A few days ago, I posted about Liquid Death and asked if anyone knew what it was. I would like to share some more information about it for those who are curious.
Origins
The story of Liquid Death began in 2019 when founder Mike Cessario was at a music festival and saw the amount of plastic waste left behind by the event. Concert-goers would drink energy drinks in cans to stay hydrated. Mike wondered why no one had marketed water like these energy drinks.
The company originated with Mike and three other partners including a bartender and an artist. To gauge the market i.e. validate the product market fit, he produced a video advertisement to gauge the interest in the product. The video received a whooping three million views.
Following the success of Social Media, Liquid Death “Water” was made available to consumers for purchase.
Products
It all started with selling 500 ml tall boy cans with water sourced from the Austrian Alps. Since then, Liquid Death has expanded into sparkling water, carbonated beverages, and tea flavors.
What Problem does Liquid Death really solve?
Concert Goers, Party People –
“I want to drink water, but I don’t want to be felt left out.” or “I want to cut down energy drinks, caffeinated drinks, but still want to look cool.”
Marketing Strategy
In Mike’s own words, “We are an entertainment company first. We don’t wanna make marketing. We wanna make people laugh.”
Liquid Death stands at number 3 position in terms of followers count behind Red Bull & Monster.
Lessons for Product Managers
- Ideation: Ideas can come from anywhere. Use a drawing board to work on the ideas.
- Market Validation: Ensure to validate the idea in the market, then plan the next steps.
- Expand after reaching a limit: Expand your product while maintaining the original essence of the idea to scale new heights.