Poppi’s latest sports deal puts it ‘on the sidelines of culture’—literally

Whether it’s the Super Bowl or the NBA Finals, Poppi has been involved in some of the biggest moments on the sports calendar.

Even so, “I would not say we’re trying to become a traditional sports marketer,” Kristina MacIntosh, the brand’s SVP of marketing, said.

Poppi’s sport marketing approach is more about becoming part of the conversations happening on the sidelines, in the stands, and on social media than it is about the on-field action, MacIntosh said. That’s why the brand’s new sponsorship of the Dallas Cowboys started not with the team’s players, but with its cheerleaders.

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders—and their massive social reach—are the centerpiece of the sponsorship, which also includes more traditional elements, MacIntosh said. The deal includes in-stadium, retail, and social content with the team and cheerleaders, as well as pouring rights at AT&T Stadium, in-stadium and retail branding, and opportunities for ticket and merch giveaways throughout the season.

The strategy offers a look at how Poppi is carving out a unique space in the evolving world of sports sponsorship, amid stiff competition in the soft-drink category.

“We really sit within those sidelines of culture, and that’s been a strategy for us since day one,” MacIntosh told us. “We want to make sure that it makes sense for the brand to connect with highly engaged communities and participate in the moments that people are caring about and talking about on their feed…We’re looking for those opportunities where sports and culture really connect.”

Star power

Poppi’s deal with the Cowboys is partially rooted in both organizations’ ties to Dallas, Texas, where Poppi was founded, but the brands have more in common than the Lone Star State.

Both “have grown into brands that have that cultural relevance beyond just their standard category,” MacIntosh said.

Becoming an official sponsor of the team also offers Poppi a “strong creative opportunity” to integrate into the world of the Cowboys, she noted, as well as multiple touchpoints to activate the partnership. The cheerleaders have served as the “way in” to more football content for the brand, MacIntosh said. To announce the partnership, a Reel on the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ page showed four of the athletes using Poppi cans as hair rollers.

Coast to coast

This isn’t Poppi’s first rodeo. The brand has advertised in the Super Bowl, was the official soda of Inter Miami last season, and has an active, multiyear deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers’ sponsorship has resulted in increased awareness in LA, MacIntosh told us, and the Poppi team also got in on this year’s New York Knicks hype train: During the NBA Finals, when entrepreneur and influencer Jordyn Woods-Towns (who is married to Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns) went viral for her orange bag, Poppi sent her an orange can to pose with on Instagram.

While “zillennial girlies” tend to be Poppi’s core audience, according to MacIntosh, her team doesn’t want to alienate any potential consumers, which is why their sports partnerships are designed with wide reach in mind, combining team deals with related influencer content. Awareness and trial are also KPIs for the Cowboys partnership, which will ideally be driven by pouring rights, MacIntosh said.

Offsides book

MacIntosh declined to share any details about any potential Super Bowl plans, but she said she’s thinking a lot about big TV sports moments of a different variety: fictional sports properties, most notably in the romance genre.

After the explosion of shows including Heated Rivalry and Off Campus, MacIntosh said she’s eager to identify that “next BookTok moment” and capitalize on it, whether that be with an official content partnership or influencer work.

“How do we lean into things that are happening on and off the screen?” she said. “We’re seeing [sports] evolve to entertainment from a multifaceted approach, which is a really fun place to play.”