Liquid Death is a canned mountain water company that’s shaking up the industry with its unique and irreverent branding. If you haven’t heard of them, you’re in for a treat. The brand officially launched and started selling to its customers in 2019 and quickly became known for its bold image.

Let’s be real here, as a product, water is very boring and its marketing lacks a lot of creativity.
Liquid Death made it their mission to make drinking water less boring and more appealing to consumers, especially young adults.

Other than the kick-ass name “Liquid Death”, they also decided to package water in tallboy cans and gave it an edgy image that is hard to forget. Let’s also not forget about their skull and crossbones logo and their phrase “Murder Your Thirst” that’s sure very attention-grabbing. This got them off to a great start. But as we’ve seen with the strategy of
Old Spice Liquid Death didn’t stop in the name and packaging, they went all-in with the marketing strategy to build successful awareness around their brand.

Now, how did the brand grow its authority to compete with water brands that have been here for a long time? The short answer is – they did that through a compelling strategy, a different perspective, and a lot of creativity.

Their marketing strategy is heavily focused on social media and influencer marketing. They target social media influencers in the music, skate, and snowboarding communities and offer them free products in exchange for promoting the brand on their social media channels. For example, they partnered with the skateboarder Tony Hawk to take his blood, and mix it with red paint to make Limited Edition skateboards. Sick right?! Well, the actual great and interesting part of this collaboration is that Liquid Death decided to use part of the profits towards killing plastic pollution.

Another important aspect of Liquid Death’s strategy to raise brand awareness is its use of guerrilla marketing tactics. The company has been known to use unconventional and unexpected methods to get the attention of its target audience. For example, they have been known to place billboards in unexpected locations, like the side of a mountain or the bottom of a swimming pool. This approach not only helps to get the brand noticed but also helps to create a sense of excitement and intrigue around the brand.

As briefly mentioned before, on the surface Liquid Death is committed to using sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. They use this claim and advertise it as part of the company’s values. With that being said, they knew how to use that to not only attract environmentally conscious consumers but also to help increase brand recognition. By proposing water in tallboy cans, they made a clear statement against the use of plastic. No other water brand is doing anything similar. This strategy can be seen as a genuine responsible action on the surface, and it definitely plays in the eco-friendly “niche”.

By positioning itself as a socially responsible company, Liquid Death can differentiate itself from its competitors and make a lasting impression on its target audience. This is a great example of how a company can use its values to enhance brand recognition.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that Liquid Death’s brand recognition is not limited to the United States. The brand has been able to reach a global audience with the help of its e-commerce website and social media presence, which allows them to reach customers in different countries. The company has an active following in Europe, Australia, and Canada. This is a testament to the strength of its marketing efforts and the appeal of its unique brand identity.

Now you’re probably wondering: “Where are the numbers? I want to see some numbers!” Well, fasten your seat belt because the numbers of Liquid Death will take you by storm. Their constant efforts to be present everywhere were rewarded with some astonishing sales.

In 2019 the brand sold $2.8 million. In 2020, sales went up to $10 million. In 2021, $45 million. And finally, in 2022, Liquid Death generated $130 million!

Since its launching in 2019, the brand is now valued at a whopping 700 million dollars! This might not sound like much but keep in mind that the brand only raised $130M.

In conclusion, Liquid Death is a prime example of a brand that has successfully raised its awareness through a combination of creative marketing campaigns, audience research, sustainable practices, and a commitment to Brandformance.

Their unique sense of humor, social media presence, guerrilla marketing tactics, and international reach has helped to establish the brand as a recognizable and reputable player in the market. The company’s ability to measure brand awareness, reach the target audience, and conduct audience research are all examples of a good marketing strategy. It serves as a valuable brand recognition example for other companies looking to build a strong and recognizable brand.

In other words, good marketing is an endless sea of possibilities with very few limitations.

No matter what your product is, do your research.

Be creative.
Be bold.
Make a lot of noise for your audience!
Use the right forces to get you where you want to be.
And the most crucial piece of advice you can draw from Liquid Death’s story is: Don’t be boring.