Olipop created the prebiotic soda category. By 2025, it had $400M in sales, a $1.85B valuation, and a problem it hadn't seen coming: Poppi was outgrowing it on visibility alone, despite having 2g of fiber to Olipop's 9g. The brand with the better product was losing the perception battle.
A 177-entry consumer survey, social listening, and competitive analysis told us why. Consumers liked Olipop but had no idea it was backed by R&D. It scored 2.98/5 on "led by research." NPS was -81 among people unfamiliar with the brand. The awareness gap was the growth gap.
Recommendations: Lead with the science in paid and mass media, not just WOM. Rationalize the partnership portfolio around health credibility. And expand into the $55.7B supplement market with Poppables by Olipop, a fiber product for non-soda drinkers, moving the brand from an $820M category into one no competitor could credibly follow it into.
