Poppi Is Changing The Landscape Of Healthy Soda For Everyone
Interview with Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Poppi, Allison Ellsworth
Allison, talk to me about your reasoning behind starting your functional-soda based brand, Poppi.
A few years ago I was constantly on the road for work and I started having a ton of different health issues that stemmed from an unhealthy gut. I was bloated all the time, had skin issues, and felt so exhausted. After spending thousands of dollars going to doctors and trying to figure out what was wrong with me (and it not working), I decided to Google my symptoms. I kept reading that drinking apple cider vinegar could reset and detox my body. I jumped right in and started drinking a shot of it every day. Within two weeks, all of my symptoms had subsided and I was on the path to healing my gut through this natural way. I felt incredible and it was super life-changing for me. The one big issue was that I hated the taste of straight vinegar on its own and I did not know if I could continue to drink it straight like that every day.
I love spending most of my free time in the kitchen and I thought to myself, I can make this taste better! What was so important to me was that I made it taste good and kept it healthy. After a few different recipes, I found a way to get your daily dose of ACV in stealth mode and landed on what we now know today as Poppi. I continue to drink Poppi every day for the health benefits but now, most importantly, I drink it because it tastes good. There is nothing better than Poppi paired with a meal (for taste, but bloating too!)
Diet soda has been a mainstay in the beverage culture since the early 1950s, starting with the first diet soda which was called No-Cal. Why did you decide to ditch the diet soda moniker that we’ve become accustomed to for so long?
Diet isn’t a word in the Poppi dictionary, so labeling our product diet wasn’t ever considered. We believe in a life of balance; not an all-or-nothing approach. Poppi makes it easy to add a bit of balance to your life where you don’t have to sacrifice flavor for health.
One of the biggest eye-catching features of Poppi is its colorful layout on each can. Talk about the importance of color and branding within the scope of Poppi.
After getting our deal on Shark Tank, we found out that trademarking the word Mother wasn’t possible, so we took the opportunity to step back to rethink the brand from the ground up. It actually took us an entire year to rebrand our product, and it’s something we are really proud of! People are drawn to a brand more than they are to a product so we made sure to take the time and get it right. We went through all sorts of fun branding exercises.
“If Poppi were a car, what kind of car would it be? What type of person would Poppi be at a party? What personality is Poppi?”.
In the end, we wanted Poppi to be something that makes people happy, and that puts a smile on their face when they crack open an ice-cold can. So for us, it’s no surprise that our packaging is bright and colorful; The packaging just screams happy and fun! We see Poppi as the soda for the next generation, and to do this, you have to be more than just a good product, you have to also be a great brand that people want to be a part of. A great brand gets you into the party, a great product allows you to stay all night!
As we continue to move forward in a time where health is a top priority for many Americans, what can beverage users expect to experience each time they open a can of Poppi?
Poppi lives to create a culture of happiness with one delicious drink at a time. With each can of Poppi, you can always expect great taste, functionality, and an experience that puts a smile on your face (+ we’d like to think your gut too! 😊).
To find out more about Poppi, CLICK HERE and HERE.
