“We’re reclaiming the communication strategies of the soft drinks industry”
Interview with Fabian Huber
Congratulations on winning the “Startup of the Year”! To win this honorary award, you had to hold your own in a live pitch in front of the audience at the German Brand Convention, going head-to-head with the other finalists, Moelk and Atmos Space Cargo. What were your impressions of the day?
It really was a very special day for us. Before the pitch, we were incredibly nervous and really eager to see if we’d manage to win over the audience. The competition consisted of larger companies with cool projects, so we hadn’t reckoned on having the very best of chances. Which probably explains our emotional outburst when the winner was announced on stage.
Super Pop is a soft drink that positions itself as a sugar-free alternative to lemonade, containing fibre, apple cider vinegar and postbiotic cultures. What did you prioritise during those few minutes of the pitch? What was the one thing the audience absolutely had to understand?
Above all, we wanted to show what real life is like in a startup. We actually have small successes every day and are doing lots of things for the first time. Little milestones are achieved almost as an afterthought. Because with the sheer volume of work, you get caught up in a frenzy that prevents you from realising all of that. That’s why we were grateful just for the nomination, which gave us the chance to reflect on the past eleven months.
What certainly struck a chord with the audience was your authentic approach. But it almost didn’t happen at all, because when you received the nomination in early May, you weren’t really in a position to stand for “Startup of the Year”. What was going on for you at the time, and how do you look back on it two months later?
We were facing a thousand challenges, both big and small. The most serious were undoubtedly the supply bottlenecks. After all, stock-outs can quickly lead to you losing those hard-won shelf spaces again. Two months on, to be honest, I’d like to be able to look back on that with a sense of relief. But we’re still fighting to ensure decent product availability.
For a long time, nobody talked about gut health; today it’s a trending topic – and for you, it’s an integral part of your brand identity. How do you communicate about a topic that first had to be de-stigmatised before it could become part of your brand’s core?
The topic of gut health is extremely important for us. In our communications, we try to continue raising awareness of it without lecturing people on dietary advice. Furthermore, with our clear focus on fun and a balanced life, we’re trying to reclaim the communication channels that have so far been shunned by healthier foods and dominated by sugary fizzy drinks.
Since its launch in 2025, Super Pop has been on the shelves of major retail chains. At the same time, your soft drinks can also be purchased directly via Instagram, TikTok and Shopify. What does D2C mean for your online marketing, and where do you see advantages or challenges?
D2C isn’t really a major focus for us. Our online marketing is therefore deliberately aimed at raising awareness rather than driving performance. Drinks are mostly bought in food retail outlets and chemists. In these places, however, customers are hardly receptive to new information. If, on the other hand, they’ve seen the product somewhere and the USPs have been explained on social media, the likelihood of them buying it increases dramatically.
Pamela Reif is not only your investor but also a strategic partner. How does that change your brand work? And how do you ensure that Super Pop remains independent and doesn’t become a personality brand?
Pam is truly an impressive entrepreneur. Having her on board really makes us better in a number of operational areas. What’s more, despite her busy schedule, she’s always available to us. One of the reasons Super Pop hasn’t become a personality brand is that Pam very rarely appears on behalf of Super Pop. Across our various channels, we showcase a lot of the team and our day-to-day work. We largely avoid involving her in this – although the temptation is often quite strong given her enormous reach.
Contrary to what one might assume, the honorary award does not recognise the most interesting business model, but rather corporate leadership that views the brand as a strategic driver of success. Does this align with the vision you’ve built Super Pop 2025 on? And how do you measure whether the brand is a genuine lever for success?
Absolutely! There are countless drinks, all of which fulfil more or less the same few needs. Alongside taste and ingredients, the brand is the main driver of a purchasing decision, which is why building it is an absolute priority for us. To this end, we measure all the usual KPIs such as engagement and brand awareness, although gut instinct certainly plays a very important role for companies of our size and at our stage of development.
What is your personal advice to other founders? What mistakes should startups absolutely avoid when it comes to engaging with their community?
What is your personal advice to other founders? What mistakes should startups absolutely avoid when it comes to engaging with their community?
Where is Super Pop heading: what’s next?
The market for functional lemonades is still in its infancy in Germany. With Super Pop, we’ve brought it to life and made it suitable for supermarket shelves. Now the aim is to hold our own against competitors, some of whom have substantial financial resources, and to build on our position as the number one love brand in this segment.
The interview was conducted by Sabrina Günther.
