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 Phill 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 Death.”
This matters more than you might think. Studies show we're significantly more likely to order coffee on a plane if we see someone else drinking it. We follow the herd — but there was no herd of Liquid Death drinkers for Brits to follow.
4. Too Much, Too Soon
Liquid Death tried going mass market too quickly, spreading themselves thin across the UK. Their distinctiveness (what Agnew calls the “Von Restorff effect”) made them memorable online, but this advantage evaporated without in-person visibility.
Contrast this with Joe & The Juice, which placed 15 stores within a small area of West London.
“An economist might call this mad,” says Agnew, “but a psychologist and a marketing scientist would call it genius.”
When customers see multiple locations in quick succession, they assume popularity and success.
Not A Culture Clash
Interestingly, the failure wasn't about British resistance to American marketing, or Liquid Death’s style of humor. Brits happily consume American products daily, from Coca-Cola to Heinz baked beans. Many even watch the Super Bowl purely for the commercials.
The problem wasn‘t that British consumers didn’t get the joke — it's that they never saw it in contexts where they make purchasing decisions.
The Right Way To Go Global
For brands considering international expansion, the lesson isn't to completely overhaul your marketing for each market. Instead:
- Consider targeted saturation rather than wide distribution
- Match marketing channels to actual purchase behavior
- Consider partnerships with premium retailers or exclusive venues
- Target consumers at the point of sale where they can try the product
Agnew suggests that Liquid Death could sponsor Wimbledon to reach young professionals with disposable income in the UK (they likely attend Wimbledon every year). They’re the crowd most likely to adopt its product.
Remember: 80% of product launches fail, according to Harvard Business Review. Liquid Death‘s struggle isn’t unusual. It's just more visible because their marketing was so damn good.