Coca-Cola sees opportunity in growing prebiotics soft drinks market

The new brand is called Simply Pop and it is taking on two US-based market incumbents, Olipop and Poppi. They have been on the market since 2018 (Olipop) and 2020 (Poppi) and have been waging their own marketing battle as to which of the two offers better gut-health benefits to consumers. 

Broadcaster CNN calls it the “better for you” soda category, while the marketing industry news website Marketing Dive notes that “while soda consumption has fallen over the last two decades, the popularity of prebiotic sodas has skyrocketed as consumers look for a healthier option”. 

However, data from Euromonitor International emphasises that the category segment is still only a fraction of the overall soft drink market, which is worth billions of dollars. 

Supposed health benefits of prebiotic drinks 

According to Marketing Dive, the supposed health benefits of prebiotic drinks have yet to be conclusively proven. 

Coca-Coca says in a press release that Simply Pop is “juicing up” the prebiotic soft drink category with a beverage range made with 6 grams of prebiotic fibre to support gut health and Vitamin C and Zinc to support immune function. Flavours include pineapple mango, lime, strawberry, fruit punch and citrus punch. 

“We went out and really listened to consumers. They love this space, they’re really looking for stuff that tastes good, and that’s something we know how to deliver on at Simply [Pop] and at Coke,” says Becca Kerr, CEO of Coke’s North American nutrition unit, which includes its Simply and Fairlife brands. 

“We do see that there tends to be an appetite for these type of products with younger consumers, like Millennial and Gen Z. We see an interest in these types of products from multi-cultural consumers.”