Latest / The Marketing Funnel Podcast with Fexingo: Awareness, Interest, Decision, and Action Stages / How Liquid Death Built a Marketing Funnel on Canned Water
Transcript
- Lucas: So, Liquid Death. Canned water. Sold for a premium. Sounds like a joke, right? Luna: It absolutely does. I remember when I first saw their ads on Instagram, I thought it was a parody brand. Lucas: And that's exactly the point. The founder, Mike Cessario, came from an ad agency background. He knew that if you're selling plain water in a can, you need a hook that cuts through the noise. Luna: So the hook is 'Murder Your Thirst' and skulls on the can. It's essentially the anti- mainstream water brand. Lucas: Exactly. It's brilliant because they skip the typical health and hydration messaging that everyone else uses. Instead, they lean into heavy metal aesthetics and irreverent humor. Luna: That immediately grabs attention at the awareness stage. I mean, you can't scroll past a can that looks like a beer but it's just water. Lucas: Right. And they've been incredibly smart about how they spend on awareness. They don't do traditional TV ads. They focus on social media, especially Instagram and TikTok, where shareability is key. Luna: Their TikTok account has over 2 million followers. They post absurdist skits, collaborations with metal bands, and user-generated content. Lucas: That feeds directly into the interest stage. Once you're intrigued, they give you more reasons to care. They have a newsletter called 'The Death Report' that's actually funny, not just promotional. Luna: And they sell merch. T-shirts, hats, even a coffin-shaped cooler. That's not just for revenue—it deepens engagement. Lucas: Yes. The merch is a fantastic interest driver. If you buy a shirt, you become a walking billboard, but you also feel part of the tribe. That's a classic community-building tactic. Luna: Now, the decision stage. How do they convert interest into purchase? Lucas: They make it easy. You can buy directly from their website with a subscription model—subscribe and save. Or you can find them in retailers like Whole Foods, Target, and 7-Eleven. Luna: The retail distribution is key. Seeing it on the shelf next to traditional water brands validates that it's a real product, not just a stunt. Lucas: Exactly. And they use scarcity and time-limited offers to nudge action. Limited-edition flavors, collaborations with musicians, that kind of thing. Luna: They also have a 'Don't F*ing Die' campaign that promotes their flavored sparkling water. It's edgy, but it's also a call to action. Lucas: And the action stage doesn't end with the purchase. They focus on retention too. The subscription model locks in repeat purchases, and the ongoing content keeps people engaged. Luna: Their repeat purchase rate must be solid. I've seen reports of 300% year-over-year revenue growth. Lucas: That's the power of a well-executed funnel. They've built a brand that people want to buy into, not just buy from. Luna: It's almost like they inverted the funnel. Usually, you go broad at the top and narrow down. They started narrow—a very specific meme audience—and expanded outward. Lucas: That's a good point. The awareness stage was initially very niche. But because that niche was so passionate, it created organic growth. Now they're mainstream. Luna: What can other marketers learn from this? I think one lesson is: don't be afraid to be polarizing. Lucas: Absolutely. Liquid Death has haters. People think it's overpriced, gimmicky, unnecessary. But the people who love it really love it. That's better than being bland. Luna: Another lesson is consistency. The brand's voice is the same everywhere—on the can, on social media, in their emails. That builds trust. Lucas: And they don't take themselves too seriously, which is refreshing. In a category like water, where most ads are about purity and health, they're having fun. Luna: If these marketing conversations have sparked something you've actually used, or if you just enjoy the show, you can support us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It helps keep our content ad-free. Lucas: Yeah, and we genuinely appreciate it. It allows us to keep digging into fun case studies like this one. Luna: So to wrap up: Liquid Death shows that a strong, distinctive brand can turn a commodity into a premium product. The funnel isn't just about moving people through stages; it's about making them want to stay. Lucas: And maybe, just maybe, the best way to sell water is to pretend it's beer.