Poppi, the it-girl of prebiotic sodas, just pulled off its boldest marketing flex yet – a Super Bowl ad featuring Alix Earle and Jake Shane that straight-up drags legacy sodas for being, well, irrelevant.
While the ad had everyone talking, the brand’s latest PR stunt – sending pink vending machines stocked with several flavors to 32 lucky influencers – has consumers asking a different question: Who can drink that much Poppi and why do influencers always get the perks?
Adding fuel to the fire, OLIPOP, a leading competitor in the prebiotic soda market known for its gut-friendly, fiber-rich beverages, threw shade in a recently deleted post on X, claiming that each machine costs $25,000. Marketers, like Ali Rose VanOverbeke, quickly started crunching the numbers, questioning whether the return on investment (ROI) was worth it. The total cost? An estimated $800,000.
But why a vending machine?
“Vending machines thrive on immediacy and convenience, making strategic product placement critical,” wrote Aslak de Silva for Forbes. And the logic extends far beyond sodas and snacks – beauty and skincare brands have embraced the same demand for accessibility.
Take Sephora’s vending machines, which stock travel-sized cosmetics and skincare essentials in airports, malls, and college campuses, catering to last-minute touch-ups or refills for on-the-go consumers. It’s a smart move, tapping into the impulse-buying behavior that has made vending machines a retail staple for decades.
Beyond just convenience, Poppi’s vending machines have the potential to do something even more powerful: generate buzz.
What is earned media?
One of the biggest advantages of Poppi’s vending machine play isn’t just sales – it’s visibility. Earned media, or free publicity generated through word-of-mouth, social media buzz, and viral content, is one of the most powerful tools for brand awareness. Unlike paid advertising, earned media thrives on consumer engagement and credibility.
In the age of TikTok, a strategically placed vending machine isn’t just a drink dispenser – it’s an unforgettable, cultural moment.
Poppi has already proven its ability to generate viral discourse. Some influencer videos featuring the brand have racked up anywhere from one million to 16 million views, creating a level of exposure that money literally can’t buy. Pair that with organic conversations that erupted around their Super Bowl ad, and it’s clear that people want to talk about Poppi.
Now, let’s crunch the numbers. Assuming an $8 cost per thousand impressions (CPM), each vending machine would need 3.12 million impressions to break even. That might sound like a lot, but given Poppi’s virality, it’s far from unrealistic.
Is influencer culture sustainable?
Poppi’s success with earned media has largely been fueled by influencer marketing, from viral TikToks to the Poppi World Tour featuring an exclusive clothing line. But as influencer partnerships continue to dominate brand strategy, an important question arises: How long can this model last?
“Influencers face pressure to maintain profitable partnerships to secure their livelihoods,” writes Chaiya Milowic for The Science Survey. “The relentless pursuit of material possessions perpetuates a culture of excess and waste. It poses the question: is the temporary satisfaction of a new purchase truly worth the long-term financial and psychological toll?”
This growing skepticism around influencer culture presents an opportunity for brands to shift their marketing strategy. The brand moves beyond paid promotions by placing those Poppi vending machines (with or without its legal controversies) in high-traffic areas like college campuses, gyms, and office buildings to become an everyday presence in consumers’ lives.
No middleman, no sales pitch – just a colorful fridge full of gut-friendly soda, ready to be grabbed between classes or after a workout.
This hybrid strategy – combining average consumers with earned media – creates a sustainable model for long-term brand visibility.
So, while influencer culture will undoubtedly continue to evolve, one thing is certain: a well-placed vending machine doesn’t need an algorithm to go viral.