What Makes Liquid Death So Popular?

Selling water might sound like an easy business, but it’s actually one of the toughest markets to crack 🤔

With giants like Coca-Cola and Pepsi dominating the space and most people seeing water as, well, just water, standing out can feel nearly impossible.

But Liquid Death did exactly that - by making water rebellious, edgy, and something people want to talk about.

What did Liquid Death do to standout in the market?

Let's dig in.

Strategy

→ UGC Marketing

Liquid Death's strategy was to turn traditional advertising on its head by letting customers create the content.

Instead of the brand doing all the talking, they encouraged their audience to create wild, funny, and sometimes edgy content that fit with their punk rock brand image.

The idea was to make drinking water feel revolutionary and unconventional - something no other water company had done.

Woah! You gotta watch this:

Rather than spending large amounts on traditional ad campaigns, Liquid Death took a bold approach. They used their customers as the central force behind their marketing.

By doing this, they harnessed the creativity of their fans and gave them a chance to become ambassadors for the brand - all while making the process fun and interactive.

This strategy not only saved on ad costs but also created a sense of community and involvement. Fans were no longer passive consumers since they became active participants in building the brand’s identity.

They turned their audience into the primary force behind their marketing efforts by using humor, creativity, and a sense of rebellion. Liquid Death made drinking water exciting.

How They Did It?

Here’s how Liquid Death implemented their UGC strategy and the results they achieved:

• Death metal songs:
  They invited metal music fans who align with the brand’s edgy persona to create death metal songs about drinking water. It was an unconventional and fun way to promote the product while resonating with a specific audience.

• Fan-designed cans:
  Liquid Death also allowed artists to submit their designs for the brand’s cans. The cans featured wild, eye-catching artwork, making the product stand out in stores, and became a form of free advertising as fans shared their designs.

• Dramatic water drinking:
  They encouraged customers to film themselves drinking water as if it were hardcore alcohol, turning a simple act of hydration into something bold. These videos gained viral attention and made the brand’s message stick.

• Death club:
  This was an exclusive community. Members could access products before anyone else. This created a sense of belonging and turned the brand into a lifestyle choice, further amplifying the idea of being part of an "in-the-know" group.

What Happened:

• From $3 million to $130 million:

  In 2019, Liquid Death had just started and made around $3 million in revenue. By 2022, with the viral content created by their customers and the community-driven approach, they grew rapidly to $130 million in revenue. This 4,233% increase in just a few years was an indicator of the success of their unconventional strategy.

• Viral social media presence:

  The UGC and the community-building efforts contributed to Liquid Death’s massive social media following, which surpassed 3 million followers. This online presence helped spread their message far and wide with minimal paid advertising.

• Big retail partnerships:

  As their brand gained traction, big retailers like Whole Foods and 7-Eleven started selling Liquid Death. Doing this made the brand accessible to a larger audience and provided validation in the market.

• Investment and rapid growth:

  The company’s growth was so impressive that it attracted $70 million in investment. Investors saw the rapid scalability of the brand, powered by a loyal, engaged customer base and a unique marketing approach.

• National reach:
  Today, Liquid Death's cans are available in over 60,000 stores across the United States. Their strategy helped them move from a niche product to a nationally recognized brand.

The Problem They Solved

→ Selling Water is Tricky

Selling water is naturally challenging for a few key reasons:

1. The dominance of big brands (Coca-Cola & Pepsi)

Major beverage companies, like Coca-Cola and Pepsi, dominate the water market.

These companies sell water at low prices, often using plastic bottles, and have established distribution networks. Competing against these giants can be tough for smaller brands because the market is saturated and price competition is fierce.

2. Water is seen as boring

Unlike other beverages like soda or energy drinks, people see water as plain and dull. Most people don’t feel passionate about water. It's just something you drink because you need to stay hydrated, not because it offers any excitement or emotional connection.

3. Hard to create excitement around water

Water, by its very nature, doesn’t have a strong identity or personality. It’s not easy to create a convincing story or excitement around it like you can with more flavorful drinks.

The challenge is to make a simple, everyday product stand out in a way that sparks interest and keeps people coming back for more.

4. Environmental concerns with plastic

Most bottled water comes in plastic containers. It has become a growing concern for consumers aware of environmental issues like plastic pollution. Brands that continue using plastic face criticism from environmentally conscious consumers.

How Liquid Death Turned These Into Opportunities?

Liquid Death turned these inherent challenges of the water market into their greatest advantages by thinking creatively and being bold. Here’s how they did it:

1. Competing against big brands

Rather than outpricing giants, Liquid Death didn’t compete on price. They focused on creating a new category by offering aluminum cans instead of plastic bottles.

This move attracted environmentally conscious customers and set them apart from competitors. Their pricing strategy still kept them competitive, but not based on the traditional cheapest price wins model.

Instead, Liquid Death positioned itself as a premium and rebellious brand worth paying a little extra, much like craft beer or boutique beverages.

2. Making water not boring

Liquid Death tapped into the power of identity and emotional connection, two things most water brands avoid. They positioned their product as something more than just hydration - it became a symbol of rebellion and coolness.

Watch this video:

With death-metal-themed branding, they made drinking water feel edgy and fun, a departure from the usual sterile and uninspiring image most water brands present.

They tapped into subcultures, particularly fans of metal music, extreme sports, and alternative lifestyles, showing that water could be something rather than just a necessity.

This strategy changed water into something that people could have a strong opinion.

3. Creating excitement around water

Liquid Death built an entire culture around its brand. They sold an experience instead of water. Their marketing was irreverent, bold, and fun.

They encouraged fans to create their content. This turned drinking water into an exciting, socially shareable activity. They also created the "Death Club," a community for superfans, where people could get exclusive products and early access to new releases.

This sense of belonging and exclusivity added to the excitement and turned customers into brand advocates. Here’s a collaboration with an influencer to create excitement:

4. Addressing environmental concerns

Liquid Death adopted the growing concerns around plastic waste with water in aluminum cans, which are recyclable and more sustainable than plastic.

For example, look at the tagline at the end of the commercial:

This eco-friendly approach helped them win over consumers who were tired of plastic bottles and wanted to make more environmentally responsible choices.

In addition, the brand's environmentally conscious packaging became a selling point that further differentiated them in a crowded market. It gave the brand an identity that resonated with eco-conscious millennials and Gen Z consumers.

Other Brands using UGC strategy

» Jones Soda

• Let customers send in their photos, which were printed on actual soda bottles.

• Changed the photos every few months to keep things fresh.

• Made customers feel unique and involved.

» Doritos

• Allowed fans to create Super Bowl commercials.

• Offered big prizes for the best ideas.

• Got thousands of free ad concepts while making fans feel like celebrities.

» GoPro

• Showed real videos from customers using their cameras.

• Shared extreme sports and adventure clips that proved their product’s worth.

• Created excitement with little need for traditional ads.

Conclusion

Liquid Death's success lies in their ability to let customers have fun while promoting the brand. They didn't take themselves too seriously, and that made people want to be a part of what they were doing.

By making water “deadly,” they made it exciting, and their customers did the marketing for them. It's a perfect example of how letting your audience create content can skyrocket your brand.