The Business of Culture: Poppi v. Olipop

Prebiotic Soda Pop Culture Wars

A feud is fizzing between Poppi and Olipop after Super Bowl weekend.

But how did we get here? And why do we care?

Before we get into it, for those who don’t know Poppi and Olipop are two prebiotic soda brands. They identify as “healthier sodas” than the regular Joes we’re used to.

Image via people.com

How Did We Get Here?

So here’s what’s up. Leading up to Super Bowl weekend, Poppi sent 32 influencers, including Jake Shane and Kaeli Mae, branded vending machines that allegedly cost $25,000. The machines were stocked with unlimited Poppi with the influencers posting content around receiving the machines in an over the top stunt.

While the videos influencers posted amassed over 35M views (not bad ROI for a $25k machine, though Poppi has recently told today.com that the cost was inflated by 60%) given the current state of the world – viewers were not too impressed. Many people started commenting that the stunt was, “out of touch” because why send massive vending machines to a bunch of wealthy influencers? And why do it right now? The current cultural climate is a little sensitive and knowing that, the entire situation seemed to lack a bit of awareness.