I Launched A Viral Water Brand In 8 Weeks

Key takeaways

Empower young creators to lead in brand-building efforts, harnessing their existing influence.
Community engagement is vital; brands should interact genuinely with their audience.
Understanding and leveraging the NIL landscape can spark innovation in branding strategies.
Effective positioning goes beyond claiming positive traits; it’s about carving out unique market spaces.
Adaptability and attentiveness to market trends are crucial for success in entrepreneurship.

Summary

Viral Launch of 67 Water

In this episode, Shaan Puri talks with Dan Porter about the rapid growth and viral success of 67 Water, a canned water brand that became the fourth most followed water brand on social media in a short period. Porter shares how the concept originated from a TikTok meme created by a high school basketball player, Taylor 'TK' Kinney, whose humorous response became a cultural phenomenon. They discuss the power of social media in building a brand without traditional marketing approaches, highlighting how they leveraged a meme to gain traction quickly.

Engaging with the Community

Porter emphasizes the importance of community engagement in branding. He shares that responding to a million comments on social media helped generate loyalty and build a following. This interactive approach made fans feel seen and valued, creating a grassroots movement rather than just a product. He draws parallels between the personalized engagement strategies at Overtime, where they prioritize responding to fans, and how they aim to replicate that with 67 Water.

Navigating NIL in Sports

The conversation covers the recent changes in college sports regarding Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals. Porter explains how top athletes can now earn substantial income through endorsements, reshaping their college experience. He highlights how these advancements open the door for creative branding opportunities like TK's water brand, suggesting that student athletes can use their popularity to negotiate deals that benefit both their brand and the schools they wish to join.

Innovative Market Positioning

Porter discusses the significance of positioning in business, drawing lessons from his experiences with successful brands. He argues that true positioning requires understanding market needs and gaps, rather than simply promoting positive attributes. Instead of competing against larger companies head-on, new brands should find unique niches and directly cater to specific audiences, tapping into cultural trends and community preferences.

Lessons in Startups and Entrepreneurship

The episode concludes with a reflection on the entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing the value of being adaptable and open to change. Porter shares anecdotes about how unexpected insights often lead to breakthrough ideas, encouraging aspiring entrepreneurs to remain attentive to cultural shifts and opportunities in the marketplace.

Show notes

Want Sam's guide to create actually-good content? Get it here: https://clickhubspot.com/mch

Episode 735: Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) talks to Dan Porter ( https://x.com/tfadp ) about how he turned canned water into a viral hit.

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Show Notes:

(0:00) Making water viral

(24:12) Marketing from the bottom

(45:15) Positioning is everything

(58:22) How I got 100M followers

(1:04:29) How to spot gold

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Links:

• 67 Water - https://www.67water.com/

• Overtime - https://itsovertime.com/

• Teach for America - https://www.teachforamerica.org/

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• Shaan's weekly email - https://www.shaanpuri.com

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• Mercury - Need a bank for your company? Go check out Mercury (mercury.com). Shaan uses it for all of his companies!

Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC

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• Hampton - https://www.joinhampton.com/

• Ideation Bootcamp - https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/

• Copy That - https://copythat.com

• Hampton Wealth Survey - https://joinhampton.com/wealth

• Sam’s List - http://samslist.co/

My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by HubSpot Media // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano