Gen-Z, Millennial Opps: Liquid I.V. shifts digital strategy to reach younger audiences

Sales Lead: Liquid I.V. has started adjusting its brand messaging to reach a broader audience of Gen-Z and millennials.

• The company is starting to rely more on relevance and authenticity with influencer marketing.
  • Current influencer partners include Rickey Thompson and Leilani Green.
• The campaign rolled out across the following channels: streaming services such as Peacock, Hulu, and Amazon Fire TV; podcast audio reads on The Ryen Russillo Show, The Bill Simmons Podcast, and Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain on Spotify and YouTube TV; an experiential installment at Coachella; and TikTok.
  • It will also involve an experiential activation when it will show its product on the red carpet and after party at Disney's premiere of Little Mermaid.
• This summer, Liquid I.V. will reportedly market its product based on hydration, per marketing VP Stacey Andrade-Wells.
• The company's marketing budget has increased by 45% in 2023 YOY.
• The company will likely:
  • Keep ramping up spend
  • Continue digitizing its strategy
• Target demographic: 
  • Gen-Z and millennials

Recent leadership shifts:

• ​​​​​​​This announcement comes not long after Liquid I.V. named Mackenzie Meng as its brand marketing finance manager in September 2022.

Additional spending insights:

• Digital and social insights (digital ad spend, effectiveness, impressions, and performance)
  • YTD spend: So far this year, Liquid I.V. has spent approximately $7.1m on digital ads, 39% more than the approximately $5.1m spent by this point last year.
  • YTD data: The company has earned around 920.5m digital impressions YTD, 46% via Instagram ads, 45% via Facebook ads, and 9% via YouTube ads.
  • Last year: In 2022, Liquid I.V. spent roughly $16.5m on this channel, 25% more than the roughly $13.2m spent in 2021.
• Additional channel insights  
  • The company utilizes Google Ads along with Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and online video (primarily via Youtube Android and Youtube.com) ads.
  • Liquid I.V. sponsors podcasts such as Crime Junkie, Morbid, The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, and The Michael Knowles Show.

Additional agency insights:

• Opportunity: Get on this company's radar in case its leaders seek new agency partners to fuel growth.
• Current agency roster:
  • Tinuiti​​​​​​​: Digital and programmatic AOR

Insight Sources: Digital spend insights estimated by Pathmatics; additional channel insights estimated by Vivvix; podcast insights by Podchaser.