poppi's Sponsored Brand Ads Bubble Up When Customers Crave Soda

In case you missed it: poppi has arrived on the soda scene

With prebiotics and only five grams of sugar, poppi delivers a different kind of soft drink experience — one so outstanding that PepsiCo recently acquired the brand to expand its wellness-centric portfolio. 

poppi prides itself on moving at the speed of culture, delivering the healthier alternative soda lovers are searching for: delicious flavors people crave, but none of the baggage.

"We especially want to show up for people who may not know they don't have to give up the fun, delicious, and even nostalgic experience they know and love when they're in the mood for a soda," says Taryn Lininger. "We always want to stay within arm's reach of desire." 

Turning cravings into conversations: poppi’s demand strategy 

poppi is no stranger to national attention, driving multi-channel awareness across media platforms. Their distinctive presence includes colorful, creative assets reflecting their unique flavor experience and making the product tangible to soda lovers. 

While poppi had already tapped into DoorDash's Sponsored Products and keyword search targeting tools, the brand wanted to strengthen their mid-funnel strategy and boost brand awareness. They knew they had to continue moving fast to intercept soda fans — whether they're searching for poppi or just soda — with a rich media approach that customers would remember.

“With DoorDash, we've been able to tap into lifetime sales data, and we’ve learned that once these consumers try poppi, they bring a lot of value throughout their entire lifespan with us. That’s why new customer acquisition is always top of mind for us.” 
—poppi's Digital Media Manager, Taryn Lininger

Cracking open a can of Sponsored Brand Ads 

poppi jumped at the opportunity to lead the way as the first brand to launch DoorDash’s new Sponsored Brand Ads rich media format. They saw it as a great opportunity to connect with loyal DoorDash customers and to bring their colorful identity and flavor variety to life, while also driving increased engagement and brand consideration.

"We loved the creative elements that gave us the opportunity to show up and let our branding and colors speak for themselves to create that thumb-stopping moment on every channel."
—poppi's Digital Media Manager, Taryn Lininger

Maintaining a consistent brand presence across platforms has always been a priority for poppi. With DoorDash's scrollable images and video formats, they could now extend that experience all the way to the point of conversion — helping the brand truly stand out.

Retailer targeting adds fizz to the strategy

poppi paired the new Sponsored Brand Ads format with retailer targeting for a double-pronged approach. They ran a small-scale test with Target, aligning it with an exclusive, Target-only flavor launch. Knowing that Target shoppers were already poppi loyalists, the brand saw this as an opportunity to deepen engagement with its core audience while also expanding to new ones. The test proved what Poppi believed from the start: bold creative paired with precise targeting is a recipe for real results.

Results: Flavorful results bubble up across the board

The proof is in the numbers — poppi's customized marketing strategy works, with the addition of Sponsored Brand Ads rich media format, poppi has been able to achieve record highs in its number-one priority: driving new customer acquisition.

The campaign doubled poppi’s average click-through rate compared to Sponsored Product ads, exceeded new-to-brand benchmarks, increased customer acquisition, and helped to double monthly sales since they began using DoorDash Ads.

Looking ahead: Turning soda fans into loyalists

Poppi’s ability to act quickly, test across channels, and maintain a cohesive brand voice made them the ideal partner to explore what rich media could do in retail media.

Building on the success of its Target test, the brand is now taking a more full-funnel approach and exploring behavioral targeting as well — helping them not only acquire new customers but re-engage existing ones. 

“Every time we meet, it seems like there's something new on the road map that's actually coming to fruition, which is unheard of in retail media. So, being able to keep up with these trends and capitalize on new features is huge for us.”
—poppi's Digital Media Manager, Taryn Lininger

With DoorDash continuously delivering new tools and innovations, it's a partnership that can continue to move at the pace of culture, together.