Olipop: What Entrepreneurs Can Learn from this Prebiotic Soda Brand

When healthy meets delicious, you just know instantly that it's all about Olipop. It's a thoughtfully crafted tonic that found its taste in wholesome, hardworking ingredients instead of spoonfuls of sugar.

In this case study, we're going to open up the hood and take a good look at the engine that drives Olipop. We'll dive into the bold strategies that propelled them from an audacious start-up to the household name they are today in the food and beverage industry. From a not-so-possible idea by Ben to a Camila Cabello brand partnership, we'll leave no stone unturned.

Plus, find out how we can coach you to grow your own million-dollar brand… absolutely FREE.

What is Olipop?

OLIPOP is a clinically backed consumer beverage that meets consumers’ real-world taste preferences in a delicious tonic.

It is a gut-healthy soda featuring fiber, prebiotics, and botanicals that can actually support your health by nurturing a healthy gut microbiome and digestive system. 

Olipop has a vision of a future where diversity in nutrition and digestive health is enjoyable and accessible to everyone. For the past few years, they've been busy disrupting an industry and a culture that’s stripped the good out of food (& drinks!)

It is available in a variety of flavors including Vintage Cola, Orange Squeeze, Strawberry Vanilla, Cherry Vanilla, Lemon Ginger, Classic Root Beer, Orange Cream, Blackberry Vanilla, and Classic Grape. 

Olipop is Non-GMO, paleo, vegan, and gluten-free and is available online at www.drinkolipop.com as well as in more than 10,000 grocers nationwide including Kroger, Target, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Safeway, and Wegmans.

Who founded Olipop?

Olipop was founded in 2017 by Ben Goodwin and David Lester. Both of them have been working together for nearly a decade to find accessible solutions to bring the benefits of digestive health to as many consumers as possible.

What is its origin story?

When Ben Goodwin was asked about the inspiration that birthed the origin of Olipop, he had these to say to the Bristol Farms podcast team:

“I’ve been invested in the power of nutrition since going through my transformative dietary journey as a teenager. When people feel healthy, they lead more productive and rich lives. I think that’s an experience that should be available to everyone.”

He continued:

“Olipop is designed to support microbiome and metabolic health with an accessible, tasty soda that meets people where their tastes are. Meanwhile, David and I were business partners on a prior beverage venture and we always worked well together. He was the perfect person to help me launch Olipop.”

However, almost everyone shut down the idea with your classic, “This isn’t gonna work, man…” type of comment. No one believed healthy soda could be a hit. 

Today, Olipop ranks 1st among 37 competitors according to Tracxn.

How was this brand funded?

Olipop has raised funding of $45.6M over 4 rounds.

Here's a brief overview of these fundings:

• $2.5 million seed funding in 2019 — key investor: Monogram Capital partners
• $13 million seed funding in 2020 — key investors: Dohler ventures, Terpsi capital e.t.c
• $30 million seed funding February 2022 — investors: Monogram capital partners, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas, Mindy Kaling, Logic, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Olipop has 48 investors including Collab Fund, Brand Foundry Ventures, Strand Equity Partners, Fifth Down Capital 

What is its valuation?

The recent funding round values the brand at $200 million and marks a significant milestone in its journey to usher in the next era of soda

What lessons can entrepreneurs learn from Olipop's story?

Embrace personal development 

Ben and David were very intentional about growing because they understood the relationship with business growth. That's why they were able to think of a way to create healthy drinks. Entrepreneurship is a journey of personal growth and emotional intelligence. I don’t recommend this path if you are not ready to grow as a person by facing your fears and limitations.

Be committed to building your product

Ben Goodwin once said: Have a mission that you believe in deeply (beyond money) that you can leverage to keep yourself going and inspire others to come to work with you. Ensure the mission can be accomplished, even with some pivots. This way, you have the flexibility to implement real feedback from your consumers and the overall market.

Be shameless about marketing

Hear me out, dear entrepreneur. We live in an age where you can skyrocket your company's growth on social media. More than ever, the internet has created enough leverage for you to enjoy.

Make sure your product has organic traction with customers. You can’t rely solely on your engineering ability or education if you want your product to be successful. Once that’s established, ensure that your margins work and that your product can scale. Then, find the best people for each phase of your business and build a culture that empowers trust and alignment.

FAQs

How does Olipop compare to other sodas?

There's just this feeling that makes you think that Olipop is more unique than some sodas out there. Olipop tastes like the soda you grew up sipping but with the added benefit of microbiome and digestive health support.

In a recent article titled: Us vs. Them: How OLIPOP Stacks up to Other Sodas

• While many other sodas have 39g of sugar or more and zero nutritional value, Olipop has 2-5 grams of sugar and a combination of plant fibre, prebiotics, and botanicals for both a sweet and healthy taste.
• As the fastest-growing functional beverage in the United States, Olipop has contributed more than 75 million grams of prebiotic fiber to the American diet. And counting!
• Olismart's in-house proprietary blend of eight botanicals, plant fibers, and prebiotics. Each ingredient is hand-picked for its biome-supporting benefits and works together to promote healthy digestion by feeding the microbiome that exists within all of us.
• Unlike OLIPOP, most soda companies aren’t partnering with leading microbiome researchers and spending years formulating a nutritious tasty beverage. 

What is Olipop's packaging like?

Olipop's packaging is simply amazing, unique and attractive. They are very intentional about boosting their brand identity.

The identity and packaging design not only needed to appear refreshing, but it also needed to pack an informative punch to reflect the product's benefits.

What is the price of Olipop?

You can get an Olipop popular drink sampler priced at $35.99. They offer free shipping, Always and you can swap, skip or cancel any time.

What is pre-biotic soda?

Prebiotic soda is a soda alternative packed with prebiotic fiber to support your gut. By adding nutritious, high-fiber ingredients, prebiotic soda joins the soda aisle as a healthier, gut-friendly option for soda drinkers. 

• Better-for-you Ingredients
• Packed With Prebiotics — like kudzu root extract, chicory root inulin, and Jerusalem artichoke inulin provide a great source of prebiotic fiber, helping support digestive health.
• Fewer Sugar Calories

Where is Olipop available?

All products are subject to availability. You can contact your retailer to ensure products are in stock. Olipop is typically sold with refrigerated beverages

Takeaway

Olipop's story portrays a bigger picture of having a big product idea. The key goal for Olipop's establishment was to foster healthy living in society. The fact that you can take soda that isn't made up of many spoonfuls of sugar or fructose flavors but rather a drink with special nutrients that keeps you healthy.

Now that we've delved into Olipop's remarkable journey as a prebiotic soda brand, it's evident that their audacity and innovative strategies have propelled them to become a household name in the food and beverage industry. But what's even more exciting is that you have the opportunity to build your own million-dollar brand, and we're here to help you make it happen—for FREE.

Our comprehensive coaching program is designed to guide you through every step of the process, from conceptualization to execution. You'll gain invaluable insights from industry experts and learn the proven strategies that have fueled Olipop's success. We believe that everyone deserves the chance to create a brand that makes a positive impact, just like Olipop.

Don't miss this chance to turn your big product idea into a reality and join the league of successful entrepreneurs. Request your FREE million-dollar business playbook today and unlock the path to building your own million-dollar brand. Your journey starts now!