Masters of Scale OLIPOP’s gutsy play to dethrone Coke and Pepsi, with Ben Goodwin
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Oct 7, 2025 
Ben Goodwin, co-founder and CEO of OLIPOP, shares insights on the prebiotic soda brand's booming success as consumers flee sugary drinks. He delves into the science behind functional soda, revealing how OLIPOP differentiates itself with claims of health benefits. Goodwin discusses navigating competition from giants like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, validating the category. He emphasizes the importance of product quality over marketing hype and recounts his journey from formulator to a leader facing the challenges of rapid growth and public visibility.
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Functional Soda Defined By Nutrition
- Functional soda aims to contribute to health via fiber, prebiotics, and nutritional diversity rather than just replacing sugar.
- Olipop's formulation approach uses diverse, stable prebiotics to drive measurable microbiome benefits.
Back Claims With Data
- Validate health claims with empirical studies before charging a premium to consumers.
- Use in vitro and pilot human trials to demonstrate outcomes like blood sugar stability and microbiome effects.
Competition Validates The Category
- Big incumbents entering a niche category validates the market and expands customer awareness.
- Competition from Coke and Pepsi signals that the healthy-soda category can scale massively.