In the landscape of branding beverages, 2025 demands more than just good taste—it demands audacity. And few brands embody this better than Olipop, the prebiotic soda that turned a $100,000 investment into a multi-million-dollar phenomenon. At its core, Olipop teaches us a fundamental truth: people don’t just buy products; they buy ideas, stories, and solutions to problems they didn’t even know they had.
Lesson 1: Solve a Problem Nobody Knows They Have (Yet)
Ben Goodwin and David Lester didn’t just create a soda—they reframed what soda could be. They spotted a crack in the traditional soda market, where gut health and nostalgia intersect. Their secret? Making something utterly familiar—vintage soda flavors—but flipping the script with gut health benefits, minimal sugar, and a fiber-packed punch.
The takeaway: Consumers don’t need another cola; they need a reason to believe it’s not just okay to indulge—it’s good for them. Your brand should make their desires guilt-free and aspirational.
Lesson 2: Build the Brand Before the Beverage
Olipop’s story shows that branding isn’t an afterthought—it’s the engine. Of their initial $100,000, $70,000 was spent on branding. From the start, the name "Olipop" wasn’t just a nod to soda—it was a clever mix of science and nostalgia. Oligosaccharides (gut-friendly fibers) became "Ollie," and "Pop" spoke to soda drinkers from coast to coast.
In 2025, beverage brands must be living, breathing identities. Think beyond logos. Your name, colors, packaging, and even the way your drink is held should evoke curiosity and loyalty. You’re not just selling a product; you’re creating an icon.
Lesson 3: Flavor Nostalgia with a Side of the Future
Olipop didn’t just launch soda—it launched feelings. By recreating flavors like root beer, cola, and ginger ale, they tapped into the memories of Saturday afternoons and road trips. But they didn’t stop there. Olipop went one step further by outsmarting legacy brands, proving you can reduce sugar without sacrificing taste.
In the beverage game, taste matters—but so does trust. Your flavors should feel like home but taste like progress. Innovate while staying grounded in what your audience already loves.
Lesson 4: Master the Art of the Hurdle
Early on, Olipop faced the classic chicken-and-egg problem: distributors wanted stores, and stores wanted a distributor. The solution? Hustle. Ben and David pre-sold to 40 stores, proving their worth to the distributor.
This underscores the importance of thinking small to play big. Don’t overlook your first customers or those scrappy wins. It’s in the trenches of problem-solving that your brand earns its stripes.
Lesson 5: Turn Social Media into Your Secret Weapon
If 2025 belongs to anyone, it’s Gen Z and Millennials. These cohorts made Olipop a social media darling, sharing recipes, reviews, and ASMR-worthy videos of cans being cracked open. Their approach wasn’t to oversell but to subtly seed their product into the hearts of social feeds.
For new brands: Don’t just push content—create rituals. Let customers become co-creators. Whether it’s TikTok recipes or Instagram polls about flavors, engage your audience as active participants in your story.
Lesson 6: Solve for Emotion, Not Logic
Here’s the twist: Olipop didn’t succeed because it was “logical.” It succeeded because it made customers feel good on multiple levels—health, nostalgia, flavor, and status. Buying Olipop isn’t just drinking soda; it’s making a choice to rewrite your own story about indulgence.
In branding beverages for 2025: Don’t just sell benefits—sell transformation. Whether your product soothes, excites, or inspires, position it as the emotional solution to a complex world.
The 9-Birds Playbook: Your Branding Cheat Code
If you’re building a beverage brand in 2025, here’s how to channel your inner Olipop and break into the market:
- Define Your “Why” Before Your “What”: What human problem are you solving?
- Go Big on Branding Early: Spend where it matters—your name, visuals, and story.
- Be Data-Savvy, but Gut-Driven: Follow trends, but don’t be afraid to trust instincts that go against the grain.
- Cultivate a Social Ecosystem: Don’t just post—create movements that inspire participation.
- Nail Nostalgia with Innovation: Give people what they know but in a way they’ve never seen.
The world doesn’t need another generic beverage—it needs daring brands with bold visions and the tenacity to rewrite the rules. At 9-Birds Creative, we specialize in turning ideas into icons, crafting strategies that help brands like yours find their place at the table.
Olipop isn’t just a soda—it’s a playbook. And in 2025, the brands that dare to follow its path will win.