Allison Ellsworth's Strategy for Developing Marketing with a Cultural Focus at Poppi
Allison Ellsworth came up with Poppi due to a personal need and a burning passion - she desired to share it with others. Poppi has transformed into a viral prebiotic soda brand, revolutionizing sodas for the upcoming generation, offering 5 grams of sugar and 25 calories per can. Ellsworth built the brand with colors, design, marketing, and apparel that cater to the consumers' dreams and interests. The goal in developing culture-oriented marketing is to continuously engage with the consumer beyond the can of soda. Through collaborations with celebrities like Post Malone, activations at NYFW, exclusive merchandise, and over-the-top interactive pop-ups, Ellsworth and her team have created a community and lifestyle for their customers.
"We're more than just a soda brand - we are a lifestyle brand. We craft flavors and merchandise that make our community feel a part of something unique, as we constantly listen and learn from their feedback. A significant portion of our merchandise is inspired by the way we regularly observe people incorporating Poppi into their daily outfits based on the drink they select. We genuinely appreciate our loyal, innovative community, and they continually influence us," Ellsworth stated. By taking into account the community's input, the brand often pushes boundaries and explores new avenues. No one has ever attempted to revolutionize sodas before, and the team is only four years old! They unveiled their first limited-time offering, Cran Fizz, last year, which generated enormous popularity and sold out across various retailers, including Amazon, in just three days. The flavor is back in stores, and the response has been overwhelming.
In just four years, Ellsworth has become among the most influential women in the beverage industry, with Poppi achieving triple-digit year-over-year growth and being the best-selling soda soft drink on Amazon. "What is so exceptional is having the chance to establish a route for future female leaders, particularly in the traditionally male-dominated beverage industry. I have often been the only woman in the room, and that makes me all the more proud of our achievements. I have always been ambitious and self-driven, but what many people do not realize is that I hail from a family of entrepreneurs. My father built businesses not for financial gain, but to create more businesses - an entrepreneurial mindset that he instilled in my core," she shared about her entrepreneurial journey. "Over the years, I discovered that many individuals generate excuses or talk themselves out of attempting to start a business. I believe that successful entrepreneurs are willing to take calculated risks. Some individuals become trapped in the 'What if I fail?' mindset, but I viewed it as 'What if I tried?' - you will never know unless you give it a shot!"
Ellsworth believes in the emotional connection that people have with sodas and the core memories that are created while holding a soda. Poppi aims to rekindle that emotional attachment. "We move at the pace of culture and host viral events that can go viral themselves. For example, we recently hosted our first New York City pop-up during NYFW, called Poppi World. No one thought a soda brand could top fashion week, but we succeeded! We understood it was the ideal moment to show up, in the right location, with the right people - 50 Cent performed live at our VIP night, where the hottest celebrities of fashion week, including the Love Island cast and supermodels, were present. The consumer-facing portion of the event cemented Poppi World as the place to be in NYC during fashion week; the line stretched around the blocks of New York City!" Ellsworth exclaimed. "Being culture-centric, it was a no-brainer to introduce our latest flavor, Cherry Cola, during Fashion Week, the busiest time of the year in New York. At our first LA pop-up in January, we launched limited-edition merchandise to celebrate the debut of our Wild Berry flavor, which swiftly sold out. We went even bigger in New York for Poppi World. We created an in-house, 30-piece collection of merchandise inspired by Cherry Cola and the energy of New York City. Poppi World was intentionally designed with our forward-thinking community in mind to bring the flavor to life in a way that only Poppi could - cherry red walls, endless fridges, and an immersive TV wall that provided the perfect backdrop for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Poppi World garnered over 1,200 posts from 360 creators, resulting in 63 million impressions from influencers. The creators had a total reach of more than 218 million followers."
Alongside significant cultural milestones, Poppi has consistently prioritized marketing within the college scene from its inception. This fall, the brand launched an extensive campus marketing program, handling over 2,000 product requests from various Greek organizations, clubs, and sports teams across 600 universities. Remarkably, 99% of these demands were initiated internally. This initiative yielded impressive results, reaching 14 million influencer impressions and inspiring over 4,000 posts.
Ellsworth further elaborated, "Our fall ambassador program attracted more than 4,000 applications from registered students nationwide. We accepted over 100 new ambassadors, bringing Poppi World to life at popular off-campus locations in Austin, Texas, and Alabama. The experience was truly immersive, capturing the essence of Poppi World, from atmospheric décor to tantalizing beverages and talented performers."
Ellsworth emphasized that Poppi's Super Bowl commercial last year served as a transformative moment, garnering over 29 million views and significantly boosting brand recognition, search, web traffic, and sales. "Our loyal consumers and followers have played a pivotal role in our success. We appreciate their feedback and make it a priority to listen to their suggestions. If our followers express a desire for our latest sweatsuits on Instagram, we will make sure to bring them to the forefront," she added.
For the latest pop-up event, an entirely shoppable website was created, offering exclusive Merchandise, including Cherry Cola items, even to those who could not attend in New York City. The brand values its community and aims to involve them in strategic decisions.
Ellsworth embodies an optimistic mindset in steering the brand, "I am unwaveringly optimistic – some may even call it relentlessly optimistic. I am always eager to take calculated risks. I believe the secret to Poppi's success is our relentless disruption. We strive to do more, aim for the bigger picture, and foster innovation rather than repeating past strategies," she explained.
for aspiring female entrepreneurs, her advice is to embrace authenticity, "Authenticity resonates with people. I also encourage female entrepreneurs to leverage social media, especially platforms like TikTok, where they can explore new ideas, embrace trends, and have fun."
"Allison Ellsworth, the visionary behind Poppi, has collaborated with influential figures like Post Malone, further cementing her brand as a culture-forward powerhouse in the beverage industry. The partnership resulted in exclusive merchandise that resonated with fans, reflecting the unique essence of Poppi."
"Ellsworth's culture-focused approach extended beyond collaborations, with events like 'Poppi World' during NYFW, which showcased Cherry Cola, a limited-edition flavor, and offered a once-in-a-lifetime experience for attendees, generating significant buzz and social media engagement."
