How Liquid Death Built a $1.4 Billion Empire With Comedy-First Marketing
A canned water brand shouldn't be worth more than many Fortune 500 companies. Yet Liquid Death has achieved a staggering $1.4 billion valuation by following one simple rule: create content people can't help but share.
The Share-First Strategy
Dan Murphy, Liquid Death's SVP of marketing, reveals their secret weapon isn't traditional advertising—it's entertainment. Before launching any campaign, the team asks one question: "Will this get shared on social media?" If the answer is no, they scrap it.
This approach has delivered remarkable results: 14 million followers on both Instagram and TikTok for what is essentially fancy water in a can.
Six Steps to Viral Marketing Success
Build an Entertainment-First Brand Murphy calls it being "entertainment-first." Your marketing must function as an always-on content machine that earns every second of attention. Liquid Death operates like a comedy production company that happens to sell beverages.
Prioritize Top-of-Funnel Marketing While most brands obsess over manufacturing and distribution, Liquid Death focuses on social media reach. "If nobody knows about the product, then your other efforts were for naught," Murphy explains.
Invest Heavily in Your Entertainment The brand hires comedy writers from Adult Swim and keeps them separate from business operations. This creative freedom has produced campaigns like "Kegs For Pregs" for pregnant women and collaborations with Depend for the "Pit Diaper."
Key Takeaways for Your Business
- Think "budget haiku" - Small budgets force creative constraints that often produce the best content
- Create single-sentence ideas - If you can't explain your concept in one sentence, it's too complicated
- Turn fans into content creators - Liquid Death actively seeks out user-generated content and amplifies it with paid media
- Solve problems with entertainment - Even addressing consumer confusion (like people thinking Liquid Death is alcohol) becomes an opportunity for viral content
The lesson? The best marketing doesn't feel like marketing. When your brand becomes something people choose to watch and share, loyalty follows naturally.
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