Lesson: Great marketing can drive sales, but only real value drives staying power.

Every brand tells a story through its strategy, whether they mean to or not. When I first saw Liquid Death, I laughed, a masculine tallboy can of water, wrapped in metal-band chaos, with a name that ironically means the opposite of what water stands for. It was fresh and made you look twice. It immediately caught people’s attention. As a founder, part of me admired it. I could see the intent behind it; they knew exactly how to stand out on a crowded shelf and make people curious enough to pick it up. They turned tap water into culture. But another part of me wondered how long that could last when the product itself wasn’t solving anything new. When you create a product, you’re meant to solve a problem, something that makes life easier, better, or different. And when you pitch to investors, the first thing they want to know is what that opportunity is and how you plan to solve it.

That’s where Liquid Death’s story gets interesting. Their rise shows what happens when storytelling eclipses function. They didn’t invent better water. They invented a new context for drinking it: the can, the humor, the brand voice, all genius. But once every joke has been told, what’s left? Marketing momentum might build awareness, but depth is what builds brands. When I looked into other beverage brands that broke through, Poppi and Olipop stood out for doing the opposite. They built brand and benefit together, pairing a fun identity with real functional value. It’s why PepsiCo dropped $2 billion for Poppi: health plus flavor scales further than irony ever will. Liquid Death, on the other hand, turned bold marketing into serious investor confidence, raising hundreds of millions and hitting unicorn status, proof that great storytelling can still move markets, even without a unique product edge.

I’m always researching how other companies break into the market. It helps me understand the why behind their moves, what worked, what didn’t, and what lessons I can bring back to Jivati. I remind myself every day of what we’re really up against. I could chase quick hype, flavor fads, and viral packaging, but the harder path is staying intentional. Some days it knocks you. It feels like I’m not moving fast enough, or that people aren’t connecting with the brand I’m creating, because louder ones drown out the space. I question if I’m doing it right. But every time I do, I come back to the reason I started, and remind myself that my path was never meant to look like theirs. And those brands had something I didn’t, big capital upfront. It gave them the freedom to take risks without worrying if one move could drain the runway. When you’re building without that cushion, every decision carries more weight. You can’t afford to miss. You have to replace capital with conviction and make every move count.

So that’s why I’m skeptical about Liquid Death’s long-term value. The danger in modern branding is mistaking awareness for impact. Hype can lift you, but if your product doesn’t keep people there by adding real value, someone else will, and they’ll be louder and more meaningful. The goal isn’t just to be seen; it’s to stay. Because in the end, real product value is what builds long-term brand loyalty.

Closing Thought 

Anyone can make noise. Few can create meaning. Branding might start the conversation, but real product value is what keeps it alive. It’s what turns attention into trust, and trust into loyalty. The brands that last aren’t just the ones people notice; they’re the ones people believe in long after the marketing fades.

Stick around. I’m just warming up.

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_{DISCLAIMER - All content by Devraj Patel, including The Weekly D-Brief, is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute business, legal, or personalized advice. No client relationship is created unless agreed upon in writing. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. You are solely responsible for your decisions—always consult appropriate professionals before acting on this content.}