It appears Coca-Cola has grown sick of stomaching Poppi and Olipop’s success with “gut-healthy” sodas – so the legacy model is launching its personal prebiotic drinks.
Coca-Cola’s Merely prebiotic sodas can be offered in 5 fruity flavors: Strawberry, Pineapple Mango, Fruit Punch, Lime and Citrus Punch.
The prebiotic drinks — pitched as useful to digestive well being — can be out there later this month at retailers in choose areas and through Amazon Contemporary.
“We found that consumers, especially wellness-focused Gen Z-ers and Millennials, were really interested in juice and prebiotic sodas,” Becca Kerr, chief govt of diet at Coca-Cola, mentioned in a press release.
“And since many brands in this category are new, they were looking to align with names they know and trust for both quality and taste,” she added.
As well being and wellness developments have grown extra in style amongst younger customers, soda consumption has dropped – benefitting prebiotic soda startups like Olipop and Poppi.
The “healthy” smooth drink market within the US has exploded from a $197 million class in 2020 to a $440 million business in 2024, in accordance with Euromonitor Worldwide knowledge.
A $50 million funding spherical final week valued Olipop, which was based in 2018, at $1.85 billion, the corporate mentioned.
Poppi’s actual valuation is unclear. The corporate final raised $25 million in a Collection B funding spherical in 2022, and just lately splurged on its second Tremendous Bowl industrial in a row – which ran for as much as $8 million per 30-second slot this 12 months.
Coca-Cola’s new drinks will include Vitamin C and Zinc, to spice up the immune system, and 6 grams of prebiotic fiber, to help intestine well being.
Soda firms have discovered themselves in sizzling water over claims that the fizzy drinks are higher for intestine well being than they honestly are. Poppi is at present in settlement talks over a lawsuit filed final Might accusing the corporate of deceptive promoting.
The brand new drinks are comprised of actual fruit juice and include no added sugars.
The fruity flavors are a nod to the Merely model’s origin as an orange juice firm, launched in 2001 – one other try and hook Gen Z prospects.
“Gen Z grew up with this brand,” Terika Fasakin, senior director of North America for Merely and Children, mentioned in a press release. “They don’t remember a world where Simply doesn’t exist, and it’s the juice they’ve seen in the fridge throughout their lives, so it has a particular tug on their heartstrings.”
