Influencer partnerships have become a go-to tool for emerging CPG brands seeking to gain an edge in the crowded marketplace, but how can one ensure the return will be worth it?
One of the greatest success stories in recent years is that of prebiotic soda brand Poppi’s lucrative deal with popular influencer Alix Earle, which reportedly boosted the brand’s sales by 200% during the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Earle, an investor in Poppi, has worked with the company on an annual contract basis, creating content in exchange for equity, per the Wall Street Journal.
Here are some key relationship-building practices from the partnership:
Authenticity is key: Earle rose to fame on TikTok as a University of Miami student posting get ready with me (GRWM) videos, during which she would discuss everything from breast augmentations to anxiety while preparing for a night out. The content offered viewers an intimate look into the influencer’s everyday life and likely made them feel like part of the conversation.
Thus, it was only fitting that Earle announced her investment in Poppi with a GRWM video last May. To date, the post has garnered over 12 million views and 373,000 likes.
- “For me, [investing in Poppi] is something that’s really exciting instead of just taking a million different brand deals for a bunch of different sodas,” said Earle in the video, reminiscing that she and her friends drank Poppi in college.
Content should feel like an experience, not an ad: While the aforementioned GRWM videos put Earle on the map, they’re not the only content format that has delivered success for her brand partnerships.
Case in point: Poppi’s “Coachearla” activation, which included a variety of videos and photos from the influencer showcasing her stay in a Poppi-branded house, drove more than 50 million impressions in the first three days, reported Influencer Intelligence.
- The 360-degree campaign – which had everything from Poppi can-shaped pool floats to “Coachearla”-branded towels – promoted the brand’s new Lemon Lime flavor.
- On Poppi’s Instagram page, posts featuring Earle pulled in a 2.6% engagement rate, compared to its average 0.48%.
“Our goal was to make Poppi the must-have beverage of Coachella, I’d say we accomplished that and then some…coupling the debut of our new [lemon lime] flavor with Alix’s infectious enthusiasm allowed us to really capture the spirit of the festival and drive incredible engagement with our target Gen Z and Millennial consumers,” Allison Ellsworth, co-founder of Poppi, told Influencer Intelligence.
The more ≠ the merrier: Rather than spreading its budget thin across multiple influencer collaborations, Poppi went all-in with Earle. The move may have been deemed risky by some, but it’s proven fruitful.
- Andy Judd, Poppi’s chief marketing officer, told WSJ, “There’s really no other talent that we’re working with that has that reach across our marketing mix.”
- Poppi hasn’t disclosed how much it spent on the Coachearla activation or how much Earle earned for her engagement, but it’s likely the return was high based on the volume of content (top influencers can earn anywhere from $10,000 -$15,000 per sponsored post).
Recognizing prime opportunities: Poppi’s activations and ad spots are consistently focused and intentional. On the heels of Coachearla, Earle starred in Poppi’s Super Bowl LIX commercial, “Soda Thoughts,” which saw the influencer advising her stressed-out peers, “Stop spiraling, get a Poppi.” The spot was separate from her 2025 contract with the brand, she told WSJ.
- Earle’s partnership goes beyond content creation, with the influencer designing a can that’s slated to launch in Walmart.
Creating value: When PepsiCo announced its agreement to acquire Poppi for $1.95 billion in March, Earle’s fans flocked to social media questioning how much the influencer-turned-investor would make. The deal closed this week, but Earle and Poppi have declined to share the size of her stake in the company.
- “I’ve never taken any cash from Poppi, besides rev share on the one [flavor] I was promoting, for example. I’ve also put in my own money, so it’s dual-sided,” Earle told WSJ.
- T.J. Earle, Alix’s father and manager, told WSJ his daughter chose to work with Poppi on an equity basis, betting that she would get the upside if and when they sold. He said the equity was converted “at a pretty significant gain.”