Culture Pop, a bold player in the probiotic soda space, needed a dual eCommerce setup to serve both corporate partners and everyday soda fans. Partnering with Stran, we delivered two Magento-powered platforms—a corporate store and a B2C site—blending functionality, flair, and seamless user engagement.
In a crowded beverage market, Culture Pop stands out with its gut-friendly, flavor-packed sodas. But their online presence needed to pop just as much. Stran, our direct client, brought us into the fold to create a robust, stylish eCommerce ecosystem that could handle corporate ordering and direct-to-consumer sales with equal finesse.
How It Started
The goal was to build two distinct yet cohesive platforms: one for corporate partners to order branded merch and sodas, and another for consumers to sip into the Culture Pop experience. Development kicked off on February 29, 2024, with the first site deployed, and wrapped up with the B2C launch on August 1, 2024.
The Team Behind It
Culture Pop’s dual-site project needed a crew that could handle Magento’s quirks and deliver fast, clean results. We pulled together a tight team with the right mix of skills—architecture, coding, frontend polish, and quality checks. Everyone had a clear role, from shaping the tech backbone to making sure the sites didn’t just work but felt right for Stran and Culture Pop’s vibe. No fat, just focus. Here’s who made it happen:
- Solution Architect
- Lead Developer and Solution Architect
- Frontend and Backend Developer
- PWA Frontend Developer
- QA
- Lead QA and GA Specialist
The Challenge We Faced
Stran handed us a clear brief: create a seamless experience tailored to two audiences. The corporate site (culturepop.stran.store) needed to balance accessibility with restricted access, while the B2C site (merch.drinkculturepop.com) had to scream brand personality and drive sales. Challenges included:
- Displaying an engaging homepage for guest users without immediate login prompts.
- Integrating social feeds to boost engagement.
- Ensuring both sites performed flawlessly on Magento with a PWA storefront.
How We Made It Happen
Working hand-in-hand with Stran, we built both platforms on Magento Open Source with a Progressive Web App (PWA) frontend—a choice agreed upon for its scalability and app-like usability. Here’s the roadmap:
- Dev Site Setup: Stood up development environments for both sites.
- Design Implementation: Stran provided designs, which we faithfully recreated with a custom Magento theme.
- Guest View Logic: Added a “Force to Login” feature with an informative guest homepage—showcasing Culture Pop’s vibe before prompting credentials.
- Production Deployment: Rolled out the corporate site in June 2024, followed by the B2C site in August.
- Content Population: Stran and Culture Pop filled the sites with products post-deployment.
- Launch: Both sites went live for their respective audiences—corporate on June 26, 2024, and B2C on August 1, 2024.
Tools & Technologies
Magento Open Source powered the eCommerce core—its flexibility handled everything from product catalogs to checkout flows. We topped it with a PWA storefront for speed and a native-app vibe. Key integrations brought it to life:
- Instagram Feed Module: Streams Culture Pop’s corporate Instagram posts to the B2C homepage (see merch.drinkculturepop.com), keeping it fresh and engaging.
- Klaviyo Module: Captures B2C email sign-ups, fueling retention and future campaigns.
- Custom APIs: Links Magento to Stran’s workflows, ensuring orders move smoothly from click to delivery.
This stack gave us muscle and agility—built to perform, built to grow.
Custom Touches
For the corporate site, we crafted a Guest View that ditches the usual bland login wall. Instead, visitors get a branded welcome—Culture Pop’s story in a nutshell—before being prompted to sign in, making the platform feel approachable yet secure.
On the B2C side, the Instagram integration steals the show. It’s not just a feed—it’s a live reflection of Culture Pop’s funky, soda-obsessed culture, pulling posts straight from their corporate account to keep the homepage dynamic and engaging.
Results & Moving Forward
We delivered Culture Pop’s dual platforms within six months, with the corporate site deployed by June 26, 2024, and the B2C site launched on August 1. The corporate platform now serves as an efficient ordering hub for partners, while the B2C site engages consumers with its integrated Instagram feed and streamlined checkout process. This wasn’t a one-time effort—our team continues to provide ongoing support, ensuring both sites remain reliable through regular updates and optimizations.
The launch proved effective, enabling the corporate site to simplify order management and the B2C platform to drive merchandise sales with real-time social integration. Moving forward, we’re focused on refining mobile performance and enhancing Klaviyo-driven campaigns to further boost user engagement. Our collaboration with Stran demonstrates the value of precise technical execution and sustained commitment, keeping Culture Pop’s online presence robust and effective.
