There’s no denying the power of Amazon Prime Day: The annual sales event is now as much a summer staple as sandals and soft serve, and it once again broke records — this year’s extended four-day event drove $24.1 billion in online sales, a 30.3% increase over last year, according to Adobe Insights.
As a result, Prime Day has become a “must-win moment” for many brands. But with promotions being offered across millions of products, it can also be a challenge to capture consumers’ attention.
Functional hydration brand Liquid I.V. navigated this year’s Prime Day shopping frenzy with aplomb, and emerged as one of the top three items sold over the course of the sale, according to analysis from Numerator — quite a feat when you consider that nearly 308,000 items were sold in total.
Those results were evident internally as well, with Liquid I.V. recording double-digit growth this Prime Day compared to the same period last year.
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The Right Brand at the Right Moment (with the Right Strategy)
Founded in 2012 and acquired by Unilever in 2020, Liquid I.V. offers a range of powdered hydration products that enhance ordinary water with electrolytes, essential vitamins and nutrients.
The brand’s ranking as the #3 best-selling item during Prime Day — after #1, Premier Protein Shakes and #2, Dawn Platinum Powerwash — also highlights one of the biggest trends to come out of this year’s event: Inflation- and tariff-weary consumers used the sale as an opportunity to save money and stock up on essentials. And increasingly, health and wellness items like protein shakes and hydration enhancers are seen by a subset of consumers as shopping staples.
“Shoppers are increasingly using Amazon to purchase household essentials — anything from trash bags to pet food — and they’re using Prime Day to stock up on everyday products,” said Aaron Jones, VP of Ecommerce at Liquid I.V. in an interview with Retail TouchPoints. “Our Prime Day results show that Liquid I.V. has evolved from a niche hydration product into an everyday essential. Consumers increasingly see hydration as part of their broader wellness routines — not just with water intake, but also about functional benefits and personalized solutions.”
Prime Day Planning Begins 6 Months in Advance
Liquid I.V. is now sold at a range of retailers in addition to Amazon, including Costco, Target, Walmart and grocery stores such as Ralph’s, Gelson’s and Pavilion’s, and so Prime Day is not just a sales opportunity for the brand, but also a chance to enhance its profile during a peak moment for product discovery.
“At Liquid I.V., we see Amazon Prime Day as one of the few truly impactful summer shopping moments,” said Jones. “It’s a unique opportunity to meet consumers where they already are — engaged, excited and actively looking to discover products that fit into their lifestyle.”
Having been round the Prime Day block more than once, Liquid I.V. was prepared to do just that this year. Planning for the event begins six months in advance, as the company coordinates with Amazon and its supply chain partners to ensure sufficient inventory is in place: “We are consistently measuring run-rates, weather, deal timing and length, to quickly adapt our supply chain,” said Jones.
Using a New Product to Drive Attention During Prime Day
This year, Liquid I.V. also strategically timed the release of its newest flavor to June 30, right before Prime Day began on July 8 — Orange Vanilla Dream, a nostalgic throwback to orange creamsicles that adds the perfect zest to hydration on hot summer days. The debut of this new flavor and coordinated promotional pricing across the Liquid I.V. range gave both new and existing customers the perfect excuse to hit the “buy” button.
Jones and his team were also strategic about the pacing of their promotions and marketing during this year’s extended Prime Day: “We were intentional about ensuring that there was no lull in the middle of the four days for Prime Day, and phasing out our communications prevented us from exhausting people,” he said. “We also have seen great success through our 360-degree [marketing] efforts, including working with influencers, promoting on our owned social media channels (Instagram, TikTok and Facebook), and email and SMS promotions.”
As the brand had hoped, there also was a halo effect in its sales across other channels during Prime Day: “Because we approached Prime Day as part of a greater strategy that utilized several shopping moments, we did see traction in our other retail channels,” Jones said. “Many other retailers are now matching deal events during and around Prime Day, so it has certainly become a must-win moment.”
Prime Day Might be Big, but it’s Just the Beginning
While it might bring in banner sales, Prime Day is, in the end, just four days out of the year. “The challenge, and opportunity, now is to keep that momentum going by turning first-time buyers into loyal fans,” advised Mike Feldman, SVP of Commerce at digital commerce consultancy Flywheel Digital, of which Liquid I.V. is a client, in comments shared with Retail TouchPoints. “Ultimately, maximizing Prime Day investments requires an ongoing commitment because building loyalty is a long-term play, and now is when the real work begins.”
In that regard, Liquid I.V. is well-prepared: “We’re always looking for opportunities to be at the forefront of culture and meet our consumers where they are,” said Jones. “We’ll continue solidifying ourselves as the go-to hydration brand at sporting events, festivals and other locations where people experience dehydration and need the benefits of Liquid I.V.
“Our strength is in our community, and our ecommerce initiatives are rooted in authenticity, driving impact through innovation,” he added. “We stay future-ready with our involvement in digital trends like gaming and integration in streaming services. In fact, Love Island USA fans may have noticed the contestants enjoying Liquid I.V. sticks, which was an impactful integration for us.”
The brand also saw big success during its recent “I.V. O’Clock” Times Square takeover, which reminded the world to rehydrate at 4 p.m. to avoid an afternoon slump. Jones said it was “an absolute breakthrough activation for us,” and shared that the brand has big plans for holiday across its ecommerce channels with tie-ins focused on cold weather season.
