How Coca-Cola is marketing Simply Pop, its first prebiotic soda

The Coca-Cola Company on Tuesday (Feb. 18) introduced Simply Pop, its first entry into the prebiotic soda category, per details shared with Marketing Dive. The recent beverage line comes because the marketer seeks to capitalize on a marketplace for prebiotic sodas that is estimated to grow to $3.5 billion by 2032.

“You would should be under a rock… to not have seen the expansion that is happening within the prebiotic soda space,” said Terika Fasakin, senior director of brand name marketing for Simply.

Simply Pop includes six grams of fiber for gut health and Vitamin C and zinc for immunity support. The extension of the Simply beverage line launches in five flavors — strawberry, pineapple, mango, lime, fruit punch and citrus punch — that can be available later this month at retailers in select regions and online nationwide via Amazon Fresh.

The prebiotic soda market is driven by upstart brands including Poppi and Olipop, the latter of which is now valued at $1.85 billion after its latest funding round. Prebiotic sodas have grown in popularity as consumers increasingly reach for better-for-you beverages with functional advantages, especially post-pandemic.

“We see consumers’ needs are evolving,” Fasakin said. “How can we meet our consumers where they’re at with the products that they’re asking for?”

‘The juicy recent soda’

The launch of Simply Pop was informed by in-depth consumer ethnographies across the U.S., including online focus groups and in-person consumer groups. Coca-Cola found the category only has about 20% market penetration, so the corporate sought out consumers who’re interested by prebiotic products but hesitant to buy. 

The feedback was a reminder that, in the case of beverages, taste is king. Coca-Cola got down to deliver a functional beverage that was also fruit forward and decided to launch the brand new offering under its Simply brand. Launched in 2001, Simply now has greater than 20 offerings, including extensions into alcoholic and mixer categories, and already has significant equity with younger consumers.  

“Gen Z grew up with Simply. So while millennials or other demographics didn’t all the time have Simply within the household, this brand has a lot love and equity,” Fasakin said. “We lean into that Simply equity and heritage [on packaging] since it delivers such prime quality, great-taste expectations.”

Brand equity around fruit-forward flavor is expected to drive the marketing for Simply Pop, which can be positioned as “the juicy recent soda.” The marketing strategy can be digital and experiential first, with out-of-home, influencers, paid media, social media and many “liquids to lips” sampling. In addition, Simply Pop in early Q2 will partner with women-focused media platform Dear Media for a podcast tour centered across the “juiciest” popular culture. 

“Our consumer goal is Gen Z and millennials,” Fasakin said, adding that the team has pushed itself to “show up in a different way.”

The launch of Simply Pop also comes as prebiotic brands enter their very own soda wars: Poppi recently faced backlash for a viral stunt around its Super Bowl campaign, while Olipop has taken aim at PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew. For a brand new launch from Coca-Cola — no stranger to sparring with its rivals — the important thing is being disciplined about remaining true to the Simply brand.

“This brand has built its fame on being authentic and consistent. We’re committed to continuing to foster real consumer relationships,” Fasakin said. “We don’t imagine there’s a shortcut to constructing that credibility.”