Poppi-lar Economics

Authors

  • Mateer, G. Dirk
  • Acchiardo, Charity-Joy
  • Clark, Lindsey
  • Geerling, Wayne

Keywords:

advertising, barriers to entry, branding, demand elasticity, markup, monopolistic competition, production cost, product differentiation and profits

Abstract

This paper presents three lesson plans that use the rise of Poppi - a prebiotic soda brand that originated as "Mother Beverage" and gained national prominence after appearing on Shark Tank - to teach the core principles of monopolistic competition.  We begin with a short video-based exercise in which students predict investor interest in the original Shark Tank pitch and finish by revealing that Poppi ultimately sold to PepsiCo for $1.95 billion in May 2025.  This exercise provides an engaging and immersive gateway to the key features of monopolistic competition:  product differentiation, some pricing power, and relatively low barriers to entry.  We connect Poppi's marketing strategy, rebranding, and rapid growth to classroom discussions that highlight how differentiation, perceived quality, and strategic pricing shape outcomes in such markets.  Each lesson plan includes a Kahoot to provide instructors with a practical and memorable way to illustrate these concepts.  

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Published

2026-10-23

Issue

Vol. 26 No. 2 (2026): Journal for Economic Educators

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Mateer, G. Dirk, Acchiardo, Charity-Joy, Clark, Lindsey, Geerling, Wayne

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