Poppi caused controversy by sending influencers their own vending machines. As part of the brand’s Super Bowl campaign, several mega-influencers were sent a fully stocked Poppi vending machine, though only to have for the weekend. This struck a bad chord with viewers, though: they felt it was wasteful to ship such a massive gift multiple times, and only to influencers who already have plenty of their own money. And as TikTokers came out to criticize the stunt, competitor brand Olipop chimed in the comments to say the machines cost $25K each—though Adweek reports this is untrue—which got viewers even more fired up. While the brand has addressed the feedback that more regular consumers should have access to these free vending machines, asking where to send them next, many commentors still aren’t convinced. (The Cut)
📊 YPulse data: 65% of 13-39-year-olds agree, “I prefer recommendations from small creators than big influencers”
