Coca-Cola Is Coming For Olipop's Throne With Its New Drink Line

The gut-friendly soda sphere is as effervescent as ever. Coca-Cola just joined the bubbly and belly-boosting beverage trend with its newest line of carbonated beverages: Simply Pop. The beverage mogul is riding the coattails of prebiotic powerhouses like Olipop and Poppi, two carbonated beverage brands that have grown dramatically in recent years within the functional beverage space as consumer attention toward gut health increases.

Coca-Cola is launching its new line under its Simply brand, which is widely known for its fruit juices and, more recently, Simply Spike Lemonade. Simply Pop prebiotic sodas include six grams of prebiotic fiber per 12-ounce can, as well as vitamin C and zinc. The drinks will be available in citrus punch, fruit punch, lime, pineapple mango, and strawberry flavors, with each can containing 25-30% fruit juice.

That's a lot more than some of its competitors. For example, Poppi's lemon-lime soda only contains 3% juice and the same flavor from Olipop has 15%. Simply Pop products also have more fiber than Poppi but a bit less than Ollipop, though experts say that the best sources of prebiotic fiber are whole foods like vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes.

Coca-Cola will roll out the stomach-friendly beverages at the end of February 2025. Consumers will be able to purchase cases on Amazon or grab individual cans in grocery stores for $2.49 each.

In recent years, prebiotic sodas have surged in popularity. Often marketed as "better for you" sodas, these carbonated drinks include prebiotics, probiotics, and various vitamins and minerals that wouldn't be found in traditional fizzy drinks. Prebiotics and probiotics work in tandem to keep gut microbiomes in healthy harmony, but whether probiotic soda is actually good for gut health remains somewhat up for debate. 

Regardless, there is clearly a significant demand for these sorts of products. The functional beverage segment has seen consistent growth year after year and seems poised to continue to do so. To illustrate, Olipop's sales in 2024 topped $400 million, and Coca-Cola's research predicts functional beverages will reach $2 billion in sales over the next four years (per CNN). Witnessing the success of other companies in the space and seeing the potential for growth, it's clear that Coca-Cola wanted to hop on this up-and-coming beverage trend.