| Course | BUSI 520 Strategic Marketing Management (BUSI520) |
|---|---|
| Module/Week | 2 |
| Assignment | MMGP: Background Information |
| Paper type | Group project section (individual submission) |
| Length | about 809 words, 3 double-spaced pages plus title page and references. Course guide: an individual submission of 2 to 4 full pages, 12-point Times New Roman, double spaced, with a title page naming the project topic and the questions addressed, and a separate references page |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| Points | 85 |
| School | Liberty University Online |
| Program | MBA |
| Where it sits | Module/Week 2 in Liberty's published BUSI 520 course guide; current sections can differ |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for BUSI 520 Week 2
Marketing Management Group Project, Background Information: Liquid Death Mountain Water
[Student Name]
School of Business, Liberty University
BUSI 520: Strategic Marketing Management
Marketing Management Group Project: Background Information
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The group's choice of product is the writer's; the company facts come from published sources cited in the paper, the research and textbook are real, and the requirements follow Liberty's public course guide for BUSI 520.
Marketing Management Group Project, Background Information: Liquid Death Mountain Water
Questions Addressed
- What product does the group's project analyze, and what does its product line include?
- What is the history of the firm that produces it?
Product Description
Liquid Death sells drinking water and related beverages in aluminum cans with packaging that borrows the look of heavy metal and punk culture: a skull logo, gothic lettering and the tagline "murder your thirst." Its original products, launched in 2019, were still mountain water and sparkling mountain water in 16.9-ounce tallboy cans, later joined by 12-ounce and 19.2-ounce formats (Clark, 2025). The line has since expanded into flavored sparkling waters with names such as Severed Lime and Mango Chainsaw, iced teas such as Grim Leafer and Rest in Peach, an electrolyte drink mix sold as Death Dust, and, in 2025, soda-inspired sparkling waters and a sparkling energy drink (Clark, 2025; Kirichanskaya, 2024).
The product inside the can is ordinary: water, in some versions carbonated or flavored. What the company sells is the combination of that ordinary product with an extraordinary brand. Kotler and Keller (2016) distinguish the core benefit a customer buys from the basic, expected and augmented product built around it. Liquid Death's core benefit, hydration, is identical to that of every competitor; its differentiation lies almost entirely in the augmented product, the can, the name, the humor and the identity the brand offers its buyers. The aluminum can also carries a sustainability claim, since the company presents its packaging as an alternative to single-use plastic bottles, a claim later sections of the project will evaluate.
Brief History of the Firm
Liquid Death was founded by Mike Cessario, a former advertising creative (Kirichanskaya, 2024). By his account, the idea came from watching musicians at the Warped Tour drink water from energy drink cans because a sponsor required it, which led him to wonder why water had never been marketed with the attitude of an energy drink (Clark, 2025). He applied for the Liquid Death trademark in 2017.
Before any product existed, the company spent about $1,500 on a deliberately absurd online video advertisement. The video drew roughly three million views within four months and helped the company build a Facebook following larger than Aquafina's, evidence of demand that supported a seed round of about $1.6 million (Clark, 2025). Berger and Milkman (2012) found that online content spreads more widely when it evokes high-arousal emotions such as amusement or surprise, and the video was designed to do exactly that.
The company launched in 2019 by selling directly to consumers online, then moved into retail. Whole Foods Market was an early national partner, and a partnership with Live Nation made Liquid Death the water served at more than 120 concerts and festivals (Clark, 2025). By 2023, the company reported $263 million in retail scanned sales, its third consecutive year of triple-digit growth, and availability in more than 113,000 stores, including 7-Eleven, Kroger, Publix, Safeway, Target and Walmart, as well as in the United Kingdom and Australia (Kirichanskaya, 2024). In March 2024 it raised $67 million at a valuation of $1.4 billion (Kirichanskaya, 2024). Reported figures for 2024 put retail sales at about $333 million, with growth slowing to roughly 27 percent, and the company has expanded its product line further in search of new growth (Clark, 2025).
Why the Product Suits This Project
Kotler and Keller (2016) describe holistic marketing as integrating relationship, internal, integrated and performance marketing so that every activity reinforces the others. Liquid Death is an unusually clear case because its marketing, not its product, is the source of its value. Holt (2004) argued that some brands become cultural icons by offering consumers a story that addresses tensions in the wider culture, and Liquid Death's irreverent treatment of a health product, together with its environmental message, appears designed to do that for younger consumers who distrust conventional advertising.
The brand also faces the challenges the course will examine. Its growth has slowed as it has scaled, competitors can copy its packaging format, and its premium price must be justified by a brand rather than a product advantage. Those questions will shape the group's later sections on market analysis, positioning, pricing and promotion.
The brand's history also shows a company that has moved through several stages of the growth path Kotler and Keller (2016) describe for new offerings: a test of demand before launch, an online introduction to early adopters, a carefully chosen first retail partner whose shoppers matched the brand, and then rapid expansion into mass retailers. Each stage widened the audience and changed the marketing problem. A brand that once spoke to a narrow, self-selected online following now sits on shelves next to national water brands in convenience stores and supercenters, where many shoppers have never seen its videos. How Liquid Death keeps its edge while reaching those mainstream buyers is likely to be the central strategic question of the group's project, and the remaining sections will return to it from several angles.
References
Berger, J., & Milkman, K. L. (2012). What makes online content viral? Journal of Marketing Research, 49(2), 192-205. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.10.0353
Clark, B. (2025, July 22). MicroVentures' portfolio company: Liquid Death's history and milestones. MicroVentures. https://microventures.com/microventures-portfolio-company-liquid-death-history-and-milestones
Holt, D. B. (2004). How brands become icons: The principles of cultural branding. Harvard Business School Press.
Kirichanskaya, N. (2024, May 16). 'We are still in the early innings': Liquid Death's SVP of strategy. Inside FMCG. https://insidefmcg.com.au/2024/05/16/we-are-still-in-the-early-innings-liquid-deaths-svp-of-strategy/
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing management (15th ed.). Pearson.
What the BUSI 520 Week 2 instructions ask
In week two, BUSI 520 assigns chapters 4 through 6 of Kotler and Keller and a presentation, with three graded items: MMGP Product/Service Topic Identification, MMGP Background Information, worth 85 points, and Quiz 1 on chapters 1 through 6. Each group chooses a new or existing product or service, no two groups the same, and each member submits a description of the product and a brief history of the firm that produces it. Individual submissions run 2 to 4 full pages, 12-point Times New Roman, double spaced, with a title page naming the project topic and the specific questions addressed and a separate references page.
How this BUSI 520 Week 2 example is built
The paper opens by listing the questions it addresses, as the title page requirement asks. It then describes the product line precisely, including package formats, flavors and categories, since later sections on segmentation, positioning and pricing depend on knowing exactly what is sold. The history section moves in order from the founder's idea through the pre-launch video, the online launch, the first major retail partner and the funding rounds to the company's current scale. A final section links the case to concepts from the opening chapters, such as the holistic marketing concept and brand-led strategy. Facts are cited to published sources throughout, and the paper stays within four pages.
BUSI 520 Week 2 grading rubric: where the points go
MMGP sections are graded on whether they answer the prompt's questions completely and accurately, the quality and currency of the research, clear organization and writing, and the formatting requirements: a title page with the project topic and questions addressed, 2 to 4 full pages double spaced, and a separate references page in current APA. For the background section, instructors look for a precise product description and a factual company history with dates, cited to credible sources. Because the section becomes part of the group's final document, consistency with the group's chosen product and accurate facts matter more than analysis at this stage. Clear headings make the later compilation easier. Graders also check that every fact in the history has a source.
BUSI 520 Week 2 help: mistakes that cost points
Agree with your group on the product early, since the topic must be unique in the class. Gather the company's own materials, trade press and business news for facts and dates, and note each source as you go. Describe the product line exactly, including formats and prices if available. Keep the history short and chronological. Add a paragraph linking the product to the week's chapters so the section is more than a summary. Use headings, stay within 2 to 4 pages and check the title page requirements. Study for Quiz 1, which covers chapters 1 through 6 and is due the same week. Keep a shared source list with the group.
Related BUSI 520 sample papers
Other BUSI 520 weeks
- BUSI 520 Week 1: IFL I: Philippians 2:4 and Marketing
- BUSI 520 Week 3: MMGP Market Analysis: Liquid Death
- BUSI 520 Week 4: General Discussion: Brand Extensions
- BUSI 520 Week 5: MMGP Positioning: Liquid Death
- BUSI 520 Week 6: MMGP Services/Pricing: Liquid Death
- BUSI 520 Week 7: MMGP Promotions: Liquid Death
- BUSI 520 Week 8: MMGP Final Report: Liquid Death
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BUSI 520 Week 2 questions, answered
What is the BUSI 520 MMGP Background Information assignment?
The first 85-point section of the Marketing Management Group Project, due in Module/Week 2, in which each group member describes the chosen product and gives a brief history of its firm in 2 to 4 pages.
Where can I find a free BUSI 520 Week 2 sample paper?
This page contains a complete BUSI 520 Week 2 project section giving the background of Liquid Death, its product line and its history from 2019 to the present.
What is the BUSI 520 Marketing Management Group Project?
A group analysis of one product or service built over the course in five sections, background, market analysis, positioning and branding, services and pricing, and promotions, compiled into a final report with recommendations.
Why is Liquid Death a good product for a marketing project?
It sells an undifferentiated product, water, through unusually strong branding, which makes its segmentation, positioning, pricing and promotion decisions easy to see and to analyze.
What else is due in BUSI 520 Module/Week 2?
The group's Product/Service Topic Identification and Quiz 1, which gives two hours for 50 questions spanning the first six chapters and allows the book and notes, are due with the background section.
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