Whats up and welcome to Trendy CEO! I’m Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content material officer of Mansueto Ventures. Every week this text explores inclusive approaches to management drawn from conversations with executives and entrepreneurs, and from the pages of Inc. and Quick Firm. Should you acquired this text from a good friend, you may sign up to get it yourself each Monday morning.
When Mike Cessario labored at inventive companies reminiscent of VaynerMedia and Crispin Porter + Bogusky (now Crispin), he noticed what number of company purchasers got here to these companies to resolve issues with their manufacturers. “It was at all times like, ‘We have now a notion drawback’ or ‘One thing’s not working,’” he recollects.
So, when Cessario began Liquid Loss of life, a beverage firm, he was attuned to how marketing would drive each section of the enterprise, from its upstart days when it needed to get consideration free of charge, to its evolution as a way of life model that reached a $1.4 billion valuation on $263 million in retail scanned gross sales as of March 2024. The corporate has not launched up to date gross sales information.
To start with, he says, Liquid Loss of life needed to discover a approach, on a shoestring, to get customers to speak about its first product, water. That led to its provocative identify and distinctive packaging—tall steel cans emblazoned with a cranium emblem—aimed toward inspiring prospects to {photograph} it and share photos on social media. Certainly, the corporate launched with a industrial on Fb in 2017 however didn’t begin promoting its first cans of water till 2019. Says Cessario: “Every part had a marketer’s imaginative and prescient and creativity from the onset.”
As the corporate has expanded into huge retailers reminiscent of Goal, Kroger, and Walmart, Cessario stays targeted on cheeky messaging slightly than discounting to seize consumers’ consideration. The corporate, which now produces glowing and flavored waters, iced tea, and vitality drinks, deploys clips on social media and 30-second spots on linked TVs, the place Liquid Loss of life’s humor stands out amid a sea of pharmaceutical and insurance coverage advertisements.
“I’m basically stealing Purple Bull’s playbook, considering of ourselves as an leisure firm that monetizes by way of beverage,” he says. Pattern movies could be discovered on the corporate’s web site in a bit labeled Timewaster 5000.
Dream collabs
Whereas companies could not have adopted Cessario’s scrappy strategy, different startups are taking a web page from Liquid Loss of life’s playbook. The sunscreen maker Vacation (additionally began by former advert execs) surged to a spot on the Inc. 5000 checklist final yr by way of viral advertising and marketing and experiences.
That’s to not say huge firms aren’t desirous to accomplice with Liquid Loss of life. The beverage maker has launched a number of unconventional collaborations with firms reminiscent of the house builder Taylor Morrison and the cosmetics maker E.l.f. Magnificence, whose limited-edition Corpse Paint created for the partnership offered out in less than 45 minutes.
I requested Cessario if he has a dream collab, and he didn’t hesitate: “We’ve at all times needed to do a Liquid Loss of life shoe with Nike,” he says. “One thing actually fascinating and funky with a shaggy dog story behind the shoe that makes everybody say, ‘Oh, my God, did you hear about what Liquid Loss of life and Nike made?’”
Sure, you Cannes
Trendy CEO is coming to you this week from the Cannes Lions Worldwide Competition of Creativity. I requested two executives to share their recommendation on how CEOs and different leaders ought to strategy this annual occasion, which has developed from a celebration of promoting to a spot the place high executives and entrepreneurs come to community and mingle. Right here’s what they mentioned:
NDIDI OTEH, CEO, ACCENTURE SONG
“There are two issues that everybody ought to contemplate when planning for the competition. First, your mornings: Allow them to be sluggish. Earlier than the day fills up is when you may have excessive‑high quality, targeted conversations. Secondly, plan effectively upfront, however don’t ebook your self wall‑to‑wall. Go away area to be stunned. A number of the most beneficial moments in Cannes come from probability run‑ins on [La] Croisette,” the coastal boulevard.
SHELLEY STEWART III, SENIOR PARTNER, MCKINSEY
“Cannes Lions attracts a pleasant tech and earlier-stage ecosystem, which creates alternatives for studying. That’s so essential within the context of the place we are actually, the place the factor that was related two weeks in the past is already being changed. You must have some form of approach to keep within the stream of what’s occurring on the edge. Cannes presents that chance due to the broad set of organizations that present up there, not simply the large, marquee firms however smaller, upstart firms.”
Are you a CEO in Cannes this week? Drop me a line at stephaniemehta@mansueto.com and let me know what’s been essentially the most significant a part of your expertise up to now.
Learn extra: CEOs who get advertising and marketing
- Contained in the playful and provocative strategy of Peter Rahal, CEO of David Protein
- The previous Accenture Tune CEO David Droga says a “ridiculous idea” led to a outstanding final result
- Inside Brian Niccol’s daring Starbucks redesign
