE: That big spike is the Super BowlBut OLIPOP has had a few wins, too:
According to Instacart, OLIPOP won dry January, doubling their share of the category on the app. They’ve also started a new influencer initiative.
It’s a race to watch, y’all. Get out your big hats and place your bets
Who will outlast who?
Who will get bought out?
Who will make a brand pivot?
Will the prebiotic trend die out?
Which celebs will try and produce their own? 👀