I’d like a sparkling Liquid Death and a box of popcorn, please.
That’ll be $12.47.
That’s it.
That’s the newsletter.
No, really. I wanted to do a deep dive into a company that supplies canned water that looks like a tallboy (tall beer) to Live Nation concert venues so that everyone in attendance can carry around a ridiculously big, vaguely hipstery looking drink.
I wanted to talk about their slogan, “Murder your thirst.”
I wanted to go into their outrageous website.
Then I was gonna cleverly segue into this story:
A week prior somewhere near (apparently – verified later) Supply, NC.
YOUR SPEED IS 42.
Where am I? What is the speed limit here anyway?
2.1 minutes and 3 miles later:
No really. WHAT IS THE SPEED LIMIT HERE?
Then I was going to talk about a year ago.
Only I don’t remember what was happening a year ago other than on September 21, 2021 I saved this picture and nothing else to my camera roll.
(That’s Harry Styles screaming.)
Which actually neatly brings us back to the topic at hand:
Context.
For some context, I’ve talked with many, many almost catastrophically burned out people this week. (Mercury is in Gatorade, for one thing.)
However, it’s only burnout if it originates at Lead Foot City in Brooksville, FL. Otherwise it’s just sparkling exhaustion. << context.
I wanted to write this newsletter because I think Liquid Death water is BRILLIANT and I LOVE how they’ve turned almost everything about packaged water on its head to appeal to really specific groups of people that are now CANNED WATER FANATICS. It felt like something to notice and share.
Then there is the matter of speed.
Knowing your speed is really only relevant in the context of a bunch of other information. (The speed limit, for one.)
Otherwise, a flashy sign with a speed detector is just a visually noisy distraction.
There’s a LOT of visually noisy distraction to wade through these days. (It’s probably why everyone’s so dang sparklingly exhausted.)
As we enter the holiday season and then prep for another spring, I think it’s worth really taking a hard look at what we offer and identifying our own “Sparkling Liquid Death.”
What is it we do better than anyone?
What do we offer that nobody else does?
What is the most fun to share, to sell, to promote?
What is it that people excitedly tell their friends about us? (Remember: Ideas that spread, win.)
And then what’s the highway sign cluttering up our field of vision that we can unplug?
I was gonna tell you that Liquid Death is available with only two options: Sparkling and Still.
Sometime in the last few years they’ve added Mango Chainsaw, Severed Lime, and Berry it Alive.
They made their mark with only two options, though.
One product.
Two options.
Absolutely murdering the competition.
Death and. . . Asters?
You’d have to be living . . . er. . . under a rock (THE PUNS NEVER STOP, FOLKS!) to miss Amanda Thomsen’s new shop, Aster Gardens. (Photo from the shop instagram.)
She has DOUBLED DOWN on her aesthetic, her core customers, and she can’t stock her shelves fast enough.
It’s a garden-industry example of Liquid Death.
I bet you have your own outrageous, sparkling idea.
Email me and tell me what it is. I bet there’s a way to make it happen.
Say YES! to SMS!
I’m offering a series of free lunch and learn webinars this fall because it’s my life and I can do what I want.
Webinar 1 is SMS 101 and it’s happening next Tuesday, September 27 at noon EDT.
Feel free to send your friends the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__mKi6fHyTAeAmnOtkTLK6Q
There’s room for you and 500 of your closest friends.
October 25 is your “Fall Website Face Lift”: Register here
December 5 is “Update Your Email for 2023”: Register here
Handy Links
Art camp was awesome. Here is my reel.
Really interesting podcast about doing something new in a crowded marketplace.
Best book to buy if you want to start learning to sketch on location. (Or at all, really.)
What is PHP and why should I care?
TCPA compliance and SMS Marketing
Get over getting rejected so you can move on with your life.
TGIAT > Thank goodness it’s almost Thursday.
