Who this is
Fabian Huber is from Stuttgart and studied law. While still at university he worked for the Stuttgart brewery Dinkelacker-Schwaben Bräu, and after graduating he took charge of its revived Wulle brand. In 2019 he and four friends founded UniBev (Universal Beverages): a house of brands and enabler for drink ideas that handles everything from concept and marketing to deposit handling, while production is outsourced. UniBev is behind BraTee with rapper Capital Bra and VitaVate with streamers. With SUPER POP the team launched a sugar-free soda with fibre, apple cider vinegar and postbiotics, backed by Pamela Reif as an investor.
Episodes
Numbers from the episode
FAQ
What is SUPER POP?
SUPER POP is a sugar-free soda with six grams of fibre per can, apple cider vinegar, calcium and postbiotics. It comes from Stuttgart, was developed by UniBev and aims to replace classic soda. Fabian stresses that SUPER POP is not a weight-loss drink but a fun drink with added benefits for digestion and gut health. To the episode →
What role does Pamela Reif play at SUPER POP?
Pamela Reif is an investor and shareholder. She joined through a mutual business partner once the first prototypes existed and helped refine the taste. The team sees her less as a testimonial and more as a sparring partner: once a week they discuss influencer collaborations together. To the episode →
How many cans has SUPER POP sold?
At the time of recording, Fabian says SUPER POP had produced around 5 million units in total and had probably shipped 3.3 to 3.4 million. Around 99 percent go through retail: supermarkets, drugstores and petrol stations. To the episode →
Did SUPER POP copy Pop'it's idea?
No, says Fabian. SUPER POP had been in development for years, the first talks with retailers began at the end of the previous year, and "pop" is a generic term like "cola" that US brands such as Olipop and Poppi have used for years. The accusation was mainly spread by outside opinion influencers. A direct conversation between both founding teams settled the matter. To the episode →
What's next for SUPER POP?
At the time of recording the team was working on new flavours, with Fabian's favourites being a Virgin Mojito and a Shirley Temple. Because of many requests from bars and restaurants, SUPER POP was also planning a glass bottle, either a custom design or a standard longneck bottle. Fabian also considered a powdered SUPER POP possible. To the episode →
Quotes
„… wir sehen sie jetzt weniger als Testimonial, sondern eher als Sparingspartner.““We see her less as a testimonial and more as a sparring partner.”
„Man fühlt sich da total machtlos, weil TikTok, vor allem TikTok, ist halt, es geht nicht darum, was ist die Wahrheit.““You feel completely powerless, because on TikTok, especially TikTok, it's not about what the truth is.”
„… keine Panik, sondern arbeite es selber für dich einmal sauber auf.““Don't panic, work through it properly for yourself first.”
„In der Norm brauchst du wahrscheinlich, wenn du wirklich alles, alles abdeckst, so um die 50 Telefonnummern.““Normally, if you really want to cover everything, you probably need around 50 phone numbers.”
„Acht drauf, dass du so eine halbe Million plus mit hast am Anfang. Und sprech mit Leuten.““Make sure you have half a million or more at the start. And talk to people.”