The 9-Figure Business Selling Healthy Soda

Read time: 5 minutes

Good morning! It's Tuesday, October 31st. Happy Halloween! Today we are looking at Olipop, a probiotic soda company that’s expected to generate $200M in sales this year!

THE FEATURE

The 9-Figure Business Selling Healthy Soda

Do you know what the best-selling root beer is in America? Here’s a hint: it’s not A&W or Mug Root Beer.

Instead, it’s Olipop’s probiotic root beer that’s soared to the top of its category this year. 

What’s even crazier is that Olipop doesn’t only make root beer– that’s just one of their 16 probiotic soda flavors!

So, What’s the Business?

Olipop was founded by college dropout Ben Goodwin and former Diageo alcohol executive David Lester. The match was made in 2012 when Goodwin had finished tinkering with a probiotic soda in his garage, and David quit his job to become a full-time entrepreneur. 

In their first meeting, David was amazed at the college dropout's depth of knowledge on probiotics and the gut microbiome and agreed to a partnership. Their first company was Obi, but it failed to gain traction between 2012 and 2016. They ultimately sold the company and went back to the drawing board. 

It was only in 2018 that the two got back into the marketplace arena with their new venture, Olipop. Ben had reworked his soda formula, using a blend of botanicals, plant fibers, and prebiotics that made the beverage healthier and better tasting. 

Since the duo’s fresh start in 2018, their company has seen exponential growth: 

Each Olipop can has 45 calories, 9 grams of fiber, and just 4 grams of sugar (a can of Coke has 39 grams of sugar). The real innovation behind Olipop comes from Ben’s endless tinkering with its formula, which led to a legitimately good-tasting beverage without outrageous levels of sugar. 

However, this innovation does come at a cost to consumers– a hefty $2.49 a can (the same price as a 20-ounce bottle of Pepsi). Despite the high costs, Olipop’s sodas are flying off the shelves, and that’s not a surprise to its founders. 

Before starting Olipop, its founders knew that 88% of Americans suffer from some sort of metabolic dysfunction or disease. On top of that, the company’s start coincided with a new consumer trend and interest in gut health with the popularity of probiotic drinks like kombucha.

In addition to its projected $200M in revenue this year, it’s clear that Olipop has filled a hole in consumer interest because its beverages have a repeat purchase rate 2.5X higher than the standard rate for grocery retail beverages.

How They Win: TikTok Marketing

When the pandemic hit, Olipop struggled to pivot from brick-and-mortar stores to online sales, but that didn’t last long. 

Ben and David realized that traditional advertising was eating up their budget and had resulted in dismal ROI. So, they made a bold move. They turned off all ad spend on traditional advertising and all social media platforms except for one: TikTok. 

The company initially partnered with 100 TikTok influencers, but their presence has grown into thousands of sponsored evangelists. What’s unique about their partnerships is that all the content appears authentic. Rather than blatant promotions, partnered influencers simply do product placement akin to what’s seen in movies with Pepsi and Coke. 

Many companies try to market themselves on platforms like TikTok but fail miserably because their marketers have no idea how to appeal to the younger generation. That’s exactly why Ben, David, and other staff never managed the company’s TikTok presence. They instead hired Sara Crane, a former influencer who works full-time creating content and guiding collaborations with TikTok stars.

TOGETHER WITH PRIV

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Priv’s on-demand beauty and wellness platform connects professionals directly with clients. Clients can book services like hair, makeup, nails, massage, and more straight to their homes, hotels, or offices. 

Here’s what investors are loving:

📈 Coast-to-coast growth… Priv was profitable in 2022 and has grown revenue by 4X since 2020 with services across 31 cities. They’ve even been the go-to platform for brands like Meta, TikTok, Disney, Netflix and more market-leading companies.

💰Massive market… The ride-hailing market was worth $115B when Uber went public in 2019. Today’s beauty and wellness market is more than double that size. Now Priv is ready to kick its nationwide expansion into overdrive. 

🟢A pre-IPO opportunity… Priv is opening up the opportunity to invest to everyone, giving you unique pre-IPO access to a fast-growing startup. Take advantage of this exciting opportunity and become a Priv shareholder today.

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Disclaimers

Disclosure: This is a paid advertisement for Priv Regulation CF offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.gopriv.com