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Coca-Cola enters the prebiotic soda category

Coca-Cola is leaning into nostalgia and the growing popularity of “gut-healthy” sodas to launch a line of prebiotic sparkling beverages.

With its launch of Simply Pop, a prebiotic soda range, Coca-Cola is tapping into its established brand trust and loyalty by introducing the line under Simply, a juice and beverage brand within Coca-Cola’s portfolio that has been a household staple in the US for over two decades.

The line comes in five flavours, including strawberry, pineapple mango, fruit punch, lime, and citrus punch, and is available in select stores across the US.

The sodas contain 25 to 30% real fruit juice from concentrate, no added sugar, and 6 g of prebiotic fibre per 350 ml can.

Tapping into the gut health category

The prebiotic soda category has experienced exponential growth over the past couple of years, aligned with consumers growing interest in better-for-you beverages. Leading brands within the space have gained quick popularity, including Olipop and Poppi.

In 2024, Olipop’s sales doubled to $400 million, compared with $200 million in 2023, and consumer interest in Poppi grew 156% over the past year, according to Glimpse, a platform that analyses consumer behaviour across the internet.

In 2023, Olipop founder Ben Goodwin told CNBC that PepsiCo and Coca-Cola had shown interest in the brand, and in early 2024, Bloomberg reported that Coca-Cola was exploring an acquisition of Poppi.

At the time of publication, there had been no public updates on potential acquisitions. However, with the launch of Simply Pop, it appears that Coca-Cola is instead offering up a direct contender to compete in the fast-growing prebiotic soda category.

Leveraging brand trust to compete in the prebiotic space

Becca Kerr, CEO of nutrition at the Coca‑Cola Company, said in a press release that the launch is leveraging Coca-Cola’s established trust to bring new consumers to the category. Kerr explained that through research, Coca-Cola determined that many consumers, especially gen Z and millennials, are interested in juice and prebiotic sodas.

“Since many brands in this category are new, [consumers] were looking to align with names they know and trust for both quality and taste. This was particularly true for those curious about prebiotic sodas but who hadn't yet taken the leap. We knew that in order to bring new drinkers into the category, we had to strike that perfect balance of innovation and trust," she said.

Leaning into gen Z and millennials’ nostalgia

Nostalgia marketing is not segmented to the food and beverage space; however, it is a tactic many brands in the industry have been using to reach consumers.

In 2024, Justins – known for its natural and organic nut butters and peanut butter cups – was inspired by the appeal of childhood classics to launch a cleaner alternative to conventional chocolate candies, which it claimed provides consumers with a “clean swap for a nostalgic favourite”.

Rather than launching the prebiotic soda line under an entirely new name, Coca-Cola is leaning into the established trust and loyalty it believes it has cultivated over the past two decades under the Simply brand.

Terika Fasakin, brand senior director for North America, explained that gen Z has grown up with the Simply brand.

She said: "They don't remember a world where Simply doesn’t exist, and it’s the juice they’ve seen in the fridge throughout their lives, so it has a particular tug on their heartstrings."