This week, I’m writing about topical news that’s taking over LinkedIn feeds - lots of people back tracking on their viewpoints alongside how brands can win by better understanding their pricing models. Finally, my thinking about TikTok and how the playbook needs to be ripped up!

Happy reading!

#1 The Curse of Liquid Death’s UK Exit: What Went Wrong?

Liquid Death came into the UK market swinging - and left just as fast.

The brand, known for its edgy marketing and tallboy cans of mountain water, failed to resonate with UK consumers. Despite its success in the US, its aggressive expansion strategy didn’t translate across the pond. Lots of theories why on LinkedIn.

My 3 Thoughts:

✅ Packaging Confusion: Liquid Death’s beer-like cans might have worked in the US as a rebellious, anti-plastic statement, but in the UK, where drinking culture is deeply ingrained, consumers saw it as… beer. Not hydration. Well, this was the case for me.

✅ Misreading the Market: You can’t just copy-paste a US playbook into the UK and expect the same results. UK consumers have different behaviours, buying habits, and even cultural attitudes toward branding and wellness.

✅ Over-Distribution Without Brand Foundation: Liquid Death hit UK shelves in Tesco and other major retailers right away - but without the grassroots momentum or cult-like fandom that fuelled its US growth.

What They Could Have Done

Liquid Death needed to understand the UK buyer personas first before going all-in on retail. A more localised, phased approach — perhaps testing in fitness spaces, selected grocery stores, or direct-to-consumer first could have allowed them to adjust before mass rollout.

This is exactly where my PersonaForge tool comes in. Instead of making assumptions, brands can test, refine, and launch based on real, data-driven UK consumer insights.

Had they done that? Liquid Death might not have died so quickly.

#2 The Price Velocity Problem

Brands often misunderstand the psychology of pricing and how to use it. We call this Velocity Pricing. 

Let’s use the example of Nike and Lululemon. Yes, Nike is losing ground, and it’s not just because of product quality and distribution - it’s also a lot to do with their pricing strategy.

For years, Nike has been the king of sportswear. But when it comes to profitability and customer loyalty, Lululemon is playing a smarter game right now!

• Nike’s 2023 margins? 44%.


• Lululemon? 58%.

The reason? Price velocity.

What is Price Velocity?

Price velocity is how quickly a product sells at full price before it needs to be discounted. A high price velocity means:


• Less discounting

• Faster inventory turnover

• Higher profitability

Lululemon sells 90% of its products at full price (Bloomberg, 2023), while Nike frequently discounts, conditioning customers to wait for sales instead of paying full price.

Lululemon’s Pricing Strategy: A Masterclass in Profitability

Lululemon doesn’t chase volume like Nike. Instead, it uses a three-tier pricing model:

1. Accessible Pricing – Core products at stable prices, creating long-term brand affinity (e.g., the classic Align leggings).

2. Premium Pricing – Limited-edition and specialised products at premium price points, ensuring demand and exclusivity.

3. Scarcity-Driven Pricing – Short-run collections that rarely go on sale, fuelling urgency and repeat purchases.

This model leads to:


• Inventory turning 4x faster than competitors (MarketWatch, 2023)


• Customer retention at 89% (RetailDrive, 2023)


• Repeat purchases up 37% YoY (Forbes, 2023)

Meanwhile, Nike’s approach floods the market with too much product, leading to markdowns, lower margins, and slower inventory turnover.

What Brands Can Learn

If you’re constantly discounting, you’re training your customers to wait for a better deal. Instead, focus on:

🔹 Tighter inventory control – Avoid overproduction to keep demand high.
🔹 Tiered pricing – Not every product needs to be premium, but some should be.
🔹 Customer experience – Lululemon isn’t just selling clothes; it’s selling a community, which drives loyalty.

Nike still leads in scale, but Lululemon is proving that profitability beats volume.

#3 The New eCommerce Playbook: How TikTok is Driving Sales Like Never Before

TikTok is no longer just a trend engine — it’s becoming the centre of the commerce ecosystem.

The platform’s influence on consumer behaviour, discovery, and purchasing decisions has rewritten how brands scale. With the rollout of TikTok Shop, we’re seeing a new playbook emerge for how products move through the digital and retail landscape.

Here’s how I see it playing out:

• Trends Start: TikTok 

  • It all begins here. Viral sounds, influencer endorsements, and “TikTok made me buy it” moments create instant demand for products overnight. Whether it’s skincare, kitchen gadgets, or viral fashion, TikTok drives what people want right now.

• Discovery: TikTok (+ Other Social) 

  • Unlike traditional search-based discovery (Google, Amazon), TikTok pushes products to people before they even think about needing them. Once a product gains traction, it spreads to Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and Pinterest, reinforcing the hype.

• First Purchase: Social/TikTok Shop 

  • TikTok Shop is now removing friction from discovery to purchase. Instead of users heading to a website or searching on Amazon, they’re buying directly in-app. Brands that optimise for TikTok-native shopping behaviours (e.g., live selling, short-form demos, influencer-led promotions) see huge conversion rates.

• Engagement: Brand Platforms (Owned)


  • Once the first purchase is made, brands need to capture these customers on owned channels—whether that’s email, SMS, or loyalty apps. Social commerce is a traffic generator, but the real money is in long-term engagement outside the algorithm’s control.

• Repeat Purchase: Amazon


  • After discovering a product on TikTok, consumers often default to Amazon for convenience and trust. Amazon benefits from TikTok-driven trends because shoppers want fast shipping, easy returns, and competitive pricing. Brands should expect a TikTok-boosted halo effect on their Amazon listings.

• Scale: Traditional Retail


  • Once a product proves its demand, big-box retailers take notice. A brand with TikTok credibility can leverage its virality into retail partnerships (e.g., Sephora, Target, Walmart). Retailers want products that already have built-in demand, reducing their risk.

The Takeaway for Brands

If you're still treating TikTok as just another social media platform, you're missing the real opportunity. TikTok is now the top of the funnel for modern commerce - if you're not optimising for it, you're playing catch-up.

Brands that succeed are the ones that understand this new journey - from trend to TikTok Shop, to Amazon, and eventually to retail shelves.

Are you building your brand with this playbook in mind?

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