Mind & Matter: Volume 7

What is the dumbest possible name for a can of healthy water?

Liquid Death.

That's how Liquid Death Founder, Mike Cessario, describes coming up with the name for his company.

If you aren't familiar, Liquid Death arrived on the scene of the bottled water market in 2019.

But they did things a little differently.

The companies creative use of branding, entertainment and iteration has taken Liquid Deaths valuation to over 1 billion dollars since opening doors just 5 years ago.

Let's find out how he did it…

1/ Healthy Products = Boring Branding:

The first step to breaking into a market that's full of legacy players, like the bottled water market, is to stand out.

Mike knew that if his company were ever to have a chance they needed people to look at their can and say 'what the fck is that?*” and feel compelled to pick it up.

This idea for fun and creative branding came from his experience working on the Vans Warped Tour.

It was there that he saw musicians drinking water out of cans that were disguised to appear like energy drinks.

This was ultimately a marketing ploy by the beverage companies who sponsored the event to make it look as thought the musicians were drinking their beverages.

It was this observation that sparked the question:

Why do all the unhealthy products get the most fun and creative branding?

So when it came time to design the branding for his water, he flipped the script.

He opted for an aluminum can over a bottle.

And a flaming skull logo instead of a beachfront or a mountain spring.

So what, why does branding matter?

In the water market products flaunt:

• The source of their water (spring, mountain, iceberg)

• PH levels

• Mineral content

• Taste

But these differentiators are merely talking points that consumers use to justify their purchase after they've spent the premium for a bottle of Fiji.

Perhaps the most important factor that informs a purchasing decision between like products, lies in the branding.

A products branding tells us a story of what the product stands and also who we are when we use it.

The product reinforces the way in which we desire to be perceived by the world.

Carrying a bottle of Smart Water makes others perceive us differently than if we were carrying Dasani.

Or at least we think it does.

Liquid Death approaches the branding problem form a unique position.

They appeal to anyone who wants to say 'stick it to the man'. Or maybe to anyone who enjoys some comedy and wants to have a little fun.

Their slogan conveys these ideas concisely on their bottle…” Murder Your Thirst” & “ Death to Plastic”.

At the end of the day, their water is likely very similar in quality to it's competitors.

But packaging and the words on the can make us perceive it as something entirely different.

These changes seem subtle, but they can absolutely influence behavior.

That guy who once only drank Monster Energy, now has a new alternative that allows him to maintain the image that he want's to project into the world while also drinking something that is better for him.

That little kid, who whines about drinking water instead of juice, now gets excited to be given a can of Liquid Death because he perceives it as something for adults.

2/ The People Want Entertainment:

No-one wants to be marketed too, they want to be entertained.

People don't open Instagram to see pictures of your product.

Liquid Death understands and appreciates this at a deep level.

Their approach to content marketing is simply to make things that people would actually want to watch.

They make funny, culturally relevant, videos that people enjoy watching.

The customers reciprocate by following them on social media and coming back for more.

As a result Liquid Death continues to spread their message and raise awareness about their product.

Their website says it best:

This approach has grown their instagram page to has 3.1 Million followers.

Which is more than all of the legacy players combined.

It's as simple as making things that people actually want to watch.

All of their sketches and videos can be found on their website. The Timewaster 5000.

3/ A Big Risk, or a 'No Brainer'?

Revenue is soaring and social awareness of the brand is infectious.

How did Mike know that this unconventional approach would work?

He had a hunch, but he didn't know for sure, so he tested it.

Before the first physical can of liquid death existed, when his vision for the product was just a vision, he decided to shoot a commercial.

He did so with a 3D rendered version of the can.

The commercial was witty, entertaining and culturally relevant.

The video quickly gained traction online and amassed millions of views.

He used that social traction as proof that his idea was viable and leveraged it to raise funding for the product.

With that funding he began to build the brand that there was clearly a market for.

Conclusion:

• Stand out

• Entertain people, don't market to them

  • Embed yourself in the culture to remain relevant.

• Test and build off those data points