You’ve probably seen the neon cans. Maybe you’ve even seen the girl behind the camera, nursing a hangover with a prebiotic soda while telling millions of people about her "Get Ready With Me" routine. But when Alix Earle and Poppi announced the Alix Earle Poppi internship, or the "Alixternship," it wasn’t just another influencer post. It was a massive shift in how brands actually talk to Gen Z.
Let’s be real: most corporate internships involve getting coffee or filling out spreadsheets in a grey cubicle. This wasn't that. This was a full-blown marketing machine disguised as a dream job.
Honestly, the partnership between Alix and Poppi's founder, Allison Ellsworth, has become the gold standard for what happens when a brand stops treating an influencer like a billboard and starts treating them like a partner.
The Shocking Reality of the Alixternship
When Alix Earle rolled up to the University of Texas in August 2025, people lost it. She wasn't just there to wave; she was there to disrupt sorority recruitment. She hit up houses with her signature energy, handing out her own limited-edition Raspberry Rose flavor. This wasn't just a "vibe"—it was the launchpad for a first-of-its-kind career move.
The Alix Earle Poppi internship was designed for college juniors and seniors who actually wanted to see how the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) world works from the inside.
- The Location: Mostly remote, but with some serious perks.
- The Travel: Trip to Austin for HQ visits, the annual marketing summit, and event travel.
- The Stakes: This wasn't a "participate for credit" deal. It was a hunt for the next "marketing genius."
Poppi looked for students in marketing, business, or PR who didn't just understand social media but lived it. They wanted someone who could replicate the "Earle effect" without it feeling like an ad.
Why Poppi Bet Everything on One Girl
It sounds crazy. Most brands spread their budget across 50 different influencers to "diversify their reach." Poppi did the opposite. During Coachella, they basically took their entire budget and handed it to Alix.
They bought her a house. They decked it out in Poppi branding—everything from the walls to the custom "CoachEarle" labels on the soup cans she used to cure her hangovers. They even flew her and her friends out on a private jet.
Was it expensive? Absolutely. Did it work?
Poppi saw a 200% spike in sales immediately following that Coachella weekend. We're talking 50 million impressions in just three days. That’s the kind of ROI that makes traditional marketing execs fall out of their chairs.
By the time the Alix Earle Poppi internship was announced, the brand had already scaled past $100 million in revenue. They weren't just a "TikTok soda" anymore; they were a legitimate threat to the giants like Coke and Pepsi. In fact, by mid-2025, the brand was valued at nearly $2 billion.
The Vending Machine Controversy and the "Alixtern" Role
It wasn't all smooth sailing. You might remember "#Vendinggate." Poppi sent massive, $25,000 neon vending machines to 32 wealthy influencers. The internet—predictably—wasn't thrilled. People were asking why those machines weren't going to schools or community centers.
This is where the Alix Earle Poppi internship actually served a strategic purpose. It helped pivot the brand from looking "exclusionary" to "aspirational yet accessible."
By creating an internship that actual students could apply for, Poppi humanized the brand again. They shifted the narrative from "rich influencers getting free stuff" to "we’re looking for the next generation of talent."
The intern's role wasn't just to post on TikTok. They were brought in to see the "purity versus performance" dynamic that Allison Ellsworth and her team obsess over. They wanted someone to help keep the brand's "cultural cachet" while the sales team pushed into 20,000+ retail locations.
Is This the Future of Jobs?
We have to look at the nuances here. Some critics argue that these "influencer internships" are just glorified fan contests. They worry that the educational value is being sacrificed for social media clips.
But if you look at the application requirements, Poppi was actually quite rigorous. They weren't just looking for someone with a lot of followers; they wanted business-minded students who understood the CPG industry.
The internship offered:
- Direct access to the executive team.
- Hands-on experience with product launches (like the Raspberry Rose drop).
- A behind-the-scenes look at a company that grew 38x since 2020.
Whether you love her or hate her, Alix Earle is a business. Her "Hot Mess" brand is a multi-million dollar enterprise. Learning from the team that manages that—and the brand that fueled it—is probably more valuable than any "Business 101" textbook you’ll find in a lecture hall.
How to Land a Role in This New Era
If you missed the window for the Alix Earle Poppi internship, don't panic. The "Alixternship" was a blueprint, and other brands are already following suit. Here is how you actually position yourself for these kinds of roles in 2026.
Stop thinking like a student and start thinking like a creator-operator. Poppi didn't want someone who could "manage a brand." They wanted someone who could be the brand.
Practical Steps to Build Your "Internship" Resume:
- Master the "Native" Post: Can you make a brand deal look like a text to a best friend? That is the single most valuable skill in marketing right now.
- Understand the Data: It’s not just about views. Understand terms like "conversion rate," "shelf-velocity," and "omnichannel expansion."
- Show, Don't Tell: Instead of saying you’re good at social media, build a niche community around a product you actually use.
- Study the "Founder Story": Learn how Allison Ellsworth turned a kitchen experiment with apple cider vinegar into a $2 billion exit. Understanding the "why" behind the brand is how you win the interview.
The Alix Earle Poppi internship proved that the line between "creator" and "corporation" has completely dissolved. If you want to work in marketing today, you need to understand both the spreadsheet and the ring light.
The real takeaway from the Alixternship isn't just about a soda brand or a famous TikToker. It's about the fact that "culture" is now the most important metric a business has. If you can't capture the culture, you can't sell the product.
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Keep an eye on Poppi’s careers page and Alix’s social updates for future cycles. They’ve set a precedent that’s too successful to ignore, and the next iteration will likely be even bigger.