Latest / The Marketing Funnel Podcast with Fexingo: Awareness, Interest, Decision, and Action Stages / How Liquid Death Built a Marketing Funnel on Absurdity
Transcript
- Lucas: If I told you that a canned water company told people 'don't buy our water' as part of its marketing, you'd probably assume it was a joke. And you'd be right — that's exactly the point. Luna: Liquid Death. The brand that markets itself like a heavy metal band but sells, well, water. It sounds absurd, but it's working, and it's a fascinating case study in how the marketing funnel can be completely reinvented. Lucas: Exactly. And we're going to walk through each stage — awareness, interest, decision, action — to see how Liquid Death turned a commodity into a cultural phenomenon. Mike Cessario, the founder, came from a background in advertising and creative production. He saw that the bottled water aisle was full of brands promising purity, hydration, nature — all very earnest. He went the opposite direction. Luna: And it's not just the packaging — tallboy cans with skulls and the word 'death' in huge letters. The entire brand voice is dark humor and irreverence. They sell merch, they have a 'funeral' subscription, they even have a music label. Lucas: Let's start with the awareness stage. Typically, a new beverage brand has to spend millions on shelf placement, advertising, and distribution just to get people to notice it. Liquid Death didn't do that. Instead, they focused on creating shareable content — videos, memes, absurd stunts — that went viral on social media. Luna: Right, because the product itself is provocative. A can that looks like a beer but contains water — that's inherently shareable. People post about it because it's weird and funny. Lucas: And that's the key insight. They turned the product into a piece of content. In a cluttered market, you can't just ask for attention. You have to earn it by being interesting. Liquid Death earned it by being outrageous. Their social channels post things like 'dehydrate your enemies' and videos of the CEO drinking water while headbanging. Luna: So the awareness stage is built on earned media — organic shares, press coverage, influencer reactions. They reportedly get over 300 million social impressions a month, which is insane for a water brand. Lucas: 300 million. And that's largely unpaid. Now, the interest stage. Once someone sees a can or a post, what makes them want to learn more? For Liquid Death, it's the brand's personality. They have a newsletter called 'The Death Report,' they produce music videos, they even have a comedy show. It's not just water — it's an entire subculture you can opt into. Luna: And they lean into the community aspect. They have a 'death club' loyalty program, they host events, they collaborate with musicians and artists. It's less about the water, more about belonging to something rebellious. Lucas: Exactly. So the interest stage isn't about listing product benefits — it's about deepening engagement with the brand's ethos. And that brings us to the decision stage. How does Liquid Death convert curious onlookers into buyers? Well, they make it easy and aligned with the brand. Luna: They have a direct to consumer subscription. You can sign up for a 'lifetime supply' — which is really a recurring delivery — and they call it 'liquid death for life.' The pricing is transparent, the branding is consistent, and there's no pressure. In fact, they often joke, 'Don't buy our water. It's not good.' Lucas: That line — 'don't buy our water' — is genius because it disarms skepticism. It's a reverse psychology play. When a brand tells you not to buy, you're more likely to investigate why. And once you do, you find a community that's having fun, and you want to be part of it. Luna: And the action stage is the subscription. But it's not just one action. They also sell merchandise — t-shirts, hats, even a coffin-shaped cooler. That's actually a significant revenue driver. Some estimates suggest that merch accounts for a big chunk of their revenue, which for a water company is unusual. Lucas: It's a brilliant twist. The product itself is a low-margin commodity. But the brand is a high-margin lifestyle. So they make money on the subscription, but even more on the merch. That's the marketing funnel working in reverse — the action stage also builds awareness, because someone wearing a Liquid Death t-shirt is a walking billboard. Luna: And that loops back into the awareness stage. It's a flywheel. The more people buy merch, the more the brand spreads, the more people get interested, the more they buy. Lucas: One number that stands out: Liquid Death has raised over $100 million in venture funding and was reportedly valued at over $700 million. And they're on track to do over $100 million in annual retail sales. So it's not just a viral gimmick — it's a real business. Luna: And it all comes back to that core idea: treat the marketing funnel not as a linear path but as a continuous loop where every stage feeds into the others. And make it fun. That's something a lot of brands forget. Lucas: There's a lesson here for marketers in any category. You don't have to sell water. You can sell software, consulting, or even insurance. But if you create a brand personality that people genuinely enjoy interacting with, you can compress the funnel dramatically. People go from awareness to action faster because they want to be part of the joke. Luna: And that's why Liquid Death is such a good example. They didn't follow the playbook. They wrote their own, and it's filled with skulls and punchlines. Lucas: Speaking of playbooks, a lot of what makes these conversations possible is listener support. If these marketing deep dives have sparked something you've actually used in your own work or just made you think differently about a brand, a couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these going — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, if you've gotten something out of them. Luna: Yeah, it's a small thing that makes a huge difference. And it keeps the show free and ad-free, which is how we want it to be. Lucas: Exactly. So back to Liquid Death. One of the most interesting things they've done is launch a record label. They actually sign metal bands and put out vinyl records. How does that fit into the funnel? Luna: It's pure interest and awareness. The record label — called 'Death Records' — produces content that fans of metal music will love. And those fans may not have cared about water before, but now they associate the brand with the music they love. It's a brilliant way to reach a specific, passionate audience. Lucas: And it's authentic. The founder is a real metal fan. So it's not a corporate co-optation. They're genuinely contributing to the culture. That kind of sincerity, wrapped in an absurd package, is hard to fake. Luna: So what's the takeaway for a marketer listening? Maybe you can't launch a record label, but you can find a subculture that your brand genuinely relates to and invest in it. Not as a sales channel, but as a way to build interest and affinity. Lucas: Absolutely. And the other takeaway is: don't be afraid to be polarizing. Liquid Death's branding turns some people off. That's okay. They're not trying to be everything to everyone. They're building a loyal tribe. And that tribe does the marketing for them. Luna: Right. In a world where everyone is trying to be inoffensive and broadly appealing, Liquid Death goes the opposite way. And it works because the people who love it, really love it. Lucas: So to wrap up, the Liquid Death marketing funnel isn't a funnel at all. It's more of a vortex — awareness, interest, decision, and action all swirl together, powered by a strong brand identity and a commitment to being entertaining. It's a model that challenges a lot of conventional wisdom, and it's worth studying. Luna: Definitely. And I think we can all take a page from their book: make your marketing something people want to share, not something they want to skip. Lucas: Well said. That's it for this episode of The Marketing Funnel Podcast. We'll be back with another deep dive soon.