When Liquid Death, the edgy, death-metal-themed water brand that took American social media by storm, announced it was pulling out of the UK market, marketing Twitter(X) erupted with hot takes.
Was it the irreverent branding that didn‘t connect with British sensibilities? Or proof that even viral marketing can’t guarantee product success?
According to behavioral science expert Phil Agnew, the answer is more nuanced.
1. Who Needs Premium Water?
In the UK, tap water isn't just acceptable, but a point of pride. Scottish tap water is famously excellent, and many Brits are genuinely proud of their municipal water quality.
The cold climate creates another unique challenge: water comes out of pipes already refreshingly chilled. This natural advantage eliminates one key selling point of bottled water — coldness — before the marketing battle even begins.
“The idea that you're going to splash cash on something you can get for free out of your tap is quite hard for a lot of Brits to swallow,” Agnew explains.
2. The Marketing-Behavior Mismatch
People in the UK fall into two camps: loyal tap water drinkers, or price-sensitive bottled water buyers. Asking either group to buy premium canned water was fighting deeply ingrained habits.
As Agnew points out, when Red Bull came to market, they weren't asking people to drink soda for the first time. But Liquid Death was trying to get Brits to buy canned water, something they just don’t do.
This challenge was compounded by a channel mismatch. Liquid Death‘s social media prowess didn’t align with UK purchasing behavior. Brits don't buy water online. They grab it at stores while shopping for other items.
“There's something slightly perverse in trying to sell it online when the sale point is actually in person,” Agnew notes.
3. No One's Drinking The Kool-Aid (or Water)
Despite killer marketing that made the brand stand out in a “sea of sameness,” UK-based Agnew points out a crucial flaw: “I have not seen a single person drinking Liquid...