Brand in the Boardroom

Issue 8 :   This is the story of a big US brand struggling to make an impact in the UK market. But hidden beneath the big numbers (and the big ambition), is a really useful story for any SME that’s planning to break into a new market. Know your target market. Liquid Death is US company, launched in 2017, selling canned water. In 2023 the company was valued at $1.4bn, with global sales of $263m. 2024 saw 139% growth. With a provocative name, cool packaging and “disruptive” marketing campaigns, it’s been a big hit in the US. So in 2023 it launched in the UK. It was stocked in a range of retail outlets (including Tesco), making it easily available. And it was supported by high profile sponsorship at Download festival (reaching their Gen Z target market). A great platform for success, surely? But in February 2025 Liquid Death announced they are “pausing international efforts”. The company claim as a result of “supply chain” issues. However questions have also been raised about the com...

Issue 8: I’ve got some bad news for sales directors (and their managing directors). Most of your target market aren’t interested in what you have to sell. Well, not at the moment anyway. Most marketing activity is focused on driving sales TODAY, this WEEK, or this MONTH. And the success of most marketing activity is measured in the same time frame. But that’s not how (most) marketing works. And certainly not if you’re selling B2B. At any given time, only about 5% of potential B2B clients are actively seeking to buy, while the remaining 95% are not in the market. This could be because: - They have just bought an alternative. - They are bound by an existing contract. - What you sell is not part of their current plan. There is no opportunity to persuade / encourage / drive / motivate / educate / force / cajole these people in to buying from you. They are not interested. What you are selling is not relevant to them. You are wasting your time. Yet most marketing activity is trying to achiev...