Welcome to Created, the newsletter that’s more poppin’ than Poppi’s recent acquisition. Here’s what we got today:
- How creators helped Poppi get acquired for $1.9 billion
- Lilly Singh launches her own media network
- Weekly roundup of top YT thumbnails
How Poppi’s Creator-First Strategy Led to a $1.9B Acquisition
Most brands are just starting to work with creators. But not Poppi.
The beverage brand has been miles ahead when it comes to creators — and it’s a big reason why Pepsi acquired them for $1.9 billion.
Let's Rewind:
In 2018, Poppi started as a niche health soda. Instead of dumping cash into traditional ads, they flooded social media with:
- Micro-influencers: 16,000+ TikToks using #drinkpoppi
- College ambassadors: pushed it as the trendy drink on campus
- Unboxing experiences: like these viral sweatsuits
They double downed each year. And by 2023, they hit $100M+ in sales.
The Big Leap:
In 2024, they bought a Super Bowl ad. But they didn’t suddenly turn to traditional celebrities. Once again, they featured creators such as Alix Earle.
Oh, and Poppi also leveled up their unboxing videos.
This time, they sent vending machines (yes, actually) to top TikTokers, who made viral videos about it.
Our Take
Poppi’s $1.9B acquisition proves one thing: creators are one of today’s most powerful marketing channels.
For years, brands spent fortunes on TV ads, billboards, and celebrity endorsements.
Poppi did the opposite. It built its entire brand around creators, proving that:- You don’t need millions of followers to be valuable. Poppi worked with college students, lifestyle influencers, and micro-creators — proving that authentic engagement beats follower count.
- Brands aren’t just paying for one-off deals — they’re building long-term partnerships. That means more opportunities, bigger deals, and deeper collaborations.
Lilly Singh Launches Media Network for South Asian Creators
Lilly Singh just launched HYPHEN8, a YouTube network dedicated to South Asian creators.
Singh says the network will help creators secure brand deals, optimize monetization, and tap into a growing South Asian audience that many brands are itching to work with.
Singh built her career on YouTube but struggled to find resources, mentors, and brand opportunities early on.
Now, she’s hoping to solve that problem for the next generation.
The Rise of Creator-founded Networks?
This isn’t the first time a popular creator started their own network.
Johnny and Iz Harris just launched their network, New Press, for journalists with channels like Search Party and Tunnel Vision.
As they explained in our interview, the goal is to allow creators to solely focus on their videos, without operational hassles like hiring a team or securing brand deals.
Alex Cooper launched her Unwell Network in 2022.
Originally built around podcasts like Cooper’s Call Her Daddy and Pretty Lonesome with Madeline Argy, it’s now expanding into new niches with projects like Read It and Weep, a BookTok-inspired discussion show.
Our Take
As Singh puts it: “It can’t be about how many eyeballs you get anymore. It has to be about how many minds you can change.”
It’s a big bet, but if HYPHEN8 can deliver value for underserved creators and their audiences, it could be a game-changer.
If not, it could fall into the same traps that doomed Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs) who promised a lot but couldn’t deliver.
Ultimately, Singh’s experience as a creator and role model, especially in the South Asian community, is what gives her an edge here.
🎯 Weekly Roundup: Thumbnails
Here’s why we love these YT thumbnails. Hopefully, they inspire your next one.
- Red background + clean text make you stop your scroll
(Adobe) - Warm tones and vintage car create a classic ‘film look’ aesthetic
(Conner John) - Handwritten annotations + close-up shot make the lemon bar look extra appealing
(sheldo’s kitchen) - Man emerging from a sewer in the middle of a street creates instant curiosity
(Practical Engineering)
- Red background + clean text make you stop your scroll
Your Beacons Store Just Got A Brand New Domain
For creators, a link-in-bio is like the front door to your online store.
But when it’s long, clunky, and forgettable, it’s hard to convince even your most loyal fans to step inside.
But good news: .Store Domains (the official domain for creators selling online) and Beacons (the all-in-one platform for creators to monetize) are teaming up.
So now your Beacons store can be just as memorable with a .Store domain.
The best part: all Beacons Pro users get a free .Store domain — which is proven to increase traffic by 87% and 2X your Google rankings.
It’s exactly why I use Created.Store to sell my own merch.
So if you’re selling via Beacons (or thinking about it), this is your chance to get started and level up with a .Store domain (for free).
Click here to get started with the domain name for creators selling online!
💰 Job Board
- Jon Sherman Golf is hiring a thumbnail designer
- Andrew Video is hiring a founding video editor
- Stan is hiring a lead scriptwriter
🏆 The Created Referral Program
Know someone who’d also love this newsletter? Refer them and get gifts.
Refer 1 friend: you’ll get my Infinite Ideas book. It’s my 8 best tips to find viral ideas for your next upload.
Refer 5 friends: you’ll get my Top 50 Thumbnails book. It includes a detailed breakdown of why they work so you improve your packaging.
Trust me, these books are packed with more tips than most paid courses.
Copy this unique link and email, text, or post it: [RH_REFLINK GOES HERE]
👋 See You Inside
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– Jon
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