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Case study · Death Wish Coffee

How Death Wish Coffee won a free Super Bowl ad with a small-business contest

TL;DR

Death Wish Coffee, based in upstate New York, built a brand around very strong coffee. In 2016 it won Intuit QuickBooks’ Small Business Big Game contest, earning a free 30-second Super Bowl 50 ad out of more than 15,000 entries. The lesson: a sharp product claim plus a community that will vote for you can beat a big ad budget.

How it started

Mike Brown founded Death Wish Coffee in upstate New York, and the company dates its start to 2012. It sells wholesale coffee, packaged whole bean coffee and Keurig-compatible K-cups. Its branding centers on a single claim: that it is the world’s strongest coffee based on caffeine content.

The company is based in Saratoga Springs, New York, and its coffee is roasted in Round Lake, New York, according to Wikipedia. Brown’s business was a small operation with only a handful of employees when it entered the national spotlight.

How they got the first customers

Death Wish sold online, through Amazon and through grocery stores. Its sharp positioning, the strongest coffee, gave customers a reason to remember and share it.

The company did not have a national advertising budget. It got attention through a contest instead, using its customers and fans as the engine.

What drove growth

Death Wish Coffee won the Intuit QuickBooks Small Business Big Game contest, which gave it a 30-second Super Bowl 50 commercial at no cost to the company. It was selected from more than 15,000 entries and hundreds of thousands of votes, with fan voting pushing it to the top. The ad, Storm’s a Brewin’, showed Vikings sailing on a sea of black coffee.

In January 2016, Brown said the company had its best fourth quarter since it was founded and expected the first quarter of 2016 to be even bigger. The goal was wider distribution at national retailers. The company has not published sales figures for the ad’s effect, so none are claimed here.

Lessons you can copy

  1. 1Own one bold claimThe strongest coffee claim is easy to repeat and simple to remember. A clear claim helps customers choose you.
  2. 2Enter contests and competitionsA free national ad cost only the effort of entering. Look for awards, grants and pitch contests in your industry.
  3. 3Mobilize your customersFan voting decided the contest. Build an email list or community so you can ask for help when it matters.
  4. 4Sell in more than one channelOnline, Amazon and grocery stores gave the brand several ways to earn. Do not rely on a single storefront.
  5. 5Prepare for a spikeA big moment only helps if you can keep up with orders. Check inventory and fulfillment before the attention arrives.

Frequently asked questions

How did Death Wish Coffee get a Super Bowl ad?

It won the Intuit QuickBooks Small Business Big Game contest, which awarded a 30-second ad during Super Bowl 50 at no cost to the company.

Who founded Death Wish Coffee?

Mike Brown founded it in 2012 in upstate New York.

Did the ad increase Death Wish Coffee’s sales?

Brown said the company had its best fourth quarter since founding and expected a bigger first quarter in 2016, but no specific sales figures were published in the sources used here.

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