OLIPOP

At OLIPOP, we’ve always believed that supporting your health shouldn’t mean giving up the things you love. In fact, healthier choices are a whole lot easier to make when they still feel familiar and delicious. 

That idea is at the heart of why we reimagined soda in the first place. And earlier this year, it inspired us to explore how we could bring that same philosophy to more people, starting with seniors enrolled in an Alignment Health Plan.  

Together with Alignment Health, we set out to answer a simple question: Could introducing a better-for-you everyday beverage alternative encourage people to consider other positive choices for their health? 

What participants shared showed how meaningful one small, approachable change could be. 

A Small Swap With a Bigger Purpose 

Everyday choices can play an important role in supporting healthy aging, especially among those managing chronic health conditions. 

That’s particularly relevant for Medicare Advantage (MA) populations. A 2025 study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that one-third of MA beneficiaries have diabetes, approximately 70% have hypertension, and more than 40% have obesity. 

So rather than asking people to completely change their routines, we wanted to explore the potential of something much simpler: a swap. 

In June 2026, approximately 1,100 Alignment Health Plan Heart and Diabetes C-SNP members in California who identified themselves as soda drinkers received a complimentary 12-pack of OLIPOP and were invited to share their experience. Of those members, 82 completed a survey conducted by an independent third-party research firm.  

The goal was to better understand how introducing OLIPOP as an alternative to traditional sugary soda could influence members’ wellness perceptions, future health intentions, and feelings about their health plan. 

Here’s What We Learned 

The biggest takeaway? Sometimes a small change can be a helpful nudge toward another one. 

Among the Alignment Health Plan members who completed the survey: 

• 76% said they were much more likely to take additional healthy actions because of this experience. 
• 74% said they were much more likely to choose OLIPOP over a traditional sugary beverage in the future. 

As one 68-year-old participant put it, “Getting this shipment [of OLIPOP] was like getting a little nudge.” 

This simple sentiment captures exactly what we hoped this collaboration could be about: showing that healthier choices don't have to mean a complete lifestyle overhaul or giving up the things you enjoy. Just one approachable choice that makes feeling good feel even easier—and helps make another positive choice feel a little more possible.  

Making Better-For-You Choices Feel Good 

In follow-up interviews, participants identified three qualities that can help wellness programs resonate: restoring joy in things they may have given up for health reasons, making healthy choices easier, and offering support that feels personal. 

That hits close to home for us, especially for our Founder Ben Goodwin. Growing up, Ben saw firsthand how diet and lifestyle could shape a person’s health, sparking an interest that would eventually lead him to reimagine one of America’s most beloved beverages.  

He created OLIPOP because he didn’t think enjoying soda and making choices that support your health had to be mutually exclusive. Today, our take on the classic soda experience pairs nostalgic, craveable flavors with our OLISMART® functional ingredient blend made with prebiotic fiber and botanicals, and less sugar than traditional soda.* 

That founding belief is what makes these findings feel especially meaningful. By making a simple swap feel familiar and enjoyable, participants found an alternative to traditional sugary soda, and many felt motivated to consider other positive choices. It’s a small but meaningful example of how accessible changes can help people feel more engaged in their health over time, something that sits at the heart of our mission to positively impact consumer health at scale. 

A Program Rooted in Health 

Working with Alignment Health gave us an opportunity to bring OLIPOP’s mission of positively impacting consumer health at scale to a community we’re especially excited to support. It also reinforced something we’ve believed from the beginning: better-for-you choices don’t have to feel like a compromise.  

This survey is just one small look at what that idea can mean in the real world, but we’re encouraged by what participants shared and excited about the possibilities ahead. Here’s to making healthier choices feel a little easier, a little more enjoyable, and maybe even a little more delicious. 

*OLIPOP contains at least 80% less sugar than leading, non-diet sodas with 2-5g of sugar per 12 fl oz can vs. 32-46g.