Poppi Soda's Influencer Marketing Controversy: Bold Move or Misstep?

LEAVE YOUR MARK: Freshly Brewed Career Advice with Aliza Licht

Aliza Licht

Business, Careers

5.0 • 585 Ratings

🗓️ 19 February 2025

⏱️ 12 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of Leave Your Mark, I break down the recent controversy surrounding Poppi, the prebiotic soda brand, following a bold marketing stunt gone wrong. The campaign, which involved sending 32 custom Poppi branded vending machines to top influencers, sparked backlash over elitism, wastefulness, and detachment from loyal customers. I delve into the two main areas of criticism: alienating a core customer base and concerns over sustainability and execution. Tune in to hear my strong take on influencer marketing, the founder apology, and why I believe Poppi will ultimately be just fine. Plus, get my insights on the importance of brands being bold and creative in their marketing efforts. 00:26 The Poppi Soda Brand Controversy 00:49 Backstory and Marketing Stunt Breakdown 02:01 Backlash and Core Customer Alienation 03:07 Environmental Concerns and Execution Issues 03:51 Founder and Company Response 05:05 Broader Implications of Influencer Marketing 05:37 Host's Perspective on the Controversy 09:10 Final Thoughts and Marketing Insights 11:27 Conclusion and Call to Action

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, this is Elisa Likt, and this is Leave Your Mark the podcast, where I brew fresh career advice
0:06.1	with some of my most inspiring and successful friends.
0:09.5	It's professional advice that you can action immediately, whether you're just starting out
0:13.9	in your career or well on your way.
0:16.5	With a massive to-do list and a large cup of coffee, I promise that you can get it all done and still
0:22.5	have time to post about it. We need to talk about the poppy soda brand controversy and not because
0:31.9	it is Super Bowl related, because that is way over. We need to talk about it on a macro scale. Because what I can say about
0:41.1	everything that has transpired and I'm going to break it down for you, it has way bigger implications
0:47.3	than a failed Super Bowl stunt. So here's the backstory. Poppy, the prebiotic soda brand, is known for its savvy use of
0:56.4	influencer marketing. And it found itself at the center of a PR crisis following what many have
1:03.6	called a controversial influencer stunt. As part of a promotional push, the company sent custom
1:10.2	poppy branded vending machines,
1:11.9	32 of them, stocked with soda to big influencers.
1:17.2	And while, of course, I'm sure Poppy's marketing team thought this was an incredible idea,
1:22.7	it's bold, it's absolutely going to go viral by the sheer nature of how visual these things are.
1:29.0	The campaign backfired spectacularly,
1:32.7	sparking accusations of elitism, wastefulness, and brand detachment from its core customer base,
1:39.9	not what you want to hear as a marketer.
1:42.6	And the backlash grew rapidly on social media.
1:46.1	Loyal customers felt overlooked.
1:49.1	Even some influencers ridiculed the execution.
1:52.9	And the company's founder, Alison Ellsworth, was forced to address all of this.
	...

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