The $1.85B Soda Brand Playbook Every Product and Growth Function Should Steal

Hi Friends,

As you know I am building AI-powered PM course, and I decided to teach next couple of modules LIVE on Saturday May 31st. Last time When I posted it was sold out in 12 hours.

I know several of you couldn’t join so I am opening 12 slots for founding members of the course. As a founding member you get 1 year access

• ✅ Full Access to the Course ($499 value)
• ✅ Access to the ALL Recordings and Slides
• ✅ Paid Private Community Access (Paid communities are all about high-value) ($500 Value)
• ✅ Plus additional assets I will add for the course.All at a super discounted price aka founding member price.

Btw, I hosted a masterclass this past weekend for few folks and this what students said.

On to Today’s Case Study

Can gut health and good taste build a $1.85B brand?
The answer is Olipop.

Olipop was founded in 2018 by Ben Goodwin and David Lester with an initial investment of $100,000. It’s 2024 Revenue for 450M with all set to do $500M.

This “new kind of soda” took what looked like a niche, prebiotic fiber in a can and turned it into a cultural phenomenon.

From DTC darling to shelf space in Target and Walmart, Olipop sipped its way to the top, using bold storytelling, creator-led marketing, and unapologetically retro branding to rewrite the rules of a stale category.

Here are 3 growth principles that made them unstoppable 👇

1) Rebrand the Familiar to Spark Curiosity

Olipop didn’t invent soda. They reinvented its purpose.

At its core, Olipop is a health-forward soft drink packed with 9g of prebiotic fiber and botanical ingredients—but it’s wrapped in retro packaging and soda nostalgia.

Instead of marketing it as a medicinal tonic, they positioned it as a “better-for-you soda.”

What they did differently:

• Dropped the term tonic in favor of the more relatable soda
• Made functional health fun with vintage aesthetics + bold flavors
• Plastered “Supports Digestive Health” and “2–5g sugar” front and center on every can

📌 Takeaway: To win big in familiar markets, reframe the product narrative. Speak your customer’s language—then surprise them with benefits they didn’t expect.

2) Influencer Flywheels Beat Ad Budgets

Olipop’s early growth wasn’t built on giant ad spends—it was built on people sharing what they loved.

They seeded product to influencers across tiers—micro to celebrity—and let authentic advocacy fuel the buzz. Using tools like Kale and Hummingbirds, they scaled this efficiently.

What they did differently:

• Gifted product to build a base of unpaid, passionate fans
• Created influencer funnels: top-of-funnel hype, mid-funnel education, bottom-funnel conversion
• Partnered with culture-driven creators like Alix Earle to trigger TikTok spikes

📌 Takeaway: Authenticity scales. When your product is the content, you don’t need hard sells—just the right stories told by the right people.

3) Build Offline Momentum with Online Obsession

Olipop turned digital buzz into retail pull.

By creating TikTok content that educated while entertaining, they made soda—with fiber—go viral.
Every piece of content pointed to their store locator and retail partners.

What they did differently:

• Turned content into discovery engines
• Used DTC data to prove sell-through and pitch national retailers
• Secured shelf space in 20,000+ stores, including Target and Walmart
• Hit a 9-figure revenue run rate pre-Series D

📌 Takeaway: Virality is powerful, but distribution wins the game. If your online hype doesn’t translate to retail velocity, you're leaving growth on the table.

3 Growth Strategies EVERY Product and Growth Function Can Steal from Olipop

Yes, Olipop sells soda. But beneath the fizz is a masterclass in brand-led growth that tech companies should be studying.

Here’s how tech founders and product leaders can apply Olipop’s playbook:

1) Translate Complex Benefits Into Everyday Language

Olipop doesn’t say “proprietary microbiome-balancing formulation.”
They say: “Supports digestive health with 9g of prebiotic fiber.”
Stop explaining features. Start connecting with outcomes.

📌 Lesson: Consumers don’t buy what’s technically superior. They buy what feels like a smart, simple upgrade to their life.

2) Let Your Users Market for You

Olipop’s early buzz came from creators who genuinely loved the product and shared it unprompted.
Make your product easy to screenshot, brag about, or build in public with.

📌 Lesson: Community is a faster, cheaper growth engine than ads—if you empower users to carry the message.

3) Move from Digital to Physical Presence Strategically

Olipop proved digital love with DTC numbers—then used that traction to unlock retail distribution.
Don’t overextend. Dominate one audience, one niche, one channel—then earn your next stage.

📌 Lesson: Growth isn’t about launching everywhere. It’s about earning expansion through data, storytelling, and clarity.

Olipop didn’t just build a drink.
They built momentum. They built meaning. And they turned functional health into a vibe. This isn’t just a playbook for CPG founders.
It’s a blueprint for any builder trying to cut through noise, earn trust, and grow with integrity.

P.S. I love the Peach and Cream flavor, it tastes like a soda float without the sugar crash. Also, this is not sponsored, but it should be! :)

Have you tried it? Or have a tech or CPG brand you think deserves a breakdown like this? Comment below and let me know.