Co-founder Sees Broader Functional Platform for Olipop. Convenience Channel Next Stage to Prove ‘Big Tent’ Success
September 5, 2024
With gut health soda Olipop projecting $500 million in revenue this year, it’s no wonder the company has been the subject of takeover speculation, along with challenger Poppi. The premium functional brands, which promise to support digestive health with the inclusion of prebiotic fiber, have both notched growth rates in the +160% range in recent weeks, according to Nielsen data from Goldman Sachs. Both Olipop and Poppi position themselves as an alternative to traditional carbonated soft drinks, but at a much higher
Our lead story (pg. 3) uncovers how Olipop Cofounder Ben Goodwin intends to pursue $1 billion brand status — and he says he can do it without direct store delivery, at least for now. This digestive health drink, or gut soda as some refer to it, didn’t exist before six years ago. And Olipop helped spawn a formidable competitor in Poppi. Many alternative sodas have marketed themselves at the expense of traditional sodas. Olipop has been among the most successful so far. I’ll note, as well, that in an era when barriers to entry in non-alcoholic beverages are lower than ever, Olipop is a brand built on function, R&D, and efficacy. That’s worth watching.
The second story in today’s issue (pg. 6) features a conversation with former Coca-Cola Venturing and Emerging Brands executive Matt Hughes. He is a well-known and respected industry voice whose expertise bridges the gap between mainstream and emerging brands. Now with private equity firm Franchise Equity Partners, Hughes is tracking the winds of change within
CSD Priorities to Include Minicans, Flavors, Zero Sugar.
Gatorade Will Look to Deepen Gen Z Ties. Plus, New Energy for Rockstar.
Executives and operators from PepsiCo’s North America bottling system met recently in Las Vegas to discuss market plans for 2025. Ram Krishnan, who took over in January as CEO of PepsiCo Beverages North America, urged the audience...
CSD Priorities to Include Minicans, Flavors, Zero Sugar.
Gatorade Will Look to Deepen Gen Z Ties. Plus, New Energy for Rockstar.
Executives and operators from PepsiCo’s North America bottling system met recently in Las Vegas to discuss market plans for 2025. Ram Krishnan, who took over in January as CEO of PepsiCo Beverages North America, urged the audience
Keurig Dr Pepper’s repackaged and reformulated Bai is reaching store shelves now with the tagline, “It’s WonderWater.” The new formula adds electrolytes and zinc. The new taste is sweetened only with stevia for all flavors. The refreshed bottle body is made from 100% recycled content....
Check out BD’s podcast this week if you haven’t. Former Beverage Digest Editor and Publisher John Sicher and I had a compelling discussion about gut sodas like Poppi and Olipop.
While the two products and a host of similar prebiotic and probiotic sodas represent only a share point or so of the carbonated soft drink category, they are grabbing an outsized share of attention on social media and at retail. Both Poppi and Olipop have been the subject of M&A rumors, which haven’t panned out and were likely premature. Poppi grabbed headlines early this year when it snagged a last-minute Super Bowl ad spot to cast the drink as “the future of soda.”
The question we explored on the podcast is whether the gut soda category has the kind of staying power that would make it attractive for companies like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper. We ended up seeing
Coca-Cola’s stock outperformed PepsiCo, Keurig Dr Pepper, and the S&P 500 Consumer Staples index during the first six months of this year. Coca-Cola’s shares grew +8.0%, beating the 7.5% gain by the index while...