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Liquid Death is a $700M brand in an unsexy industry.
It sells water in beer-cans & gets pornstars for ads.
With an IPO planned, it’s becoming the fastest-growing non-alc. beverage.
How this 40-year-old entrepreneur built this $700M water brand.
(A 🧵)
It sells water in beer-cans & gets pornstars for ads.
With an IPO planned, it’s becoming the fastest-growing non-alc. beverage.
How this 40-year-old entrepreneur built this $700M water brand.
(A 🧵)
It's not just the fans who are obsessed, Mike Cessario, the CEO, is insane too!
Mike got the face of a random Liquid Death customer tattooed on his arm. The customer chugged a can of Liquid Death water in under 15 seconds for 365 days.
Mike got the face of a random Liquid Death customer tattooed on his arm. The customer chugged a can of Liquid Death water in under 15 seconds for 365 days.
The word is on the street that they already hired Goldman Sachs for an IPO next spring.
Within ~4 years, they have:
- $700M valuation
- $130M yearly sales
It took Monster 4 years & Celsius 12 years to reach the level of retail success Liquid Death did in just first 3 years..
Within ~4 years, they have:
- $700M valuation
- $130M yearly sales
It took Monster 4 years & Celsius 12 years to reach the level of retail success Liquid Death did in just first 3 years..
It is a creation of this 40 year-old graphic designer Mike Cessario - an ex Netflix employee.
He SPENT $4.5K for first ad.
Within 3 months - Liquid Death had more Facebook followers than Aquafina and that ad had more than 3M views.🤯
He did make water "cool". Let's see how!
He SPENT $4.5K for first ad.
Within 3 months - Liquid Death had more Facebook followers than Aquafina and that ad had more than 3M views.🤯
He did make water "cool". Let's see how!
Mike was a Director at Netflix and worked on tons of viral campaigns.
Be it marketing for House of Cards or Stranger Things - he knew how to reach target audience.
Be it marketing for House of Cards or Stranger Things - he knew how to reach target audience.
Punk-rock was a big part of his life when he was young. He was so good that he even thought of playing professionally back then.
He got the idea back in Vans Warped Tour (2009) - he saw that energy drink cos. heavily sponsor rock bands & rock tours.
Bands needed water while performing and they would actually pour water in an energy drink-can due to sponsor deals. He got the idea!
Bands needed water while performing and they would actually pour water in an energy drink-can due to sponsor deals. He got the idea!
He started the company with his two friends after almost a decade.
Idea was simple - "To make health & sustainability 50 times more fun"
After finalizing the name, they went for the tagline:
"Murder your thirst"
Idea was simple - "To make health & sustainability 50 times more fun"
After finalizing the name, they went for the tagline:
"Murder your thirst"
But Mike did something different.
He gauged the interested in advance and made his brand popular with his advertisements even before he had the shipments ready!
Once he saw the hype, he just capitalized on it.
He gauged the interested in advance and made his brand popular with his advertisements even before he had the shipments ready!
Once he saw the hype, he just capitalized on it.
Their success mantra hinges on their ability to make people say “WTF” with bizarre campaigns.
Like this one👇
Like this one👇
Mike didn't want to appeal to everyone - he went niche!
He target punk music lovers like himself who value anti-establishment lyrics & attitude!
Liquid Death embraced this with slogans like "Sell Your Soul," "Deadly Water," & "Murder the Taste."
Here is TRAVIS BRAKER in an ad.
He target punk music lovers like himself who value anti-establishment lyrics & attitude!
Liquid Death embraced this with slogans like "Sell Your Soul," "Deadly Water," & "Murder the Taste."
Here is TRAVIS BRAKER in an ad.
By using quirky and unconventional marketing - he created LOYAL FANS.
There are the 300 fans who have the brand logo tattooed 😮
There are the 300 fans who have the brand logo tattooed 😮
Even their Campaign #CansForBands was a super success. Their marketing team has always been on steroids.
The brand is rebellious - they address their haters!
Mike even took the worst reviews and turned them into the lyrics of a death metal album known as "Greatest Hates".
The album was a HIT!
Shortly, second version followed.
Mike even took the worst reviews and turned them into the lyrics of a death metal album known as "Greatest Hates".
The album was a HIT!
Shortly, second version followed.
Liquid Death was also one of the early brands to jump onto the NFT bandwagon- called the NFT Murder Head Death Club.
The company is basically an ENTERTAINMENT MACHINE.
They are always adapting to things that are in the buzz - for ex. they released this ad when the show “The Boyz” was the most watched Amazon original show with 10.6 billion minutes viewed.
They are always adapting to things that are in the buzz - for ex. they released this ad when the show “The Boyz” was the most watched Amazon original show with 10.6 billion minutes viewed.
Mike was smart with the D2C channels:
- Started selling at bars & tattoo shops in 2019
- Entered into Whole Foods in 2020
- Expanded to 200 Seven-Eleven stores
- Soon became 3rd-best-selling carbonated water brand on Amazon
- Started selling at bars & tattoo shops in 2019
- Entered into Whole Foods in 2020
- Expanded to 200 Seven-Eleven stores
- Soon became 3rd-best-selling carbonated water brand on Amazon
In a store of regular water bottles, one is obviously going to get attracted to this unique water can.
Well, honestly, who wouldn't?
Well, honestly, who wouldn't?
In fact, Liquid Death recently passed an important METRIC for Amazon.
Now they are selling water directly in bulk to the Amazon - which sells the purchased stock to its customers at a reduced price as per demand
Amazon guys know that people will buy it hence they’re stocking it
Now they are selling water directly in bulk to the Amazon - which sells the purchased stock to its customers at a reduced price as per demand
Amazon guys know that people will buy it hence they’re stocking it
By 2019 - they raised $1.6M in seed funding from Science Inc.
By 2020 they had $23M in a series B round.
Investors were ready to put the money since the brand was generating the buzz! 💵
In 2021 - they expanded into VENUE SALES.
By 2020 they had $23M in a series B round.
Investors were ready to put the money since the brand was generating the buzz! 💵
In 2021 - they expanded into VENUE SALES.
Partnered with Live Nation - the world's leading live entertainment company.
Live Nation even invested in the the Series C $15M round that year.
Live Nation even invested in the the Series C $15M round that year.
They kept “killing it” with their BOLD campaigns over the years.🔪
Be it pornstars, offensive humor or dark messaging - they have managed to get EYEBALLS by hook or crook.
Be it pornstars, offensive humor or dark messaging - they have managed to get EYEBALLS by hook or crook.
When compared to Red Bull, Mike said:
“Red Bull is just a marketing PLOY, It’s the same product that’s been forever, but they built a brand around extreme sports”
“In its way, Liquid Death is aiming for the same effect.”
“Red Bull is just a marketing PLOY, It’s the same product that’s been forever, but they built a brand around extreme sports”
“In its way, Liquid Death is aiming for the same effect.”
Their growth has been insane 📈
- Now sold at 60K+ stores in US.
- Social media impressions of ~21 billion in a year.
- More investors including famous folks like Whitney Cummings
They have become the FASTEST growing non-alcoholic beverage in the US.
- Now sold at 60K+ stores in US.
- Social media impressions of ~21 billion in a year.
- More investors including famous folks like Whitney Cummings
They have become the FASTEST growing non-alcoholic beverage in the US.
Promoting a higher purpose also helped the brand —> 10% of profits on each can goes to non-profits.
Now, they have even started selling funky merchandise.👕
They have a COMMUNITY🧍♂️🧍♂️🧍♂️
Liquid Death's store sales were $4M in FY22 - 10% of the total drink sales!
They have a COMMUNITY🧍♂️🧍♂️🧍♂️
Liquid Death's store sales were $4M in FY22 - 10% of the total drink sales!
Mike is the MASTER of counter-intuitive approach.
He had a vision for a brand with cult-like following in a non-sexy industry.
Capitalized the online audience even before he had invested in mass production.
Here is him talking about BRANDING.
He had a vision for a brand with cult-like following in a non-sexy industry.
Capitalized the online audience even before he had invested in mass production.
Here is him talking about BRANDING.
https://t.co/DD2CJzlXNJ
https://t.co/bkyEWcRtAqtheinformation.com/articles/liqui…
foodbusinessnews.net/articles/22382…
prnewswire.com/news-releases/…
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