Allison Ellsworth

Her Social Strategy Made Poppi a Top Soda Brand

Poppi is the perfect example of what happens when a timely product meets innovative marketing: fizzy, delicious success. Allison Ellsworth and her husband Stephen officially launched the prebiotic soda brand in 2020 as a healthier alternative to traditional drinks, and it quickly gained momentum, thanks in part to a Gen Z-friendly social media strategy. At the “TikTok-first company,” everyone from interns to Allison herself can post on the platform without approval. That authenticity, combined with fun pop-up events and partnerships with stars like Russell Westbrook, Post Malone, and Kylie Jenner — just to name a few — have helped the brand garner more than 2 billion views on TikTok alone. Now Poppi is the No. 1 selling soft drink on Amazon, notching north of $500 million in sales in 2024. But the ultimate proof of the strategy’s success came earlier this year, when PepsiCo announced it was acquiring Poppi for a whopping $1.95 billion.

By Audrey Goodson Kingo