About the Report: This report provides an in-depth analysis of Liquid Death’s performance on Amazon in October. It analyzes the company’s marketing strategy, sales trends, product performance, and ratings across 22 products and nine categories.
Introduction
Imagine your everyday drinking water just got a punk rock makeover. Liquid Death marketing strategy did just that. It slayed its dull bottled water rivals with two main strategies: no plastic and no bland branding.
These guys took one look at the generic bottled water aisle and thought, “Nah, we can do better.” Instead of sleek, clean designs, they went full death metal, packing their water in tall, black cans with skulls and calling it Liquid Death.
It’s not just a gimmick, either. Liquid Death drinking water comes in eco-friendly aluminum, delivering a brutal blow to plastic pollution. They’re not here to politely quench thirst; they’re here to “Murder Your Thirst” and start a movement.
Origin of Liquid Death
Liquid Death was founded by former Netflix creative director Mike Cessario in 2017 as a response to the dull, corporate feel of most bottled water brands.
He tapped into the idea of selling canned water that not only “murdered your thirst” but also stood up against plastic pollution with a punk rock and anti-establishment edge.
This approach helped Liquid Death capitalize on two distinct values: environmental sustainability and rebellious identity. This made the brand unforgettable in a market typically driven by health-focused messaging and minimalist design.
By presenting itself as an edgy lifestyle brand, Liquid Death quickly carved out a niche and grew to an estimated value of over $1.4 billion, which is impressive for a comparatively new brand.
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READ MORE | Looking to boost your digital commerce sales? Check out our blog on How to Increase E-Commerce Sales?
Highlights
- The average price of Liquid Death products on Amazon is $14.23.
- The most expensive Liquid Death product on Amazon is Still Mountain Water, 16.9 oz Tallboys (18 pack), which costs $50.
- Dead Billionaire Iced Tea is the only Liquid Death product to rank first in the Amazon Bestseller Category between October 2nd and 8th.
- Liquid Death Products have a total review count of 392K, with a seller count of seven.
- Liquid Death is a brand known for its mountain spring water packed in aluminum tallboy cans, which gives it a bold and edgy aesthetic.
Why Liquid Death Marketing Stood Apart
Liquid Death’s branding and marketing strategies break all traditional rules, with campaigns designed to surprise, entertain, and sometimes shock its audience.
These strategies include:
Death Metal & Drinking Water
Liquid Death’s name, skull logos, and bold can designs give it the look of an energy drink rather than a water brand, challenging conventional packaging norms.
The brand created viral content featuring anti-corporate messages and rebellious humor. They even collaborated with famous figures like Tony Hawk and Martha Stewart in unusual and memorable ways.
For example, they released a skateboard deck infused with Hawk’s blood to reinforce their “killer” brand image, a stunt that won significant attention and loyalty.
Creating a brand voice that your target consumers can relate to and maintaining the narrative through online and social media requires a deeper understanding of the consumer buying process.
Subverting Traditional Marketing
Instead of traditional advertising, Liquid Death’s brand strategy leaned into content creation that entertained its audience with humor and shock value, positioning it more as an entertainment brand than a water brand.
Campaigns included releasing albums based on online hate comments, collaborating with metal musicians, and even setting up a “Sell Your Soul” booth at Bonnaroo. This approach appeals to younger audiences by pushing boundaries and embracing a culture of counter-marketing.
By challenging standard norms and effectively capturing the attention of Millennial and Gen Z consumers, brands can appeal to these dominant economic groups, who place a lot of importance on the brands they prefer buying.
So, e-commerce brands must monitor and analyze their target consumers’ choices and perceptions. Review monitoring software with advanced analytical capabilities, such as thematic review analysis, can be of perfect assistance.
The Eco-Conscious Brand
Sustainability is woven into Liquid Death’s brand DNA, with initiatives like #DeathToPlastic and an all-aluminum can that promotes infinitely recyclable packaging.
Liquid Death commits 10% of its profits from specific products to clean ocean plastic pollution, aligning with the values of its audience, which includes environmentally conscious Millennials and Gen Z.
This eco-friendly stance adds depth to its irreverent brand voice and resonates with consumers who want their purchases to have a positive environmental impact.
MetricsCart Experts on Liquid Death’s Target Consumers
By understanding the preferences of Millennials and Gen Z, Liquid Death brand strategists developed an unconventional marketing playbook. It didn’t just create a brand value.
It also focused on communicating a lifestyle choice for its consumers that deviates from the usual branding techniques of “gentle” and “pure” adjectives associated with drinking water.
Gen Z values authenticity, humor, and companies that stand up for causes they care about, making Liquid Death’s approach appealing to them. Through digital channels like TikTok, Instagram, and its e-commerce channels, the brand engages consumers in a way that’s less about advertising and more about building a community around shared values.
This focus on audience engagement has earned millions of followers for Liquid Death and turned it into a brand that people not only recognize but want to associate with.
Even on a super competitive platform like Amazon, Liquid Death secured the Best Seller badge in just three months. Ryan Dietrich, a retail media and technology expert, observed that Liquid Death cracked the Amazon algorithm by driving external traffic to Amazon. They redirected their customers to Amazon when they clicked the “Buy” button on their website.
READ MORE | Curious to know about Gen Z shopping habits? Check out our blog Decode How Gen Z Shops on Amazon: Supercharge Your Brand’s Sales Today
Most Expensive Liquid Death Product on Amazon
Liquid Death Still Mountain Water is the most expensive product on Amazon, at $50. It is considered to be one of the brand’s most iconic products.
This is followed by others like Iced Black Tea Mixed Pack (24 x 19.2 oz King Size Cans) and Martha Stewart x Dismembered Moments Candle, which are priced at $43 and $40, respectively, in second and third place.
Following Amazon’s dynamic pricing, the average price of liquid death products changed within low margins during the analysis period. The highest average price was recorded at $15.4, and the lowest was $13.1.
Most Popular Liquid Death Product on Amazon
According to experts at MetricsCart, Still Mountain Water, 8-Pack Natural Minerals & Electrolytes is the most popular Liquid Death product on Amazon, with 289 K total reviews and an average rating of 4.6.
The second most popular Liquid Death product is Dead Billionaire Iced Tea, 8 Pack, Half Lemonade Half Black Tea Sweetened with Real Agave, which has 53K reviews and an average rating of 4.4.
During the analysis period, the experts at MetricsCart saw a consistent increase in the reviews of Liquid Death products on Amazon. This shows how consumers are regularly engaging with the brand and buying their products on the online platform.
Liquid Death Flavors Available on Amazon
MetricsCart experts found that Liquid Death offers around 14 different flavors on Amazon. Mountain Water- Still flavor has the highest product number, 24, and Unflavored has the fewest.
Mango Chainsaw Flavored comes in second place with 16 products. Overall, Liquid Death’s wide variety of flavors increases consumer’s confidence in the brand.
Liquid Death Products with Top Amazon Best Sellers Ranking
Still, Mountain Water, 8-Pack (King Size 19.2 oz Cans) Real Mountain Source, Natural Minerals & Electrolytes was ranked 11th in the Amazon BSR under the Grocery & Gourmet category and second in the Still Water category.
The Still Water category ranking for this product remained consistent throughout the analysis period, which shows its popularity among consumers.
Liquid Death’s bold marketing, innovative packaging, and commitment to sustainability transformed it from a mere canned water brand into a movement. By defying norms, it captivated an audience eager for brands with personality and purpose.
Conclusion
Did Liquid Death impress you? Do you think your brand can be the next big thing in digital commerce? A digital shelf analytics solution will make this job easier for you by providing you with the essential insights needed for e-commerce success.
While creative marketing helps grab attention, MetricsCart ensures product page optimization, price monitoring, and consumer feedback analysis are done right so that you can stay on track.
Any brands looking to create a presence on the digital commerce platform should also align their brand messaging with their consumers’ interests and trends. This can depend on multiple digital shelf factors, such as pricing, product descriptions, competitor analysis, etc.
Digital shelf analytics software can be an invaluable partner for brands looking for a breakthrough. It offers tools for optimizing digital shelf performance, managing reviews, and maintaining a consistent brand narrative online.
Disclaimer: MetricsCart is the exclusive owner of data used in the Digital Shelf Insights reports. Any kind of third-party usage entails due credit to the source material.
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