The Brilliant Branding Of Liquid Death

I’m super excited to share with you one of the most brilliant branding and marketing strategies I’ve seen in years! 

It’s called Liquid Death, it broke all the rules and in less than 5 years from conception is valued at over $1.4 billion dollars!  But more on this in a minute.

BACKGROUND STORY...

Mike Cessario created this brand in 2018 but the inspiration came from attending a heavy metal concert in 2009 that was sponsored by Monster Energy drinks. 

He discovered that the band members didn’t want to drink the energy drinks on stage so Monster created specific branded cans filled with water so that the band members had the appearance of drinking their famous energy drink while performing and yet were staying hydrated with just good old H2O.

It got Mike thinking about packaging healthy products like water in a way that would be unconventional, unapologetically attention-grabbing and fun!

MARKET TESTING

In 2018 he created a 3D rendering of his can design with a tagline ‘Murder Your Thirst’ then set up a Facebook page and filmed a 22 second video which when viral with over 3 million views and racking up over 100,000 likes on the page. 

This confirmed proof of concept.  He did his market testing BEFORE creating the product.

He launched in 2018 and went from $2.8 million in 2019, to $45 million in 2021 to $130 million in 2022 to $263 million in 2023. In March this year (2024) they raised an additional $67 million (on top of the $189 million raised in 2022) and now have a valuation of $1.4 billion due to it’s phenomenal performance in the market since it’s debut.

The company’s billion-dollar valuation underscores the importance of branding and it’s powerful effects on consumer behaviour.

DISTINCTIVE BRANDING & A PASSION FOR SUSTAINABILITY

He also broke the playbook for his category of water and instead of being the same as every other plastic bottle of water on the market, he packaged in a can for sustainability using hashtag #deathtoplastics and then branded it like an energy drink to appeal to his very specific target audience. 

Mike employed the burning skull imagery on it’s cans to signify its quest to annihilate thirst and plastics – a worthy purpose considering the fact that 80% of plastic water bottles end up in landfills and take up to 1,000 years to decompose.

While all other water brands are trying to differentiate with where their water was sourced, the pH balance, electrolytes or other scientific terms that most people use but can’t explain, Liquid Death focused instead on creating meaning beyond the bells and whistles of the product offering which is where the real gold lies to consumer marketing.

PRICE & PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION

Positioning themselves so differently than their competitors and creating a brand with meaning  also allowed Liquid Death to differentiate from their competitors on price.  Energy drink products are usually much higher priced than plastic bottled water.  Where you might pay $2 or $3 for a bottle of water, you will pay significantly higher for an energy drink.  Cans of Liquid Death in Australia for example are anywhere from $6 to $8 a can.

Liquid Death expanded their range with the launch of sugar-free flavoured water with names like Severed Lime, Bury It Alive, Rest In Peach and Mango Chainsaw. 

More recently launching the new Death Dust, an electrolyte powder you can add to your water (of course, Liquid Death water naturally).  They are staying true to their core purpose to package healthy products in an unconventional, fun way.

CREATED A CULT FOLLOWING

Liquid Death’s distinctive branding oozes rebel cool and has created a cult following with their target audience who appreciate heavy metal and irreverent content. 

Their posts are steeped in sarcasm and in 2020 they launched a ‘Greatest Hits’ death metal album with lyrics made from the hate comments they had received online and a series of YouTube videos in the same vein.

Liquid Death have consistently engaged their target market through unique and interactive content from their newsletter sign up where they invite you to ‘Sell Your Soul’ for updates and exclusive access to launches complete with a hilarious disclaimer which says:

 ‘As of right now, lots of various gods and demons have very different ideas about what constitutes a soul, therefore, until there’s an ironclad galactic consensus this contract won’t be legally binding.  That said we all know what we mean.  Sign over your soul already.’

In 2022 they created a limited number of NFT’s called the Murder Head Death Club with some now worth over $25,000AU.  These NFT’s (many which can be purchased for just $10) will give you exclusive pricing discounts on all of their merchandise.

MERCHANDISING

Speaking of merch, Liquid Death continue building their cult following with heavy metal inspired art and using their signature Gothic style font to create everything from t-shirts and hoodies, to can coolers, caps, watches and even ‘death grip dog toys’.

They have cleverly teamed up with famous artists and an absolute koo was securing a collaboration deal with the world’s biggest heavy metal band Metallica to do a ‘touring’ t-shirt which is not an easy task and elevated their brand positioning enormously with their target market.

CELEBRITY COLLABORATIONS

Metallica, however, hasn’t been the only celebrity collab that they have done. 

Most recently they did one with Ozzy Osbourne on a YouTube video warning kids not to snort their new Death Dust and in 2023 created a hilarious video with Martha Stewart creating a limited-edition Liquid Death Candle.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

So what can we learn from this? Well, here are a few of my key takeaways:

1.Differentiate Yourself: Stand out in a crowded market by breaking away from the norm. Liquid Death’s unique packaging and branding make it instantly recognizable from the ‘sea of sameness’ in the water bottle category. 

2. Know Your Target Market & Embrace Them: Be clear about who you’re targeting and tailor your messaging to resonate with them. Liquid Death knows its audience and speaks their language fluently. Don’t be afraid to be bold and unconventional. Liquid Death’s irreverent approach has earned it a cult following.  If you want some ideas on how to create a cult following for your business check out the book “Cult Status” by Tim Duggan.

3. Create Buzz Before Launch: Test your market before going all in. Liquid Death created hype with a simple 3D rendering and a short clip, proving demand before production.

4. Build a Strong Community: Engage with your audience in fun and creative ways. Liquid Death uses interactive content, merchandise and collaborations to create a cult-like community that keeps their fans excited and invested.

5. Find Who Has Your Audience: Discover who your audience is already loyal to and invite collaboration that will benefit both parties and where your audience is the ultimate winner.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

So what can you learn from Liquid Death’s marketing and how can you apply it to your marketing strategy?  Here’s some questions to consider:

• Have you clearly defined your target audience or ideal client avatar?
• Are you speaking your audience’s language fluently?
• Could you afford to be a bit more bold (or potentially irreverent) in your marketing?
• Are you playing it too safe and stuck in the ‘sea of sameness’?
• How can you differentiate yourself from your competitors and truly stand out?
• Do you need to review your pricing strategy?
• What other services could you provide your ideal clients that create loyalty?
• Do you provide a regular newsletter to your following and if so, are you marketing it effectively to encourage signups?
• Who has your ideal clients that you could potentially collaborate with to create a win-win-win scenario?

In marketing, grabbing attention is key. Are you blending into the sea of sameness, or are you making waves and standing out? It’s time to rethink your strategy and take bold steps to shine.

And if you need help refreshing your marketing strategy with some bright ideas, let’s talk!