Lindsay McCormick was a TV producer working on House Hunters.

She travelled a lot and stayed at different hotels.

And this led to her throwing out small plastic toothpaste tubes, which she got during her travels.

As a surfer, she had seen where plastic ends up on beaches, floating in oceans, or broken down into microplastics.

So she kept a silent question in her heart

Why is toothpaste packaged this way?

When she looked deeper, the problem was bigger than expected.

The Problem Bite Chose to Solve

It was built on two.

1. The Packaging Problem

Over 1 billion toothpaste tubes are thrown away every year.

Most are made from mixed materials (plastic + aluminum), which makes them impossible to recycle, and they go straight to landfills.

2. The Product Problem

Most toothpaste is water-based, which means that:

• It needs preservatives.

• It includes unnecessary chemicals.

• It’s heavier and more expensive to ship

So, the solution was clear

Remove the water, and you remove the problem.

A Product That Solves Both Problems at Once

Instead of improving toothpaste, Bite redesigned it.

They created dry toothpaste tablets, refillable glass bottles, and compostable refill pouches.

The customer experience is simple:

• Bite the tablet
• Brush with a wet toothbrush
• And, it foams like regular toothpaste

The Week Everything Changed

Bite launched in 2018, and growth was slow.

Then, A Women’s Health video featuring the product went viral.

In one week, they went from 6,000 lifetime sales to over 200,000 orders

They had been producing from a living room.

Suddenly, they needed manufacturing, logistics, and fulfillment systems

Within two months, the founders went all in.

By 2019, they had over $3M revenue, and by 2020, they were approaching $10M.

Almost entirely through direct-to-consumer growth.

The Marketing Strategy: What Bite Did Differently

1. They Led With the Problem

Before selling anything, Bite made people aware of the problem. Their content focused on plastic waste from toothpaste tubes, harmful ingredients, and the everyday impact.

2. They Built With a Community First

They started with a niche with zero-waste consumers, eco-conscious buyers, and sustainability communities. These early adopters believed in the mission, shared the product, and became the distribution channel.

3. They Focused on Relevance Over Reach

As they scaled, Bite used influencer marketing differently. They worked with nano and micro influencers, niche sustainability creators, and communities

4. They Built Feedback Into the Brand

Bite listened closely to their customers. When customers raised concerns about palm oil, they reformulated within months.

Direct-to-Consumer Was a Strategic Advantage

Bite chose DTC from the beginning, because their product needed explanation.

DTC allowed them to educate customers, control the brand story, and build direct relationships. DTC meant owning every touchpoint: the unboxing, the story, the follow-up.

They had a Subscription System.

Customers buy the glass bottle once and receive refill packs regularly.

This creates recurring revenue, higher customer lifetime value, and predictable growth.

The Shark Tank Encounter

When Bite appeared on Shark Tank, they received two offers.

Both required higher equity and selling on Amazon.

They said no, because it would break their DTC model and reduce control over customer experience.

They chose to protect the system they built.

What Founders Can Learn From Bite

1. The problem is the product

Start with a real, visible problem. The product solves it, but the problem is what earns attention and trust first.

2. Build for a niche first

Your first customers should believe in your mission.

3. Your business model is your strategy

Protect what makes your growth sustainable. How you sell and to whom is as important as what you sell, even when tempting offers arrive.

4. Listen and adapt quickly

Customer feedback is a growth engine.

The idea for Blueland started with a mother’s worst fear.

When Sarah Paiji Yoo became a mother, she discovered that microplastics had been found almost everywhere, including in the water used to prepare baby formula.

She began looking more closely at the products in her own home; the cleaning sprays under the sink, the plastic bottles on the shelf, the everyday items she had never questioned before.

This realization led to a burning desire that She wanted to reduce her family’s plastic footprint. But the more she searched for a solution, it was nearly impossible to find household cleaning products that were plastic-free, genuinely effective, and practical enough for real everyday life.

Nobody had solved this. And nobody seemed to be trying.

So she did.

That personal fear became the foundation for Blueland, a company built around one simple, unshakable idea: Making reusable, sustainable cleaning products that work without plastic waste.

The Problem Blueland Chose to Solve

Cleaning products are mostly water packaged in plastic bottles.

This creates the issue of unnecessary plastic waste

Blueland asked a simple question:

What if customers didn’t need to buy a new plastic bottle every time?

And they found a solution, which ensured that Customers buy reusable bottles once, then refill them using cleaning tablets.

You drop the tablet into water, and it dissolves into a cleaning solution.

The product system replaces disposable bottles with reusable ones.

The Marketing Strategy: Making the Problem Visible using Content Storytelling

One of the most effective parts of Blueland’s marketing is how they show the problem using different content storytelling strategies that resonate with the target market.
walking

This helps customers understand why the product exists.

Before asking people to buy, they explain the problem the product solves.

Blueland focused on a direct-to-consumer model.

Selling online allowed the company to:

• explain the product system clearly
• control the customer experience
• build direct relationships with customers

This approach also made it easier to educate customers about sustainability and plastic waste.

The Seamless Website experience that sells the vision.

Blueland’s website was built to convert, reassure, and reinforce the brand’s mission at every scroll.

The Bestsellers section delivers quick clarity for new shoppers, which instantly validates the brand’s claims.

On each product page, Blueland is very transparent about its offering,

They lay out direct comparisons with well-known legacy brands based on what they are doing right, the gap they chose to fill, which is single-use plastic, ingredient safety, and compostability.

The visual breakdown makes it easy for shoppers to see that most competitors rely on plastic pods or bottles, lack compostable packaging, and often skip clean ingredient standards.

Product reviews and recommendations appear where they matter most, offering peer validation during decision-making.

Even the cart page is optimized: shoppers can add extra items with a click, and choose to make an environmental donation before checking out.

Blueland’s bundle builder is another quiet win. It nudges average order value upward, but feels like customization, not upselling, because customers are building their own sustainable routine.

Key insight: A high-converting site reinforces belief at every touchpoint, ensuring customers understand the brand’s value. Make sure your website works as both an educational tool and a conversion engine by clearly displaying your unique benefits.

Storytelling as a Sales Strategy

Blueland didn’t start with a product; it started with a question.

The founder, a new mom, looked at a plastic bottle and asked what kind of world her child would grow up in. That moment became the foundation for the brand.

It even played a role in landing a deal on Shark Tank, which brought both investment and national attention.

But the storytelling doesn’t stop at a personal narrative. The brand also took a public stand, petitioning the EPA to address hidden plastics in detergent pods.

What Founders Can Learn From Blueland

Blueland’s growth shows that mission-driven brands succeed through clarity of purpose, clarity of product, and clarity of story.

Four lessons stand out:

• Start with a real human problem: A problem a real person faces. In this case, it was the mother who felt the problem and couldn’t stop thinking about it.

• Build the mission into the product: The refill system is the mission made physical. Every tablet dissolved is a plastic bottle saved.

• Make the solution simple enough to explain in one sentence. Buy the bottle once, refill it forever, and you can clean with ease.

• Use your story as your strategy. From the founding moment to the Shark Tank pitch to the EPA petition, Blueland’s story did the work that most brands pay millions in advertising to replicate.

Wild Deodorant is a brand that transformed a personal care product into one of the fastest-growing innovative sustainability brands.

Through smart product design, mission-driven positioning, and community-driven marketing.

This is the story of how they did it and the marketing lessons mission-driven startups can learn from it.

The Problem Wild Decided to Solve

Millions of single-use plastic deodorant sticks end up in landfills every year.

Very few are recyclable.

This is where the founders of Wild Deodorant saw an opportunity.

Their mission was simple:

Eliminate single-use plastic deodorants.

A Product Designed for Sustainability

Instead of selling disposable deodorant sticks, they created a system built around two elements:

1. A reusable aluminum case

2. Compostable refill pods

Customers buy the case once.

After that, they simply replace the refill pods.

First, it reduces plastic waste.

Second, it turns the product into something people actually want to keep.

The deodorant becomes a personal item, like an accessory.

They made the product like a Lifestyle Brand.

Another reason Wild grew so quickly is that they refused to position deodorant as a basic hygiene product.

Instead, they positioned it as a lifestyle product.

The brand invested heavily in:

• beautiful color palettes
• sleek aluminum cases
• seasonal product designs
• collectible packaging

This made their customer eager to share their deodorant online.

And this rarely happens with traditional hygiene products.

Which meant every customer became a potential promoter.

The Marketing Strategy That Contributed to Their Early Growth

Wild focused on creator-driven marketing and leveraged advertising campaigns.

They partnered with:

• lifestyle influencers
• eco-conscious creators
• wellness creators
• sustainability advocates

This approach helped them achieve three things at once.

First, it made the brand feel authentic,

Second, it allowed Wild to reach communities already passionate about sustainability.

Third, it generated massive user-generated content.

Today, thousands of videos and posts online showcase people using their Wild deodorant cases.

Wild deodorant also uses advertising campaigns, which have played a role in the brand’s growth strategy, driving visibility while boosting conversions.

Subscription as a Recurrent Revenue System

Wild also made a smart decision in how they structured their business model.

Customers can subscribe to receive refill pods regularly.

This turns a simple product into a recurring revenue system.

Instead of constantly chasing new customers, the company builds predictable growth through loyal users.

The subscription works because the product system worked for the customer base.

An easy-to-navigate and Compelling path to purchase on the Website

Upon landing on Wild’s website, visitors immediately understand the brand’s mission and unique selling proposition (USP).

A key element of Wild deodorant’s sustainability marketing is how the website quickly signals its eco-friendly, refillable approach and commitment to natural ingredients.

As soon as you arrive on Wild’s homepage, a pick-a-present pop-up appears, offering you a choice of three options.

This is an effective CRO tactic because it immediately engages visitors, offering them a playful incentive. This tactic boosts engagement and conversions by providing a fun, interactive experience that feels rewarding right away.

After selecting one of the three options, visitors are prompted to enter their email address in exchange for a discount code.

Once on the product page, customers can choose from three key options: sets, refills, and cases.

Each case features a unique design, allowing customers to feel like they are selecting a product that reflects their personality and style.

What Mission-Driven Startups Can Learn From Wild Deodorant

If you’re building a purpose-driven brand, there are three key insights here.

1. Build the mission into the product

Let your story be so visible and mission-driven that your audience wants to be associated with you.

2. Grow by leveraging a community

Wild deodorant grew by speaking directly to people who already cared about sustainability: content creators, influencers, and your own customers willing to show your product out there.

What sets Wild apart is how everything connects. Limited editions, Influencers build credibility. The subscription model drives recurring revenue. Social media campaigns that reached more audiences and increased conversions.

Many kitchenware brands launch with dozens of products.

Different utensils.
Different materials.
Different price points.

The logic is simple:

More products = more sales opportunities.

But GIR (Get It Right) chose a completely different approach.

Instead of launching a wide product range, they started with one simple goal:

Create the perfect spatula.

And build a brand around it.

The Problem They Chose to Solve

Most spatulas on the market suffer from the same issues:

• The head detaches from the handle.

• Food gets trapped between seams.

• Plastic materials degrade over time.

• Cheap construction leads to frequent replacements.

The founder of GIR believed in something simple:

A spatula should last for years, not months.

So the team designed a single-piece silicone spatula, molded from platinum-grade silicone to eliminate seams, cracks, and weak points.

The result was a product that was:

• heat-resistant
• durable
• hygienic
• flexible enough for everyday cooking

The Launch Strategy: Kickstarter

GIR launched their first product through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.

Crowdfunding did two important things for the brand:

1. Market validation

Before manufacturing at scale, they confirmed people actually wanted the product.

2. Early community building

Backers felt like they were helping bring the product to life.

The campaign quickly gained traction.

Thousands of customers supported the idea of a better spatula.

The brand raised enough funding to begin production and launch the company.

Product Obsession as Brand Strategy

Unlike many consumer brands that expand rapidly, GIR stayed focused on perfecting the first product.

They obsessed over:

• materials
• durability
• usability
• design

The philosophy was simple:

Build something so good people recommend it naturally.

Instead of competing through aggressive advertising, GIR built loyalty through product quality and word-of-mouth.

Design as a Competitive Advantage

Another major part of GIR’s brand strategy was design simplicity.

The spatulas are known for:

• vibrant colors

• minimalist design

• seamless construction

Customers bought it because it looks good in their kitchen.

Expanding From One Product to a Full Kitchen Line

Once the spatula gained popularity, GIR slowly expanded the product line.

But they followed the same principle:

Solve one problem at a time.

The company gradually introduced:

• spoons
• ladles
• whisks
• baking tools
• storage containers

Each product maintained the same design philosophy:

• durable materials

• seamless construction

• functional simplicity

Direct-to-Consumer Growth

GIR focused heavily on direct-to-consumer sales.

Selling directly allowed them to:

• maintain control over brand presentation
• communicate product benefits clearly
• build relationships with customers

GIR relied on its own website and online channels, allowing for direct communication with customers and control over the brand narrative.

With over 2,000 5-star reviews, GIR leveraged customer testimonials to build trust and validate the product’s quality.

Turning a Tool Into a Brand

The biggest lesson from GIR is that they didn’t just sell kitchen tools.

They built a reputation for getting things right.

Even the name of the brand reflects the philosophy.

GIR = Get It Right.

The message is clear:

Focus on craftsmanship.
Focus on durability.
Focus on products that work.

This consistency helped the brand grow beyond a single item into a trusted kitchen brand.

The Impact of the Strategy

From a single spatula idea, GIR grew into a recognized kitchenware brand with:

• a full product line

• a loyal customer base

• strong direct-to-consumer sales

• a reputation for durable, well-designed tools

All built from one product done exceptionally well.

What Founders Can Learn From This

The success of GIR offers several important lessons.

1. Start with one great product

Instead of launching dozens of items, focus on solving one problem extremely well.

2. Let product quality drive marketing

Great products generate organic recommendations.

3. Design matters

Even functional products benefit from aesthetic appeal.

4. Expand slowly and intentionally

Build a product ecosystem around your core strength.

Final Note

Many founders believe they need a large product catalog to build a brand.

But GIR proves something different.

Sometimes the smartest strategy is to start with one product and obsess over making it exceptional.

Because when you get one thing right, customers start trusting you to build the rest.

Who Gives a Crap was founded in 2012, inspired by Griffiths and co-founders Jehan Ratnatunga and Danny Alexander, who worked with humanitarian organizations across the globe and realized a problem two billion people still face: not having access to a toilet.

Instead of competing on price or distribution, they built a brand around a mission people could believe in.

Especially in categories like toilet paper, considered a commodity.

Consumers rarely think about the brand. They buy what is available.

But one company decided to approach the category differently.

The Problem They Chose to Solve

Before the brand ever sold its first roll of toilet paper, the founders started with a global problem.

Around 2 billion people globally lack access to safe toilets.

This sanitation crisis leads to:

• preventable diseases

• unsafe living conditions

• limited opportunities for education and work

Yet very few consumer brands talk about sanitation.

The founders of Who Gives A Crap saw an opportunity to sell toilet paper and donate 50% of profits to organizations building toilets and sanitation infrastructure in developing communities.

The Launch to Scale Strategy

The company launched in one of the most unusual ways possible.

The founder publicly sat on a toilet for 50 hours during a crowdfunding campaign until the company reached its funding goal.

The campaign quickly went viral.

People shared it because it was:

• funny

• unusual

• mission-driven

Within days, they raised enough money to start production.

Strategic Distribution

Who Gives A Crap began on the internet and stayed there until they were ready.

Their strategy had three distinct phases:

Prove the mission: They launched through a crowdfunding campaign. Co-founder Simon Griffiths sat on a toilet in a cold warehouse and refused to move until they raised enough pre-orders to start production. Over 50 hours later, they had raised over $50,000 from people who believed in the idea before a single roll had shipped. The origin story became the first piece of marketing.

Own the customer relationship: By going direct-to-consumer first and refusing early offers from retailers, Who Gives A Crap built a subscription model that put it in complete control of its story, data, and customer relationships. They offered customisable subscriptions with flexible delivery frequencies, easy pause options, and transparent communication, making it frictionless to stay loyal.

Scale the mission: When the brand wanted to expand beyond Australia, co-founder Jehan Ratnatunga was clear: “If our mission is to give people access to clean water and sanitation, which is a huge problem, we need more bums to wipe than just in Australia.” They expanded into the US, UK, and Europe, customising the brand message for each market while keeping the mission consistent across markets.

A Brand Personality People Wanted to Support

Most toilet paper brands speak in a predictable tone.

Soft, Clean, and Family-friendly.

But Who Gives A Crap chose a completely different personality.

Their brand voice is:

• humorous

• irreverent

• playful

• bold

Instead of sounding corporate or sanitized, the Brand name is intentionally memorable and slightly rebellious.

This made the brand stand out instantly.

Packaging That Became a Marketing Channel

One of the brand’s most effective marketing decisions was how they packaged the product.

Instead of plastic packaging, each roll is wrapped in colorful paper designs.

When customers receive a box, it looks more like a gift package.

This achieved several strategic outcomes:

1. Sustainability

Plastic-free packaging aligned with their environmental values.

2. Memorability

The bright wrapping immediately stands out.

3. Shareability

Customers often share photos of the packaging online.

The packaging itself became organic marketing.

Subscription as a Growth Engine

Another important strategic move was building the brand around a direct-to-consumer subscription model.

Instead of competing on grocery store shelves, the company encouraged customers to subscribe to recurring deliveries.

This solved two problems.

First, customers rarely remember to buy toilet paper until they run out.

Subscription removes that inconvenience.

Second, it gave the company predictable recurring revenue.

Over time, this allowed the business to grow sustainably without relying heavily on outside investors.

Turning Customers into a Mission Community

Because the brand is built around a social mission, customers feel like they are part of something bigger than a purchase.

Every time someone buys from Who Gives A Crap, they know that part of the profit supports sanitation initiatives around the world.

This transforms the customer relationship.

They are not just buyers.

They become participants in the mission.

That emotional connection drives loyalty far beyond what most commodity brands experience.

The Impact of the Brand Strategy

What started as a simple idea has grown into one of the most successful mission-driven consumer brands.

Today, the company:

• Generates over $100 million in annual revenue

• Donates millions of dollars to sanitation projects

• Serves customers across multiple countries

• Built a globally recognized brand in a commodity category

And they achieved this largely through:

• storytelling

• community

• mission-driven branding

• direct-to-consumer systems

What Founders Can Learn From This

The biggest lesson from Who Gives A Crap is that their success came from a few key decisions:

1. Start with a meaningful problem

The mission gave the brand purpose beyond the product.

2. Build a personality people remember

Humor and boldness helped them stand out in a boring category.

3. Turn packaging into marketing

Every product delivery reinforces the brand experience.

4. Use business models that support growth

Subscriptions created stability and long-term customer relationships.

Final Note

Nobody wakes up excited to buy toilet paper.

But millions of people wake up proud to buy from Who Gives A Crap.

That gap between a product people need, and a brand people choose is where every great brand lives.

Who Gives A Crap didn’t find that gap by having a better product. They found it by having a better story. A story about purpose, about what happens when a business decides that profit and impact are not opposites.

You are building in one of the most exciting entrepreneurial moments in African history. The products exist. The markets are ready. The consumers are waiting.

What you might be missing is the story.

Find yours. Tell it with conviction. And sell it like the world needs to hear it.

The Rituals was founded on the need to turn everyday activities into spiritual practices. Rituals’ products are created to connect ancient knowledge with contemporary sensibility.

"We are here to make you feel good by transforming your daily routine into a meaningful ritual." The goal was to enter the market by adding value, so they decided to tell the story behind each product.

They asked, “How do we transform the most ordinary moments of a person’s day into something sacred?”

What Made Them Different?

They sold rituals inspired by diverse cultures like ancient Eastern philosophy, Ayurveda, Zen Buddhism, and Japanese tradition, and made it accessible to the everyday consumer.

By standing firmly for Slowness in a fast world

They attracted a loyal audience who adopted their philosophy.

Lesson: Strong brands sell what they believe.

The Brand Architecture: Every Product Line Is Its Own World

This is where Rituals did something most brands never attempt,

Instead of building one brand with a catalogue of products, they built one brand with a universe of stories.

Rituals created six core product lines, each named after the ritual that inspired it: Sakura, Dao, Mehr, Hammam, Ayurveda, and Samurai. But the names are just the surface. Each line is a fully constructed world with its own origin culture, philosophy, scent profile, color identity, and emotional promise.

Here is what that looks like in practice:

• The Ritual of Sakura: drawn from the Japanese tradition of Hanami, the ancient ceremony of celebrating cherry blossoms. The philosophy is to celebrate each day as a new beginning and enjoy life in its fullness.

  Scent: cherry blossom and rice milk.

  

• The Ritual of Dao: rooted in ancient Chinese philosophy, centered on achieving the perfect harmony between Yin and Yang, and designed to help you find inner peace and tranquility in a busy life.

  Scent: white lotus.

  

• The Ritual of Ayurveda: inspired by Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of life, designed to help balance body, mind, and soul through cleansing and nourishing your energy. Scent: Indian rose and sweet almond.

  

• The Ritual of Hammam: drawn from one of the oldest cleansing traditions in the world, the Eastern steam bath that purifies both body and soul.

  Scent: eucalyptus and rosemary.

  

• The Ritual of Mehr: Mehr means "sun" in ancient Persian. This collection is for the days when you need a little more energy, warmth, and joy.

  Scent: sweet orange and cedar wood.

  

• The Ritual of Jing: drawn from the ancient Chinese concept of Jing, representing calmness, stillness, and tranquillity. It is designed to create a personal sanctuary, achieve deep relaxation, and prepare for restful sleep.

  Scent: sacred lotus and jujube.

  

• The Ritual of Samurai: This is Rituals' collection made specifically for men. For centuries, ancient Japanese Samurai warriors paid great attention to their personal appearance, and their grooming traditions were built around creating an appearance that builds power, control, and confidence.

  Scent: bamboo, Japanese mint, and cedarwood.

What is the strategic genius here?

Every customer finds their line. And then they stay loyal to it.

A person who chooses Jing is not the same customer as the person who chooses Hammam, and Rituals knows this. The brand architecture allows one master brand to speak to multiple emotional needs simultaneously, without diluting the identity of any single collection.

Lesson: A strong brand architecture gives your customers an identity to claim.

The Limited Edition Layer: The Ritual of Seshen

Rituals didn’t stop at six permanent collections. They built a second layer into their architecture, limited-edition seasonal drops that keep the brand feeling alive, urgent, and culturally curious.

The most recent example is The Ritual of Seshen, launched in spring 2026, and one of their most striking collections to date.

Inspired by Seshen, the lotus flower, considered in ancient Egypt a symbol of new beginnings and natural beauty, the collection proposes a fresh approach to the daily care routine, built around the idea of renewal and clarity. Products in the collection play with notes of lotus flower and orange blossom to evoke imagery of sunlit riverbanks, and tell the story of scent’s integral role in temple rituals and beauty routines.

The Seshen drop signals three things about how Rituals thinks about growth:

• Cultural curiosity as a content engine. By drawing from ancient Egypt, a civilisation deeply rooted in the African continent, Rituals expanded its storytelling universe beyond Asia and into a new geography of meaning.

• Seasonal urgency drives loyalty. Limited editions reward existing customers and re-engage lapsed ones. They create a reason for customers to come back.

• Innovation within a system. The Seshen drop feels fresh and new, but it sits perfectly within the Rituals world with the same philosophy.

Lesson: Your core brand architecture should be stable enough to trust and flexible enough to surprise.

Strategic Placement in Distribution

Rituals focused on Strategic Placement to create demand first.

They focused on strategic placement in:

• High footfall retail locations like airports, high streets, and luxury malls

• Hotel and spa partnerships that placed their products in moments of rest

• An in-store experience so carefully designed that it became its own form of marketing.

By becoming the default wellness brand in the spaces where people were already seeking calm, like spas, boutique hotels, and airport lounges, Rituals entered daily life before entering homes.

People experienced the brand during a moment of pause, loved it, and then looked for it everywhere.

The Sustainability Mission Was Fully Actualized

Where most brands treat sustainability as a footnote in the annual report, Rituals embodied it as a full responsibility.

• They became B Corp certified in 2022, joining a small group of brands globally that meet verified standards of social and environmental performance.

• They launched a refill programme so customers could return packaging and reduce waste, and tied every refill to a tree planted, protected, or restored.

• They pledged 10% of net profits to initiatives supporting the well-being of people and the planet, a commitment of €300–400 million over the next decade.

Their sustainability strategy was built to match the values of a customer who pays attention.

What Brands Can Learn From Rituals

Rituals’ brand strategy helped propel them from a single Dutch concept store to a global wellness powerhouse in over 35 countries, with more than 1,300 locations and €2.43 billion in revenue by 2025.

Key outcomes include:

• Consistent double-digit revenue growth for over 15 years

• A fiercely loyal customer base across millennials, Gen Z, and purpose-driven consumers

• One of the most recognizable wellness brand identities in the world

Rituals’ growth was driven by its decision to build a system that worked consistently.

• Clear positioning as a wellbeing brand

• A Consistent voice that is calm, intentional, and culturally rooted

• A mission that showed up everywhere: in the packaging, the pricing, the partnerships, and the profit pledge

If you are building a brand in hospitality, wellness, or lifestyle,

You need a belief system that is sharp enough to help you stand out in your industry and own your story, no matter how saturated your market is.

How do you take an ordinary product like water and turn it into a $700M Brand?

Liquid Death did not invent water or cans,

Yet, they built one of the fastest-growing beverage brands in the world.

By improving how people feel about the product “Water.”

This is a case study on how positioning, audience understanding, and brand systems can transform even the most ordinary product into a global brand.

Liquid Death’s quest on what they could do differently?

Before Liquid Death, the bottled water market was predictable.

Most brands positioned themselves around:

• Health

• Purity

• Nature

• Fitness

Everything looked and sounded the same.

The consistent use of Blue labels, Mountains, or a Minimal personality

This meant most brands competed on:

• price

• convenience

• availability

Liquid Death saw the gap.

They needed to change the positioning.

They decided to sell an Identity.

Liquid Death positioned itself differently.

And they started with the audience identity.

They asked:

Who do we want this brand to represent?

They marketed to people who resonated with:

• rebellion

• humor

• alternative culture

• individuality

Their core positioning was simple:
Liquid Death is a lifestyle brand that happens to sell water.

The Brand Positioning

They positioned themselves around:

• boldness

• rebellion

• entertainment

• anti-corporate personality

Their packaging looked like a beer or energy drink.

This made the product feel culturally relevant.

That made their audience buy what the brand represented.

Content as the Primary Growth Engine

Liquid Death relies on attention.

They create content that is:

• entertaining

• unexpected

• culturally relevant

Their marketing feels like media.

Their campaigns include:

• humorous videos

• absurd storytelling

• culturally driven content

This makes people share their brand organically.

Packaging as a great Marketing Tool

Liquid Death cans look like:

• beer

• energy drinks

• lifestyle beverages

This achieves two things:

1. It attracts attention immediately.

2. It changes perception instantly.

People are more likely to pick it up because they are curious.

Packaging became their first marketing touchpoint.

The Impact of their Strategy

They transformed water from a functional product into a cultural product.

They built:

• massive audience loyalty

• strong brand identity

• organic demand

Liquid Death is valued at around $1.4 billion, following its latest funding round in March 2024. The company achieved this valuation after securing $67 million in financing from investors, including several major beverage distributors and celebrity backers like actor Josh Brolin and NFL player DeAndre Hopkins.

The Deeper Lesson for Founders and Growing Brands

What if an Unconventional approach and breaking the rules is the right direction?

Sometimes growth comes from improving perception.

For Liquid Water, they sold identity and built a better brand system.

You don’t need a revolutionary product to build a successful brand.

You need:

• a different approach

• clear positioning

• deep audience understanding

• consistent brand systems

Oatly is an oat milk company that rewired how people think about food, sustainability, and choice.

Oatly understood that they had to stand out in the dairy market, and they chose to be bold and different.

It was positioned as:

• A challenger to outdated food systems.

• A voice for climate-aware consumers.

They asked, “How do we question the role of milk in modern life?”

What made them different?

Oatly deliberately chose to break the Rules of acceptance.

• They openly criticized the dairy industry.

• They spoke directly about the climate impact.

• They accepted that not everyone would like them

By standing firmly for:

• Sustainability

• Transparency

They attracted a loyal audience who identified with the brand.

Lesson:
Strong brands are built by resonating deeply with the right people.

Clear Tone of Voice in Messaging

Oatly’s copy had a definite tone of voice.

They used:

• Conversational tone

• Self-aware humor

• Honest, sometimes awkward explanations

Packaging copy felt like reading someone’s thoughts out loud.

This made their brand approachable and human

Strong brands are built by resonating deeply with the right people.

Strategic Placements in Distribution

Oatly didn’t rely on traditional advertising to create demand first.

They focused on strategic placement:

• Coffee shops

• Cafés

• Baristas as early adopters

By becoming the default oat milk in cafés, Oatly entered daily routines before entering homes.

People tried it in their coffee, liked it, and then looked for it in stores.

What Brands Can Learn From Oatly

Oatly’s branding helped propel them from a niche Scandinavian oat milk to a global disruptor in the dairy industry.

Key outcomes include:

• Massive brand recognition, even among non-users

• A cult following, especially among millennials and Gen Z

• A strong voice in sustainability conversations.

Oatly’s growth was driven by its decision to build a system that worked consistently.

• Clear positioning

• Consistent voice

• Habit-driven distribution

• A mission that showed up everywhere

Patagonia is an outdoor apparel brand known for high-quality products and a deep commitment to sustainability.

What truly sets Patagonia apart is how intentionally they build systems around their audience, then design their marketing and growth strategies from those insights.

Patagonia focuses on understanding people, reducing friction, and aligning every touchpoint with its core values.

Understanding the Audience Before Scaling the Strategy

Patagonia invested early in systems that made it easier to observe customer behavior, preferences, and values.

This allowed them to build marketing strategies based on real audience insights.

Everything they do starts with one question:

How do we make this experience more useful and aligned with our customers’ values?

Seamless Shopping Through Omnichannel Experiences

Patagonia created a strong online-to-offline shopping system.

Customers can:

• Browse and shop online.

• Pick up items at a nearby Patagonia store.

• Avoid shipping fees and delays.

This omnichannel approach gives customers flexibility, making the buying process feel simple and thoughtful.

Personalized Web and Mobile Experiences

Patagonia leverages customer data to create tailored digital experiences.

They analyze:

• Past purchases

• Browsing behavior

• Product preferences

When customers visit Patagonia’s website or mobile app, they see:

• Products aligned with their interests

• Relevant offers

• Content that matches their lifestyle

For example, a customer who frequently shops for hiking gear might see:

• New hiking equipment

• Articles on hiking tips and destinations

• Exclusive offers on related products

This personalization makes the experience more relevant and enjoyable, encouraging repeat visits and deeper engagement.

Personalized Email Marketing That Feels Human

Patagonia extends personalization into email marketing.

Subscribers receive newsletters that:

• Match their interests

• Highlight relevant products and stories.

• Offer early access, special discounts, or new launches

Rather than pushing sales, these emails help customers feel seen, valued, and understood.

Community Building Through Storytelling

One of Patagonia’s strongest growth drivers is storytelling centered on sustainability.

Across their social platforms, they consistently share:

• Environmental activism stories

• Conservation efforts

• Initiatives they support

These stories resonate deeply with their audience, many of whom are outdoor enthusiasts and environmentally conscious consumers.

By highlighting real people and real impact, Patagonia builds emotional connection and long-term trust.

Promoting Reuse and Repair

Patagonia actively encourages reuse and repair instead of constant buying.

Through campaigns like Worn Wear, they:

• Share repair tutorials

• Highlight customer repair stories.

• Promote recycling and second-hand use.

This reinforces their values while differentiating them from fast-fashion brands.

User-Generated Content and Influencer Partnerships

Patagonia uses user-generated content to strengthen authenticity.

They encourage customers to:

• Share outdoor adventure photos.

• Tell stories about repairing their Patagonia gear

They also collaborate with:

• Outdoor enthusiasts

• Athletes

• Environmental activists

These partnerships expand reach, increase credibility, and keep the brand grounded in real experiences.

Strategic Partnerships That Reinforce the Mission

Patagonia partners with organizations that amplify their sustainability goals.

A strong example is their partnership with iFixit, where they:

• Provide tools and repair guides.

• Host workshops and tutorials

• Empower customers to fix their own gear.

This partnership reinforces a culture of responsibility and long-term thinking.

The Core Insight

Patagonia’s growth is driven by:

• Clear values

• Deep audience understanding

• Thoughtful use of technology

• Community-first storytelling

• Strategic partnerships

Their success proves that your core value or message can be built into systems that drive loyalty, trust, and long-term growth.

MTN grew through intentional market strategy and consistent execution.

Today, MTN serves over 300 million mobile subscribers across 16 African markets, a milestone that reflects trust built over time.

At the center of this growth was a deep understanding of a very human need:
the need to stay connected, no matter where life takes you.

Understanding the Market

In Nigeria, especially, MTN understood one core truth early:

The need for communication, particularly for Nigerians with Families in different parts of the Country and abroad

MTN positioned itself around this reality and made a promise it repeated and delivered on consistently:

“Everywhere you go.”

A Mission That Guided Execution

MTN’s broader brand mission is clear:

To make customers’ lives brighter by enabling a modern, connected life, driving Africa’s digital world, and empowering individuals to achieve their potential.

But having a strong mission and a solid product wasn’t enough.

They had to reach everyone, everywhere, and in ways that felt familiar, reliable, and accessible.

The 4 Strategic Moves That Made the Difference

1. Simple, Solution-Driven Messaging

They made their messaging simple and solution-driven to fit the needs and interests of people.

The focus was on how communication solved everyday problems across regions, languages, and cultures.

2. Mass Media Presence

MTN invested heavily in channels that ensured visibility:

• TV

• Radio

• Billboards

• Print media

This helped spread awareness, whether you were in a city center or a smaller town.

3. Cultural and Seasonal Relevance

MTN showed up where attention already existed.

They invested in advertising during:

• Football matches

• Music shows

• High-engagement cultural seasons

4. Mission-Aligned Partnerships

MTN partnered with initiatives and campaigns that reinforced their mission connectivity, empowerment, and digital inclusion.

These strengthened brand meaning and reinforced trust.

The Impact of Consistent Market Execution

In the first half of 2025, MTN Nigeria generated over ₦2.1 trillion in voice and data revenue, representing a 55.7% year-on-year increase.

Across the MTN Group, service revenue grew by more than 20%, driven by:

• Increased data usage

• Rising smartphone penetration

• Growth in mobile money adoption

It was growth built on relevance, reach, and trust.

The Core Insight

MTN focused on:

• Understanding their audience deeply

• Making one clear promise

• Repeating that promise consistently across every touchpoint

That is what made “Everywhere you go” believable.

A Takeaway for Brands

If you’re a brand trying to reach more people,

The lesson is to ask:

• Do you truly understand your audience’s core need?

• Is your message simple enough to travel far?

• Are you showing up where attention already exists?

You only need clarity, consistency, and a strategy that fits your brand.

This is Case Study 2 of a weekly series where I break down brand and marketing strategies that worked and why they worked.

If you’re interested in building brands that inspire trust, clarity, and real adoption, consider subscribing.

Before Airbnb scaled globally, they solved one thing first:

How to make people feel safe and at home anywhere.

Airbnb wanted people to feel like they belong anywhere they find themselves.

That idea became the foundation of how Airbnb positioned itself, built its product, and marketed its services.

When a Mission Becomes a Strategy

That mission became their core message, and it was a strategic decision.

“Belong Anywhere.”

In an industry dominated by hotels, transactions, and standardized experiences, Airbnb chose to compete on emotional safety and human connection.

To reinforce this idea visually and symbolically, Airbnb introduced the Bélo symbol, a logo designed to represent belonging, connection, and shared humanity.

The symbol mattered because it made the mission tangible.
Belonging was something people could see and identify with.

A Deliberate Shift in Brand Language

Once the mission was clear, Airbnb adjusted how it spoke.

Their language moved intentionally away from:

• hotels

• accommodation

• rooms

And toward:

• homes

• hosts

• experiences

• community

Words shape perception.

By changing the language, Airbnb reframed travel from visiting a place to temporarily belonging to it.

Community as a Marketing Strategy

Airbnb focused on a community-driven marketing system.

They designed their platform to encourage interaction at multiple levels:

• between hosts and guests

• between guests and other guests

Features like reviews, profiles, and message boards became Airbnb’s trust-building systems.

Letting Users Tell the Story

One of Airbnb’s smartest marketing decisions was leaning into user-generated content.

Guests were encouraged to share:

• photos

• videos

• personal stories from real stays

This did two important things.

First, it created a strong sense of authenticity.
Real people. Real homes. Real experiences.

Second, it inspired trust in potential users.
Seeing someone else’s lived experience made the idea of staying with a stranger feel normal, and appealing.

Airbnb then amplified this content through:

• social media advertising

• partnerships with travel influencers

Instead of saying “Trust Airbnb,”
they built systems that made people say it for themselves.

The Impact of a Human-Centered Brand Marketing System

Between 2014 and 2019, Airbnb grew from 10 million to over 150 million users globally, becoming one of the most trusted travel platforms in the world.

Today, Airbnb operates in 190+ countries, with millions of stays booked every year, powered largely by community trust and shared experiences.

Growth didn’t come from louder marketing.
It came from clearer positioning and better-designed trust systems.

The Core Insight

Airbnb deeply understood their audience’s emotional needs:

• safety

• connection

• trust

And they built their brand, product, and marketing around those needs.

They led with belonging.

This is what a human-centered brand and marketing system looks like in practice.

It’s also a reminder that the brands people adopt most easily are often the ones that make them feel understood before they’re asked to transact.

This is Case Study 1 of a weekly series where I break down brand and marketing strategies that worked and why they worked.

If you’re interested in building brands that inspire trust, clarity, and real adoption, consider subscribing.

Images sourced from Airbnb and publicly available online materials

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