Be There in Five
Be There in Five
Kate Kennedy
Poppi Culture (soda billionaires, influencer beverage investors, and the Alex Alix of it all)
1 hour 58 minutes Posted Mar 21, 2025 at 6:39 pm.
Intro03:27 The Evolution of Poppi's Branding06:00 The Rise and Valuation of Poppi30:50 The Health Halo Effect38:38 The Rise of Functional Beverages41:22 The OliPop and Poppi Rivalry48:05 Vending Machine Gate01:03:16 Celebrity Investors in Poppi and Other Bevs01:16:35 Alex/Alix, Unwell Network, and Influencer PodcastsOrder Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!Take control of your hormonal health with Allara Health. Visit allarahealth.com/BETHEREINFIVE (https://www.google.com/url?q=http://allarahealth.com/BETHEREINFIVE&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1742995169572607&usg=AOvVaw3ll8ht_pRMoItN739NP7P8) to get your personalized treatment plan and see if Allara is right for you. With insurance, you can get started with Allara Health for as little as $0. Experience Allara Health’s expert, compassionate care today. Visit allarahealth.com/BETHEREINFIVE (https://www.google.com/url?q=http://allarahealth.com/BETHEREINFIVE&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1742995169572607&usg=AOvVaw3ll8ht_pRMoItN739NP7P8) to get started. Copays may apply. See allarahealth.com/promo (https://www.google.com/url?q=http://allarahealth.com/promo&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1742995169572607&usg=AOvVaw3Wq6zamOoIiWW_rKu9In8l) for full terms and conditions.Because amika loves Be There in Five listeners as much as we love them, they’re giving you a one-time use code for 20% off your first order through the end of March. Just go to loveamika.com/bethereinfive (https://www.google.com/url?q=http://loveamika.com/bethereinfive&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1742995169572607&usg=AOvVaw2Uq3fa4Y6yBlQcJ8h93tE5) and use code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout.
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Show notes
This week, we're deep diving PepsiCo's $1.95 billion acquisition of the prebiotic soda brand Poppi, discussing the shift towards health-conscious beverages and their potentially misleading claims, and digging into influencer-adjacent beverage drama like cheater brands, "vending machine gate" and rumors about if the investments of Alex Cooper and Alix Earle in beverage companies have something to do with their public falling out (and Alix being "dropped" from the Unwell network). This deep dive touches on many topics: the broader trends in the beverage industry, influencer culture, the "Health Halo Effect" of unregulated better-for-you sodas, and, most importantly, the power of branding. Enjoy!