The Genius Way Liquid Death Sells Canned Water and How Note Taking Can Help You Become an Expert

The Genius Way Liquid Death Sells Canned Water and How Note Taking Can Help You Become an Expert

Introduction:

In this article, we will explore two seemingly unrelated topics - the marketing strategy of Liquid Death, a canned water brand, and the concept of note-taking as a tool for accelerating expertise. Despite their apparent differences, these two topics share common threads that can be connected to provide unique insights into building a successful brand and becoming an expert in a complex domain.

Liquid Death: A Refreshing Approach to Marketing

Liquid Death is a brand that has taken a unique approach to selling a seemingly mundane product - canned water. The idea behind Liquid Death came from the founder, Mike, who noticed that rock bands preferred drinking water while performing but had to put it in energy drink cans due to sponsorships. He saw an opportunity to create water that bands would actually enjoy being seen drinking.

The marketing strategy of Liquid Death revolves around giving a boring product awesome branding. Instead of focusing on listing features about their water, Liquid Death aims to create a "human brand" that people can relate to and laugh with. This approach has resonated with consumers, leading to a significant increase in brand awareness and popularity.

To prove the concept before raising funds, Mike shot a commercial and invested in paid Facebook ads. Within three months, Liquid Death had more Facebook followers than Aquafina, a well-established water brand. This initial success allowed Mike to raise funding from friends and family, leading to the brand's rapid growth, even during the challenging times of the pandemic.

One noteworthy tactic used by Liquid Death to generate attention and sales was selling 700 vinyl records by turning social media hate comments into songs. This creative approach, although costing $12k, generated significant free press and attracted a wider audience. It exemplified the brand's commitment to hacking attention and leveraging unconventional marketing strategies.

Note Taking: A Pathway to Expertise

In ill-structured domains, where concepts and their real-world instantiations are highly variable and messy, note-taking plays a crucial role in accelerating expertise. The Cognitive Flexibility Theory (CFT) provides insights into how note-taking can help individuals become experts in complex domains.

CFT highlights the importance of ill-structured domains, where concepts have varying instantiations. In such domains, reasoning from first principles becomes challenging, and experts rely on comparing previous cases rather than relying solely on theoretical frameworks. This approach allows them to build an adaptive worldview that encompasses multiple prototypes and fragments.

The theory suggests two central claims for developing adaptive expertise: constructing temporary schemas by combining fragments of previous cases and cultivating an adaptive worldview that recognizes the variability and complexity of concepts in ill-structured domains. By exposing learners to a multitude of cases and facilitating the connection between concepts and cases through a hypertextual note-taking system, expertise can be fostered more effectively.

To implement a CFT-inspired note-taking system, individuals can utilize note-taking apps with backlinking capabilities. By linking concepts and cases, individuals can create a network of interconnected fragments that facilitate knowledge retrieval and understanding. The process involves dissecting cases into smaller segments, highlighting concepts, and continuously seeking diverse cases to enrich the collection of fragments.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the marketing strategy of Liquid Death and the concept of note-taking as a tool for expertise share commonalities that can be connected to provide valuable insights. Liquid Death's success stems from its ability to give a mundane product an exciting brand identity, focusing on creating a relatable and humorous human brand. Similarly, note-taking in ill-structured domains allows individuals to connect fragments of knowledge, construct adaptive worldviews, and accelerate expertise.

Actionable Advice:

• 1. Embrace unconventional marketing strategies: Take inspiration from Liquid Death and think outside the box when it comes to marketing your brand. Focus on creating a relatable and engaging brand identity that resonates with your target audience.

• 2. Utilize note-taking as a learning tool: Implement a hypertextual note-taking system that allows you to connect concepts and cases. Seek diverse cases and continuously expand your collection of fragments to accelerate your understanding and expertise in complex domains.

• 3. Foster an adaptive worldview: Recognize the variability and complexity of concepts in ill-structured domains. Embrace the idea that there is no one-size-fits-all solution and cultivate a mindset that allows for flexibility and adaptation in your thinking.

By combining the genius marketing strategy of Liquid Death and the power of note-taking in ill-structured domains, individuals and businesses can gain valuable insights and tools for success in their respective endeavors.