The phrases “being modern” or “that’s so modern of you” often are used to suggest the person’s actions or opinions are forward-thinking compared with current or traditional viewpoints and trends. For the carbonated soft drink (CSD) market “being modern” has helped the category expand its consumer base.

In a Circana Spotlight titled “Modern Soda’s Moment,” Daniel Joyner, complete consumer consultant, details how PepsiCo’s recent acquisition of poppi reflects consumers growing interest in modern soda as they seek an alternative to traditional soft drinks.

The spotlight details that the addition of poppi to PepsiCo’s portfolio is more than a trending beverage, but reaching a new consumer base.

“Poppi’s shopper base appears especially strategic as PepsiCo looks to expand its presence in wellness-oriented food and beverage segments,” Joyner wrote. “Compared to PepsiCo, poppi sources a higher share of its retail sales from several populations leading adoption in these categories, including affluent households (index 156), urban and downtown dwellers (144), millennials (135), and Gen Z (135).”

In 2024, modern soda sales totaled $1.8 billion, an 83% increase compared with 2023 and its $983 million in sales. In terms of modern soda market share, Circana details the brands as follows: poppi (38%), Olipop (32.7%), Zevia (12.1%), Jarritos (10.3%), Fever Tree (4%) with all other brands accounting for 2.9%.

Joyner notes that compared with traditional soft drinks, modern soda brands have found a way to differentiate themselves from the legacy brands.

“Products in this newly defined modern soda category share carbonation and some flavor profiles with traditional sodas, but they’re distinct in several ways,” Joyner wrote. “These beverages are typically sweetened with stevia, cane sugar or real juice, and often marketed on digestive, functional benefits, or better-for-you attributes such as prebiotic, vegan, low/no sodium, and low/no calorie.”

Given all this interest and differentiators, beverage-makers are taking progressive steps to expand the options for today’s consumers.

Health-Ade recently announced the latest flavor in its SunSip soda with benefits lineup. SunSip’s Grape prebiotic soda debuted exclusively online at sunsip.com and in Target stores nationwide. Grape SunSip is a better-for-you twist on a childhood favorite, with 35 calories and 5 grams of sugar in each can. Naturally sweetened with fruit juice, monk fruit, and organic cane sugar, Grape includes prebiotics and a good source of vitamins C, B6, and B12, as well as minerals zinc and selenium, the company says.

Beyond new releases, modern soda companies are leaning into humor to engage with consumers. For instance, Zevia’s latest campaign stars Grammy-nominated artist Jelly Roll.

In the ad, Jelly Roll pulls up to a gas station in a red pickup truck with Linda Lyndell’s “What a Man.” Two young onlookers stare in awe, in the way he takes a slow, unapologetic swig of an ice-cold Zevia Creamy Root Beer. The moment playfully winks at iconic soda ads of the past, but highlights Jelly Roll keeping it real with soda with real ingredients, the company notes.

“Our strategy is to make the Zevia brand as anti-artificial as our products, and stand out by entertaining people while cutting through culture and the clutter of the category,” said Kirsten Suarez, chief marketing officer of Zevia, in a statement. “Jelly Roll was the perfect partner for this idea because not only is he a charming superstar with broad appeal, he is also so genuinely real, and open about his own personal health journey.”

As consumer interest in modern soda continues to grow, beverage manufacturers are embracing a host of ways to keep this burgeoning category in the zeitgeist.