Poppi and Olipop are the trendy new sodas. Coca-Cola is responding

Poppi and Olipop, watch out: Coca-Cola is entering the “better for you” soda category with a response of its own.

Poppi and Olipop, watch out: Coca-Cola is entering the “better for you” soda category with a response of its own. This month, the beverage behemoth is rolling out Simply Pop, a prebiotic-packed soda that is flavored with fruit juice and vitamins that it claims “supports gut health,” in response to the growing popularity and sales of its smaller rivals. “We saw the prebiotic soda space really emerging as an area of interest for consumers, and we were paying really close attention to it,” said Becca Kerr, CEO of Coca-Cola’s nutrition unit. “We think it’s a space that is a great consumer fit and also offers a lot of growth.” Adding Simply Pop is part of Coca-Cola’s manifesto of becoming a “total beverage company” beyond its regular stable of sodas, Kerr told CNN. Notably, the company has seen success with milk and protein shakes. Simply, which first started as an orange juice brand, has expanded into other fruit juices, mocktail mixes, canned cocktails and now sodas. Using the Simply name was based on consumer feedback and adoration for the 21-year-old brand. Coca-Cola is likely hoping the recognizable “Simply” brand will help the new soda quickly establish itself, against Poppi and Olipop, the two prebiotic-packed soda startups that have attracted a loyal fandom in their few short years of existence.