Latest news with #viralmarketing
Entrepreneur
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Entrepreneur
Liquid Death Is Worth $1.4 Billion — Because of This Marketing Strategy
How the buzziest beverage brand creates so much attention, and how you can too Whenever Liquid Death makes content, its team asks the same question: Will this get shared on social media? Likes and comments are fine, but shares are what it really craves. "Because if it's not compelling enough for people to share," says Dan Murphy, the brand's SVP of marketing, "then it's probably not good tip-of-the-spear, top-of-the-funnel marketing." The proof is in the numbers: Sharable marketing propelled Liquid Death into being a $1.4 billion juggernaut, with 7 million followers on both Instagram and TikTok — even though, at its heart, it's just a brand that sells canned water and iced tea. But it's marketed and sold like an overly aggressive beer, which gets a lot of attention. So, how do they do it? Murphy says that their formula is easily replicable — and he's happy to share it. Here's how Liquid Death creates viral gold, in five steps. Step 1: Build an "entertainment-first" brand "The internet has completely shattered the attention economy," Murphy says. Consumers can skip anything they dislike, which means you must earn every second of their attention . That's why your marketing must be conceived of, produced, and presented as entertainment — and your brand must operate as an always-on content machine. Or as Murphy calls it: "You must be entertainment-first." Liquid Death didn't invent this idea, he admits. Red Bull proved the model decades earlier, by becoming a leading producer of extreme sports content. Liquid Death thinks of itself as a comedy producer. And your brand? It could produce anything — so long as it's entertaining, and appeals to your target audience. Step 2: Prioritize top of funnel Early-stage brands often get bogged down in optimization, Murphy says. They spend too much time on bottom-of-funnel elements like manufacturing and distribution — which is understandable, but leaves them vulnerable. "If nobody knows about the product, and if nobody's stopping on the shelf or searching for it on Amazon, then your other efforts were for naught," he says. Instead, he says, brands should lean heavily on social media. It's the only tool that can reach millions of people for free — and if you get it right, your other operational pieces will fall into place. Step 3: Invest in your entertainment Image Credit: Liquid Death Once you choose your lane, he says, you must lean into it heavily and fully. For example, Liquid Death doesn't just hire marketers; they hire comedy writers who have written for the likes of Adult Swim. Then they keep these writers "hermetically sealed" from the rest of the business — so that they can focus on the funniest ideas, and not be watered down by sales or marketing concerns. The result: They've sold kegs of water for pregnant women, called Kegs For Pregs. They a toilet-water taste test. They gave away a real jet. And they often partner with unexpected brands, like co-creating the Pit Diaper (for people who drink a lot in the mosh pit) with the adult-diaper company Depend. "We've been dropping at least one banger a month since our origin," Murphy says. "It can't just be, 'Oh, we did this, and then it's gone.' As an early company, you have to have that repetition and stay out there in culture." Step 4: Be nimble and take risks On social media, Murphy says, small brands have an advantage over large brands: "You can get stuff to market very quickly, you can test it, you can learn, you can react," he says — while larger competitors will move slowly and be risk-averse. Sure, small brands have small budgets. But Murphy says that can be a superpower — because small budgets force creative constraints, which he likes to call "budget haiku." Sometimes, the best content is also the cheapest, scrappiest, and most clever. He offers a challenge: Create ideas that you can articulate in a single sentence. If it takes longer than that, the idea might be too complicated. For example, he says, the Pit Diaper started like this: "What if we made adult diaper for the mosh pit?" he says. It's a clear, funny, instantly shareable idea. Step 5: Problems? Entertain the solution Being "entertainment-first" doesn't mean abandoning all marketing principles, Murphy says. You must still be alert to the market and your consumers' perceptions. But your solutions must also be entertaining. Here's an example: Liquid Death identified a problem: Although the brand is parodying beer advertising, too many consumers think that Liquid Death actually is a beer... or maybe an energy drink. To address that, Liquid Death bought its first Super Bowl ad in 2025. It featured pilots, cops, and doctors chugging a can on the job, while a jingle sings, "Drink on the job. Everybody's drinkin' on the job." "You couldn't watch that and go, 'It was a beer,' right?" Murphy says. It was funny, but it was also strategically responding to market research. Step 6: Turn your fans into content Once you start a conversation online, your fans will keep that conversation going — which creates a new wave of opportunity. "A lot of what we're doing right now is combing social media, looking for people's posts about Liquid Death," Murphy says. "We go to them and say, 'Hey, love that content. We'll put media behind your post and do some sophisticated targeting at different people. Then you will get exposure. And you will get followers." Sometimes, Liquid Death also pays these people a small amount of money — maybe $100 or so. But mostly it's not necessary. They're just psyched to help their favorite brand. In short: The best marketing doesn't feel like marketing. It feels like something people choose to watch — because it was made to entertain them, not to sell product to them. When that becomes your brand's ethos, your audience (and their loyalty) will follow.
Daily Mail
28-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
I did an NHS mortgage TikTok in my car and it went viral - the phones at my small business were smoking hot
Small business owners need to shout loud and proud about what they are offering in today's market. Making the most of social media is an essential part of attracting new customers and ensuring people are thinking and talking about your small business. There is both an art and a science to social media posts and not every update will hit the mark. However, when the stars align and a small business social media post goes viral, the impact can be seismic and, in the best case scenario, have a long-lasting positive impact on the bottom line. 'When mastered, the effects of social media can be explosive for small businesses', Bob Singh, founder of Chess Mortgages told This is Money. Singh knows all too well about the effect a well-placed social media post. In 2023, Singh posted a one-minute long mortgage TikTok video from his car highlighting how NHS staff could get a mortgage five times the level of their income, which is higher than the norm. 'My NHS staff mortgages post on TikTok went viral, reaching almost 500,000 views in a few days. The phones were smoking by the end of the day', Singh said. He added: 'A series of posts begin to build a brand and instill trust among your followers. 'The public are very discerning and may not reach out at that particular time but they will reach out when they have a need for your services.' Another small business social media post which went viral was by Kate Allen, owner of Finest Stays, a luxury holiday lettings business in Devon. Recognising how humour could help get her business noticed, Allen posted an April Fools' joke on Instagram with a photo of a rundown wooden cabin on stilts overlooking a beach. She said: 'Our most viral post was an April Fools' joke. As a luxury holiday home company in Salcombe, we announced a new listing: "The Treehouse from just £1,000 per night, complete with compost heap, luxury ladder access and panoramic views - if you're not afraid of heights."' Kate adds: 'The tongue-in-cheek tone and the contrast with our usual high-end listings really landed. 'Reach: Over 12,000 views, 150+ shares, and comments from followers who genuinely wanted to book it – or at least visit the en-suite compost heap.' She added: 'It worked because it was unexpected, on-brand in style but off-brand in substance, and it played to Salcombe's glossy image with a wink.' Sarah Kenny, director at budget travel platform, Build a Break, created a post on Instagram that was viewed more than 50million times and was liked by well-known celebrities. Kenny flagged the importance of re-posting social media content that does well. She said: 'One of our most viral pieces of content is a nine-second video of the Bernina Express train journey, shared across our social media platforms. 'It was filmed on a family holiday before the business even existed — resulting in a lower video quality than we'd usually put out. 'Despite that, the video has now reached well over 50million views and has been liked by celebrities including Sharon Stone, Nicole Scherzinger, and Eamonn Holmes. 'We believe its success lies in using varied hooks and not being afraid to repeat content that works well. 'I think we've posted this video at least 10 times now and each time it pops off, the highest having 30million views!' Danni Perkins, director at children's book subscription platform, ZaZa's Storybox, had an Instagram post go viral after she shared a summer hack to get your kid a Blue Peter badge. She said: 'One million views! Over 2,000 new followers with a parenting hack for the summer. It took just minutes to film, edit and upload the post relating to my niche. It was popular due to the nostalgia of Blue Peter badges and the fact you can use it to get kids into places for free.' Chris Barry, a director at conveyancing firm, Thomas Legal, uses Linkedin to connect with his audience. One of Barry's Linkedin posts threw a spotlight on flexibility in the workplace. Barry said: 'One of my posts on LinkedIn received 80,000 views. It highlighted the importance of flexibility for an employed role and how employers offering flexible working can attract better quality employees.' While social media posts can go viral, do not always assume that the most popular posts will always lead to the strongest impact for your small business. Craig Fish, a director at London-based mortgage broker, Lodestone, said a video about mortgage rates dropping 'always flies', with one of his videos from his Lodestonemp TikTok account bagging half a million views. Going viral can be a double-edged sword. The flood of enquiries often leads nowhere, it's exhausting and rarely converts Craig Fish, mortgage broker He said: 'My most popular post was a simple TikTok about lenders cutting mortgage rates. 'It racked up 571,000 views, 3,706 likes, 3,116 shares, and 350 comments. Rate-drop content always flies because the public's obsessed with getting the cheapest mortgage deal.' He added: 'But for an SME, going viral can be a double-edged sword. The flood of enquiries often leads nowhere, it's exhausting and rarely converts. 'Truth is, the posts that quietly generate real business are the ones with barely 1,000 views and a couple of likes. I consistently pick up three to four quality enquiries a week this way.' How to make the most of social media For small businesses, social media is a useful and cost-effective way of reaching a new and bigger audience. Louise Laird, who runs The Little Social Company, told This is Money: 'Different channels draw in different people, so it's important for each business to have a clear idea of who they are targeting so they can pick the right channel before they start posting. 'Gone are the days of us using The Yellow Pages to find a local window cleaner. Now you just head to your local Facebook group and everything you need is there.' Laird said video content had become central to small businesses using social media. She said: 'Producing visuals and video content can be daunting for small businesses, but there are some great creators out there that can do this for them.' Authenticity is also key, Laird added. She said: 'Show who you are, what you do and why people should buy from you. This will make you stand out and give you great brand awareness.' Not every post will get millions of views or translate into sales, but this is not something to be gravely concerned about. Laird said: 'If you don't get it right, don't panic. Use the test, measure, reflect and refine method. Keep tweaking things as you go. 'Algorithms for each platform change all the time so you're not going to get it spot on every single time and that is fine.' On the importance of social media for small businesses, Laird said: 'If a business doesn't use social media at all, it doesn't mean it is going to fail, but they will be missing out on the possibility of reaching potential customers. Charlotte Sheridan, director of The Small Biz Expert, says: 'Social media is now really a must have for small businesses as the reality is - that if you don't provide somewhere for your customers to feed back to you, they will still do so on social media but you'll lose your ability to join the conversation. 'The key is to choose a social media channel that your audience is likely to be using and that you can commit to. 'There's no point thinking 'I'll go all in on TikTok' if you're not comfortable in video creation. 'Being consistent is important - it's better to commit to posting once a week than to having short burst of lots of posts and then neglecting your social platforms for months. 'Always remember you want to give people a reason to follow and connect with you - so don't get stuck in a rut of posting sales posts - ask questions, provide offers or content that isn't available anywhere else and make it entertaining if you can.'
Bloomberg
21-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Andreessen Horowitz Backs AI Startup With Slogan ‘Cheat at Everything'
Andreessen Horowitz led a $15 million funding round for an artificial intelligence startup called Cluely Inc., famous on social platforms like X for controversial viral marketing stunts and the slogan 'cheat on everything.' The startup was co-founded by 21-year-old Roy Lee, who was booted from Columbia University earlier this year for creating a tool called Interview Coder that helped technical job candidates cheat on interviews using AI. At the time, he wrote on LinkedIn, 'I'm completely kicked out from school. LOL!'
Forbes
05-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
What Labubu Teaches Businesses About Viral Marketing
Labubu, the quirky plush toy sensation from parent company Pop Mart, is a masterclass in viral marketing. It is truly Labubu mayhem - they sell out quickly, create brawls amongst hopeful collectors, and get resold for thousands of dollars. But how did Pop Mart turn such an obscure, monster-life 'ugly-cute' doll into a sought-after collectible wanted by teens, adults, and celebrities worldwide? While many factors come into play here, three crucial tactics can be learned from this success story: scarcity, storytelling, and social media. The good news is that many businesses can implement these tactics into their own marketing strategy to help reach and engage new customers. Let's break them down. In a world of fast-paced consumerism, trends, and convenience at our fingertips, it's no secret that humans are afraid of FOMO - the fear of missing out. POP Mart taps into this psychological phenomenon by creating limited drops of its Labubu products. You won't find these toys lining retail shelves 365 days a year. These limited runs help to build obsession and urgency to purchase. For Labubu, this results in lines of collectors outside of stores around the world, waiting to get their hands on one of the little creatures. Scarcity is a powerful marketing tactic for businesses. Scarcity creates exclusivity and a sense of belonging to a community. Being one of the few lucky people to get their hands on a Labubu, they belong to an elite group, and they're not missing out on what their friends are enjoying and experiencing. Businesses can incorporate scarcity into their own marketing by creating limited-time offers or product drops, and creating an exclusive community around the brand. We humans love stories, and research has shown that stories may even help us feel more empathy and trust. Kasing Lung, the creator of Labubu, is known for his affinity for storytelling. The character of Labubu first debuted back in 2015 in a series of picture books inspired by Nordic mythology. Lung also utilizes storytelling with his Labubu plush toy creations. Every release has its own unique backstory, which infuses personality into the characters and helps collectors connect and engage with them on a deeper level. Storytelling is essential to effective marketing. Businesses should look beyond just trying to sell their products and focus on building connection, trust, and loyalty to their brand through storytelling techniques, just like Labubu. Last but not least, social media has played a pivotal role in Labubu's viral marketing success. If you're lucky enough to get your hands on a Labubu, it comes in a 'blind box'. You don't know what character you have until you open it up. Because of this, Pop Mart encourages collectors to share their unboxings on social media. The unboxing of these Labubu dolls has become an event that must be captured and shared with friends and family, resulting in countless pieces of user-generated content for Labubu across social media, particularly on TikTok. This brings us back to our storytelling tactic - the unboxing event satisfies a narrative arc, starting with mystery, excitement, the big reveal, and, finally, joy at their discovery of which Labubu they've received. It's an emotional experience that draws people in and leaves collectors wanting more. So how can you translate this to your own business? While your products may not be in a blind box, consider how to create an experience for your customers that makes capturing and sharing it on social media irresistible. How can you encourage your customers to produce authentic, user-generated content that you can repurpose and share on your own channels? While Labubu has reached viral heights that many can only dream of, its marketing masterclass teaches powerful lessons that businesses of any size can tap into to connect with their customers.
