red bull media house case study

Why Red Bull Media House is the ‘King of Content’

When it comes to the business of creating and distributing eye-catching content, few do it better than red bull media house. the energy drinks giant’s sprawling multimedia arm sits comfortably at the intersection of sports, music, culture, lifestyle and entertainment, providing a blueprint for others to follow..

If the word ‘content’ has come to encapsulate just about everything the sports industry produces and sells – a catch-all term covering live events, media rights, sponsorship packages, hospitality experiences, and everything in between – there can be no mistaking that content, in all its many forms, is Red Bull’s forte.

On any given day, a quick scroll through the homepage of Red Bull TV reveals much about the brand upon which the digital streaming platform has been built.

On arrival, visitors are presented with a sleek selection of autoplay trailers for shows and videos on sports like mountain biking, BASE jumping, motocross and backcountry skiing. Further down, beneath inviting clips of big wave surfers and snowboarders brandishing cans of Red Bull, interviews with aerobatic stunt pilots and acoustic sessions featuring up-and-coming artists, there are feature-length films and documentaries profiling everything from the rise of French house music to skateboarding in the ancient towns of Central America.

Dig a little deeper and it quickly becomes clear that there is plenty more where that came from. Beyond the well-stocked landing page, housed within a hulking array of channels and formats, lies an eclectic menagerie of general interest stories, feats of dumfounding daring and athleticism, and intrepid expeditions to some of the remotest places and people on the planet.

“I think there are a lot of people who are aware that we do this stuff – we do production, we do video – but not always understanding exactly how it all fits together,” says Gerrit Meier, who has been chief executive of Red Bull Media Network and managing director of Red Bull Media House since 2016.

“What was not clear to me, which is amazing, is how ingrained we truly are in finding talent and doing events and how we do this on the content creation side as well.

“I think the overall perception is that we’re doing a lot, and because everything is not connected necessarily – because we’re doing a lot of different disciplines, a lot of different athletes – it’s sometimes hard to get your head around exactly how it all fits.”

Red Bull is indeed an organisation whose tentacles extend through virtually every link in the content value chain. Part beverage brand, part media company, part event operator, part team owner, part marketing agency, part rights distributor – it is, in many ways, an entire ecosystem unto itself; a unique beast with a life of its own that effortlessly straddles just about every consumer passion point under the sun.

Much of that is down to the far-reaching scope of the company’s sprawling multiplatform media arm, whose product range spans TV, mobile, digital, audio, and print. As well as operating its own website and Red Bull TV, its aforementioned over-the-top (OTT) service, Red Bull Media House encompasses Austrian TV network ServusTV, The Red Bulletin print magazine, the production company Terra Mater Factual Studios, and a content library for third-party media organisations known as Red Bull Content Pool.

I think the perception is that we’re doing a lot, and because everything is not connected necessarily it’s sometimes hard to get your head around exactly how it all fits Gerrit Meier, Red Bull Media Network chief executive

Even for Meier, who has worked in senior leadership positions across sports, media and entertainment for more than two decades, the sheer scale of Red Bull’s media operation is difficult to fathom. But his remit is not to educate outsiders about what Red Bull does or what the brand stands for. His chief mandate is to grease the gears in a supremely slick in-house media machine, one which houses more than 600 sports events, documentaries and factual entertainment as well as scripted series and feature films, and which is often held up as the quintessential content factory.

“The media house really has the role of providing the competency behind how we think about content,” he explains, “everything from the format, the length, the quality, the production management aspect, where the content should live, what’s the best home for it, is it going to be owned, managed, shared or licensed or co-produced, all the way to the activation. There’s more than that but if you take the value chain of content from idea to delivery, that’s the media house.”

Based at Red Bull’s central hub just outside Salzburg, Austria, Meier is responsible for the company’s global content, production, programming and distribution operations. It is a role for which he has been preparing, knowingly or not, for much of his working life. Before joining Red Bull in late 2016, he spent three years heading up WWE’s international business, where he reported directly to wrestling supremo Vince McMahon. Prior to that role he earned his living in music, first for EMI Group, then at Clear Channel and Spotify, having graduated from Harvard Business School with an MBA in Media.

The Red Bull Rampage, an invitation-only freeride mountain bike competition held near Zion National Park, Utah, United States, is streamed live in full via Red Bull's social media channels

Taken together, those roles have ensured Meier is well-versed in the salient trends that have shaped and sculpted the entertainment landscape since the late 1990s – from the decline of linear TV and analog music formats to the associated rise of social and digital media. He himself has written extensively on the evolution of content distribution and emerging business models, and he is now putting every ounce of his knowledge into practice at Red Bull.

“For me,” he says, “coming into this with the resources and talent that we have as a company, and the genuine interest, to then get your hands on the opportunity to be in sports, be in culture, create events with our marketing organisation, and build this both for the brand and the second mandate – for the media house, the non-branded side – was amazing.”

Where Red Bull’s public-facing brand encompasses its owned or sponsored events, athletes, teams and media channels – and, of course, its eponymous energy drink – the media house sits somewhere across each of those verticals, promoting, publicising and propping up the overall ecosystem.

“We don’t believe in traditional marketing; we don’t do big television commercials, we’ve never done that,” says Meier. “We believe that we can activate through events and great content, and that’s where we’d rather spend our money. So doing that and having brand relevance absolutely still drives the core business. But we also now do a lot of things where you’re like, ‘wow, that has nothing to do with the brand’, but it still really makes good content.”

When it comes to content creation, the Red Bull approach is perhaps best illustrated by, and most commonly associated with, the world record breaking Red Bull Stratos project of 2012. In arguably the most ambitious publicity stunt ever staged, Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner leapt from a helium stratosphere to become the first human to break the sound barrier without the help of an engine.

Audacious, risky, mesmerising, viral-ready: Baumgartner’s out of- this-world skydive had all the makings of a live Red Bull spectacle. Fundamentally, it boiled down to a show of elite athletic performance and unspeakable daring in a wholly unique setting, replete with stunning visuals and no expense spared. Indeed, the formula was tried and trusted, having already been applied by Red Bull elsewhere – in awe-inspiring projects showcasing the diverse and perilous worlds of BASE jumping, cliff diving, aerobatic racing, free solo climbing, and ice cross downhill.

“I think if we were following trends we would be covering different sports,” laughs Meier. “I think what we’ve managed to do successfully is [to get involved in] so many sports – whether it’s urban sports or other local or niche sports – that have long, deep traditions in specific countries. Obviously we haven’t created them, but they are also not really known beyond a certain audience or beyond a certain territory.

“I think we’ve also been fascinated in involving ourselves with something that is great in itself – great ideas, great people, great stories, highly inspirational, highly aspirational. And then getting ourselves involved to give that wings, right. That is where the model is a little bit different…and that has allowed us to do a lot of sports over the years that now have become Olympic or bigger sports. “I think that is where we like to see ourselves. We want to play a role, to give great ideas and great things the uplift that they deserve.”

We want to play a role, to give great ideas and great things the uplift that they deserve

While Red Bull has found avenues to invest, and enjoyed considerable success, in mainstream sports like soccer, golf and Formula One , Meier is keen to stress the extent to which it has helped raise the profile of many smaller disciplines, not to mention the hundreds of sponsored athletes with whom it works. He notes how the company has achieved notable results by packaging independent events into yearlong series – such as the Red Bull Signature Series, a previously disparate run of world renowned action sports competitions – to provide consistency for the athletes and fans, to bring about new opportunities to build seasonal narratives, and to instil greater value for broadcasters and commercial partners.

Today, Red Bull’s events portfolio spans everything from elite professional series to amateur participation events, niche curiosities like the Red Bull Soapbox Race, and more purpose led occasions such as the Wings for Life World Run. The company has never been shy of crossing cultural or geographical boundaries, either. Event series like Red Bull Batalla de los Gallos, the hugely popular Spanish-language freestyle rap competition, and Red Bull BC One, which features many of the world’s top break dancers competing in cities across the globe, are evidence of a brand committed to championing subcultures that have long existed on the periphery.

For Meier, who believes events like dance cyphers and rap battles are “highly localised platforms for expression” in much the same way most sports are, Red Bull’s involvement in those types of fringe, youthful pastimes is only natural. “That type of stuff just works,” he says. “We just had our anniversary for BC One. It’s not even a subculture anymore – it’s a real, meaningful, strong community. When you see them [the B-Boys], they’re all with each other – they’re not against each other.”

The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series sees divers jump from platforms as high as 28 metres

And therein lies the true essence of Red Bull’s business. Its ability to bounce comfortably between multifarious worlds and communities, whether by creating live events, producing content or signing athlete endorsers, and to be ubiquitous but in a credible and authentic way, sets it apart from many other organisations that might have a harder time fitting in.

“We track a lot of things,” explains Meier, when asked how Red Bull measures return on investment. “Some of that is objective – there’s obviously a certain objectivity to business growth. But we also track on a more subjective level – something that you can’t really quantify – and again something that takes a really long time.

“It also separates us. Where we have the opportunity to make commitments to certain athletes for sticking with us for a long time, and if they have a relationship for the rest of their life because of the result of it, because of what you were able to achieve and where you could play a hand in their success, how do you define that? If you do this in a scaleable way, as we have, you create something where you just generate a lot of positivity, and that positivity of course always returns back to growing your business itself.

“But, again, it’s a different kind of approach and if it was that easy or that measurable, then I think other people would be doing it. That’s really driven by the original vision of the company and I think we’re really staying true to that.”

Red Bull’s world

At last October’s Sportel sports media and marketing convention the Red Bull Media House stand occupied a specially constructed meeting and hospitality area directly outside the main entrance. Such prominent positioning is in keeping with Red Bull’s style, of course, but it is also a way of letting attendees know that the company is very much open for business.

“The ‘what’ is only as important as the ‘where’,” Meier tells SportsPro at the event. “What do we create, but then also, where do we deliver it to? That is what makes something like Sportel interesting because obviously this is where content and distribution hits, and everybody understands how that is changing.”

That Red Bull Media House is so openly hawking its wares at an industry conference like Sportel says something about its evolving distribution strategy. Though the company continues to operate its own branded media platforms – “which are super important to us because it’s the one place where you can get everything,” says Meier – it also knows that effective content delivery relies on meeting audiences on their terms.

What’s more, with so many traditional media companies and nascent OTT operators currently in the market for rights beyond premium live content to build out their digital offerings, it is fair to say the youth-focused, lifestyle-led programming Red Bull has to offer is only growing more sought-after.

Red Bull Media House's desire to engage with the sports industry at events like Sportel shows an understanding that effective content delivery relies on meeting audiences on their terms (pic: Red Bull/LinkedIn)

“We recognise that audiences live where they live, and some audiences don’t want to move from where they live,” says Meier, who has himself rarely spoken to the media or at industry gatherings since assuming his current role. “It’s very clear, for example, that people who live on YouTube, a lot of them will consume your content on YouTube as long as they can stay on YouTube. I think Netflix kind of sees themselves in that same position.

“For us, going where the audiences are is super important. If there is somewhere where the audience can be found, and we can contribute with great content, then that’s where we want to be. I think that is where, over the last year and a half, we’ve changed significantly our approach to be truly audience-led.”

That shift in strategy is undoubtedly a sign of the times, but it is also a measure of Red Bull’s holistic, platform-agnostic approach to content distribution. For Meier, the sprawling nature of the business, and the variety of its output, means that the company competes with everyone and no one, which in turn enables it to work with just about anyone.

“From our perspective, we’re not pursuing paid models,” he continues. “We believe we create really, really good content which has value and people would love to see it, and we want to provide that. If that extends to third parties, then we license or we co-produce or we co-programme. That’s really important to us as well because we can be an enabler for ideas for those broadcasters. That’s the space that we like to play in.

“I think the benefit we have is that we can be a partner to anyone, right. We aren’t really competitive to anything. Sometimes we can bring athletes, sometimes it’s about someone else’s event, we can create content that has nothing to do with any of it. That’s a very unique position, so we look at how we can create the biggest benefit of that to the audiences.”

In sport, Red Bull Media House maintains media partnerships with several major federations and properties. Since 2012, it has been the exclusive media production and broadcast partner of the International Cycling Union (UCI) Mountain Bike World Cup, for which it has also held global distribution rights since 2016. It also part-owns, operates and airs the Beach Volleyball Major Series, which is officially sanctioned by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), while it retains an interest in WRC Promoter GmbH, the commercial and promotional arm of the World Rally Championship (WRC).

“For us, UCI is a great example,” says Meier, outlining his company’s approach to such partnerships. “The UCI has really billed itself as the premium product, the premium event series in that space, and hopefully with some of the production, with the way we can evolve over the years, there is a role we can play. Again, the sports themselves have got much greater traction. Just look at sales of mountain bikes; when I grew up, a BMX was as far as you could get! Now you see that this whole industry has come out of it and, again, if we can step back and say we had a part in that, that is good satisfaction for us.

“They’re the roles we like to play and they’re the partnerships we seek. The partnerships we don’t seek are the ones that are purely about monetary value; that’s usually not what we do. There are enough brands out there that play in that space and that’s great and that gives a lot of money to those sports and the athletes that need it.”

In Red Bull’s world, then, the traditional notions of sponsorship and media rights agreements don’t apply. Flexibility and creative freedom are guiding principles, and there are no rules when it comes to forging partnerships.

“Neymar Jr’s Five is a great example,” continues Meier, referring to the five-a-side event series the brand has created with the Brazilian soccer star. “Obviously we’re not the ones who found Neymar, built Neymar – Neymar is Neymar.

“So when you deal with someone who gets big cheques from big companies and big brands, coming up with a brand new concept around a new event series that benefits the local athletes, the local audiences, build something up that, as a concept format, can grow and grow in a scaleable way and that then pays back into his foundation, now you already have a different partnership because here we can bring in our event activation, our local activation, our production capabilities.

“That is where we know what we’re contributing, the other side knows what they’re getting, and now you have a true partnership versus ‘great, you write a cheque for a few years and in a few years maybe someone else writes the cheque’.”

First held in 2000, the always entertaining Red Bull Soapbox Race has become a much-loved event on the calendar for fans of nonmotorised racing

 On the content side, Red Bull Media House has no qualms about integrating other brands into its output. The company has worked on branded content with the likes of BFGoodrich, Hyundai, Intel , Jeep and Tag Heuer, and Meier says that will continue so long as those companies continue to invest their marketing dollars in the type of content Red Bull has to offer.

“This is where we are a brand but we’re also a production company and a media house,” he explains. “We bring the brands in and they’re very comfortable sitting side by side; in some cases, we’re not even represented.

“I think that will continue to be a trend and just because brands want to be in content, which is nothing new. We’ve had brand placement in movies and shows since the beginning of time and that will continue. That doesn’t mean that all of these brands will have media houses. Again, we’ve taken a different approach. They are also doing advertising, big advertising, which we don’t do, so everybody sticks to what they know.”

Now everybody is figuring out how you create relevance for content, which has shifted investment power away from the distributors of content

And content is what Red Bull knows best. Perhaps no other largely consumer-focused company has mastered its creation and distribution more effectively, but that is not to say the people behind the brand have all the answers.

As media consumption fragments and digital platforms proliferate in an era of unprecedented disruption, all Meier can do is work to position his company, and the properties it invests in, for the changes to come.

“If you think about traditional media, we all grew up exposed to television, so three channels or five channels, or radio, and you had to position to get on to those channels,” he says.

“That was the make or break, the chicken and egg situation: if you were on [TV] you were getting big, but if you were not big you couldn’t get on, etc, etc. “That got disintermediated, so now everybody is [figuring out] how you create relevance for content, which has shifted power back, from an investment perspective, away from the distributors of content. If you look at all the consolidation going on in the world, it’s really driving that vertical integration.

“But I think [digital] also provides an opportunity for people to express themselves through whatever it is they have an interest in. Because people in the past were like: ‘I’m interested in this specific sport but I think I’m the only one’. Suddenly there’s people in other countries, and these people can find themselves and that can be the beginning of something new.

“I think that’s the legitimacy of the ecosystem that is being built; the business model of that is to be decided in the long-term. There is going to be a lot of fallout, a lot of consolidation, money will flow, the money will always follow where the audiences are. That’s the question: where will they end up? And with whom? And who has the stronghold?”

This article originally appeared in issue 104 of SportsPro Magazine. To find out more or to subscribe,  click here .

You can hear from Andreas Gall, Chief Innovation Officer, Red Bull Media House at SportsPro Live on 30 April – 1 May at the O2, London. 

While Red Bull has found avenues to invest, and enjoyed considerable success, in mainstream sports like soccer, golf and Formula One, Meier is keen to stress the extent to which it has helped raise the profile of many smaller disciplines, not to mention the hundreds of sponsored athletes with whom it works. He notes how the company has achieved notable results by packaging independent events into yearlong series – such as the Red Bull Signature Series, a previously disparate run of world renowned action sports competitions – to provide consistency for the athletes and fans, to bring about new opportunities to build seasonal narratives, and to instil greater value for broadcasters and commercial partners.

“The ‘what’ is only as important as the ‘where’,” Meier tells SportsPro at the event. “What do we create, but then also, where do we deliver it to? That is what makes something like Sportel interesting because obviously this is where content and distribution hits, and everybody understands how that is changing.”

 On the content side, Red Bull Media House has no qualms about integrating other brands into its output. The company has worked on branded content with the likes of BFGoodrich, Hyundai, Intel, Jeep and Tag Heuer, and Meier says that will continue so long as those companies continue to invest their marketing dollars in the type of content Red Bull has to offer.

This article originally appeared in issue 104 of SportsPro Magazine. To find out more or to subscribe, click here.

How Red Bull’s Content Strategy Got Its Wings

When you think of brand journalism, a number of things come to mind: blogs, social media channels, off-site branded content. But one thing that usually doesn’t come to mind is the idea that a brand could own an entire media network. Red Bull, the popular energy drink, supports its content strategy with just that foundation, though, owning its very own Red Bull Media House .

Although Red Bull was founded in 1987 by Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz, the Red Bull Media House was launched in 2007 and produces just about every type of digital and traditional content you could image. It operates a TV station; prints one of the biggest magazines in the world; produces documentaries, movies and music; and runs a very thorough digital strategy, the focus of our interest here. So, here’s how it’s done.

The Beginning

Red Bull’s content creation process centers around sports and cultural events and projects, and its strategy has been in the making for nearly 25 years.

The Red Bull team has created a multimedia experience from the start, incorporating film, photography and stories built for broadcast, print and digital media partners.

It wasn’t until 2007, though, when the brand formalized the content production process by launching Red Bull Media House. Headquartered in Salzburg, Austria with a North American base extended to Santa Monica, Calif. in January 2011, the media house controls the production, collection and distribution processes for all Red Bull content. Today, Red Bull Media House employs more than 400 people around the world.

Going Big with Digital Content

When it comes to digital media, Red Bull Media House runs more than 900 domains in 36 languages under the umbrella of RedBull.com.

RedBull.com covers all of its digital bases, with an offering of web TV, web radio, online games, newsfeeds and digital databases.

And if you’re curious about where all of Red Bull’s iPhone and iPad apps come from, you guessed it, the Media House is in charge of building and launching Red Bull’s mobile apps. Stop by the App Store some time to check out the Red Bull TV iPhone app or the Red Bulletin and Red Bull Illume HD apps for iPad — with them, you’ll have a pretty in-depth look at some of the most visual content created by Red Bull’s very own media empire. For a look at one of its mobile app games, check out Red Bull X-Fighters. ( Read more about Red Bull TV here .)

As it has carved a niche in the sports arena, Red Bull is associated with competitiveness and games—thus, it has launched a number of games accessible via Facebook or RedBull.com, where the games are hosted. One of the more visually-pleasing and simply adorable offerings in the line-up is the Soapbox Racer game.

Getting Social

The Media House also takes care of Red Bull’s social media strategy, including the brand’s presences on  Twitter ,  Foursquare , Instagram ,  YouTube  and its plethora of  Facebook  Pages.

YouTube is perhaps Red Bull’s biggest social strong suit. It joined as one of YouTube’s inaugural action sports content producers. And to date, nearly 300 million YouTube views have been generated from Red Bull content, making Red Bull Media House one of the top five sports content producers on YouTube globally.

This month, Red Bull upped the ante by launching  13 new episodic series to its YouTube channel. These shows will chronicle the day-to-day lives and competitions of some of the world’s most popular athletes from a variety of sports, including skateboarder Ryan Sheckler, motorcross star Travis Pastrana, surfer Jamie O’Brien and trials cyclist Danny MacAskill.

Across the rest of the socialverse, Red Bull stays active, interacting with tweeters , checking in to sports events and of course, disseminating content.

Red Bull seems to be benefiting from operating its very own media company. Have you heard of any other non-media brands with separate media operations? If so, let us know about them in the comments below.

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Red Bull Marketing Strategy: The Case Study

Red Bull is an invincible marketing powerhouse.

When it comes to its marketing strategy, the brand takes great care of everything they do.

However, their marketing efforts always put the audience first.

In fact, their product sales are second to none.

Although Red Bull is active on multiple channels and uses many different strategies, they all revolve around the same concept: creating content and experiences that appeal to people regardless of the energy drink brand. 

Like major publishers, they have become one of the most talked-about brands in the world, producing content, providing mind-blowing programs, and much more.

Table of Contents

Red Bull Company: A Brief History

When the Austrian toothpaste seller Dietrich Mateschitz arrived in Thailand in 1987, Red Bull first heard of the “ energy tonic ” created by Chelio Yovidya. The tonic was thought to help keep drinkers awake and alert.

After three years of testing, Red Bull was launched in Austria, but two businessmen are skeptical. “There is no demand for such a drink in the market,” he said. No one is likely to try. But they were wrong

Today Red Bull dominated 2015 with a 43% market share . The best part? They are still going strong. Considering that Red Bull has kept the market in the first place, it is not bad to dominate almost half of it after almost three decades.

Here, is the infographic showing the growth of the Red Bull brand:

The Case Study of Red Bull’s unconventional marketing strategy

When the Red Bull first appeared, there were no energy drinks and traditional advertising was expensive.

Therefore, the Red Bull became a rookie and chose a different strategy.

What did he actually do?

They went straight to their target audience (men between the ages of 18 and 35) at college parties, libraries, cafes, bars, and other places.

They put the product in the hands of consumers by bringing free samples to the public.

It talked to people promoting its product for free.

They still use the same strategy: wherever they go, they go.

That means sponsoring a music festival or creating the most cultural content, they do.

In fact, the content that Red Bull publishes is displayed on a par with a professional publishing house. They are a media company intended to effectively sell energy drinks, not the other way around.

What is the best way to dominate the market?

Create one that does not yet exist.

This is exactly what happened to Red Bull Energy Drinks 30 years ago.

Thanks to smart marketing and creative strategy, they have been at the top for three decades.

How does Red Bull incorporate a content marketing strategy?

The elements of the Red Bull do exceptionally three things.

• First , it covers topics that interest its audience. Extreme sports, music festivals, and concerts are just some of the topics covered on the Red Bull website. Imagine being able to (or necessarily) enjoy Red Bull wherever you see it and its content covering it.
• Second , it is their ability to sell their brand, but not to push their product. Their content is focused not only on Red Bull sales but also on the pleasure of the readers. In turn, audiences begin to associate their product with the content they want to consume .
• Third , it delivers videos, blog posts, landing pages , and other types of content on the same professional level as the media sites where your target audience uses the content.

Take this video for example. It is packed with ingredients that anyone who loves high-energy, high-impact, and extreme aerobics will appreciate:

How will Red Bull reach its target market?

Red Bull focuses on three important tips for attracting its target audience:

Excellent Content Delivery: The content created by Red Bull’s marketing team is on par with other major media, allowing viewers to access the content.

Massive advertising stunts: Red Bull takes “ Go Big or Go Home ” to the next level by performing massive stunts to freeze everyone and see what happens.

Sponsorship or Event Creation: Red Bull showcases its marketing skills by taking its product and linking it to what the audience likes or creating events for them.

How does Red Bull use events to reach customers?

Part of their strategy is to host and sponsor events that their target market is already participating in. Whether it’s a concert, a film event, or extreme diving, Red Bull creates or sponsors an event around them.

Why is this a great move? His audience is already there. Their target audience is an active group. They love to try new and crazy stunts, extravagant sports, or extravagant at a music festival.

So Red Bull appears in places where they know they are their target audience .

Take Coachella for example. This huge music festival takes place over two weekends in the desert and fans should not miss a single second. This means sacrificing a few hours of sleep.

The Red Bull appears and gives them the wings (and energy) they need to stay awake and play at the festival.

How does Red Bull use advertising stunts to promote itself?

Another part of Red Bull’s marketing strategy is its insane advertising stunts. They sent a man aboard a small ship and a helium balloon 128,000 feet above the ground and sent him out. Known as the Red Bull Stratos Jump, this stunt broke two different world records:

By creating massive stunts like the Stratos jump, it makes his audience (and probably everyone agrees) stop and think, “Yeah? I have to see this.”

8 Ways to Implement Red Bull’s Marketing Strategy

The ability of Red Bull to adhere to its brand and values ​​makes them successful.

1. Maximize the idea behind their slogan

Red Bull’s message strategy revolves around its motto, “ Red Bull Gives You Wings “. It focuses on the idea that its product gives people the “wings” or the energy they need to do what they want.

This motto feeds their content as they create and record the most action-packed, high-flying games and activities the world has ever seen.

Need some help jumping off a plane in a flight suit? Let Red Bull give you the extra encouragement you need.

2. Maintain consistent visual branding

Visual branding created by Red Bull is the key to brand success.

Check out one of his most recent YouTube videos:

Content engages viewers in fast, high-intensity stunts that make them wonder if they can really pull it off.

That side of your seat, Shock Mindset is about the Red Bull brand. Instead, I can say, we gave people the energy (and courage) to try this crazy thing.

3. Build a solid foundation of content

The main content of RedBull can be summarized as follows:

They focus on extreme sports, music, art, dance, nightlife, and more. Due to this wide range, their content can attract the right audience.

Red Bull works with the main ingredients that put them in front of the pack.

Every piece of content they create matches the quality of their publications, such as Buzzfeed, Vice, ESPN, and other publications that can be read. That level of quality seems to come from a powerhouse dedicated to creating consumer media rather than energy drink brands.

4. Let values ​​be your guide

Their values ​​also play a role in their content. They focus on the basic phrase “giving wings to people and ideas”. Everything the Red Bull team communicates revolves around that motto and its values.

The ability to maintain a continuous conversation for the past 30 years has brought them success.

5. Restore the way they use traditional media

Content marketing is not the only thing that dominates Red Bull. The brand also invests a significant stake in traditional mass media channels.

Red Bull TV content works in two formats: videos they create for their online channels (YouTube, social media, etc.) and ads that collaborate with traditional TV channel content:

Its TV content was streamed live on his online hub, Red Bull TV. Their videos and shows are divided into event and movie formats, as well as channel topics such as cliff diving and culture:

It also entered the field of music. In addition to covering or sponsoring major concerts, Red Bull also has its own record label, recording studio, music academy, publishing group, and online radio station.

6. Being strong and proud of social media strategy

Another channel dominated by the Red Bull power is social media .

For example, his Facebook page is filled with visually appealing art videos, music created by his record label that thrills audiences, and sports and events that his audience enjoys.

Red Bull’s message is short and sweet because the first 3 seconds will surprise you with what happens. You have no choice but to go completely:

Their Twitter and Instagram channels instead focus on recognizable images to share and promote conversation with their fans.

Which film is unique to Red Bull? According to Link Human, these films capture motion, drama, and emotion:

Their ability to create dynamic social media posts that generated enough interest to stop fans from scrolling further hit him so hard on social media. Each media element feels like its content is in motion, reflecting the brand’s high-power aesthetic.

7. Expose the product to the public with sponsorships and events

Ultimately, Red Bull’s sponsorships and programs are the last part of their marketing strategy to sell their brand dominance. We divide their efforts into three categories:

• Advertising stunt.
• Events created by them.
• Sponsorship.

Their advertising stunts are insane enough to make the world stop and look. Sure, they have a stratospheric jump, but there are many more.

Take the Red Bull Air Force team for example. This group is dedicated to showcasing some of the strangest aerial feats have ever seen:

There are shows like Red Bull Crashing Ice or Red Bull Queen of the Bay, which respectfully focus on specific sports such as ice cross or surfing. These events focus on sports fans and raise awareness about the Red Bull brand.

Finally, there are sponsorships. From the Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas to Coachella, the Red Bull is involved in everything. This is a great move by the company because who is attending all those events? Their target audience.

Not only that, but those sponsorships allow the Red Bull brand to be exposed to new audiences as they are attended by a large number of people.

8. Creating content around what your audience likes

What do they have in common with each item they cover (and there are many)?

They focus on the activities that people participate in when they consume their products. They also post content that their audience can navigate.

They post large amounts of content on their website and, surprisingly, do not mention their product in any way:

They produce The Red Bulletin, a magazine that distributes 2.2 million copies a month:

In short, if their target audience is consuming content on a particular channel, you can count on Red Bull’s presence.

Finally, What Did We Learn from Red Bull Marketing Strategy?

Needless to say, Red Bull has come a long way in the 30 years since its inception. From a very humble beginning to a mega-brand publishing house, Red Bull is a success story in marketing.

Are you inspired by Red Bull’s marketing strategy?

Let their story serve as a reminder that your company should start somewhere. They did not go to a multinational company overnight from an idea in Thailand. It took time, luck, and some effort (and a lot of great marketing along the way).

• Follow their leadership by starting small. Here are some ideas:
• Create a short series of weekly videos on a topic that will interest your audience.
• Curate social media content that meets your product purpose and the interests of your audience (without mentioning you directly).
• Publish an email newsletter with interesting and useful material that your audience will love (and can slap your logo anywhere).

Here’s the key: To be successful in content marketing like Red Bull, you must put your audience’s interests first and create content publishers.

Instead of imitating other marketers, imitate magazines, TV shows, news websites, and anything else your audience reads and watches.

Want to know more about how to actually do this? Here are some additional reading tips to get you started:

Because Red Bull strategy works

Red Bull’s strategy works for three different reasons:

• The first is his ability to tell a story that appeals to an audience. His focus on everything from extravagant sports to music festivals gives him a vast playing field, but that’s not all.
• Second Red Bull ranks its product in providing content and value to its audience. Attention to the details provided by their marketing team is evident. People who care about what they write, record or create around them.
• Ultimately , their commitment to the values ​​and aesthetics that the brand created when it first launched will drive its marketing. Everything they make is associated with the idea of ​​giving wings to people and ideas to fly.

That’s all if you find this content interesting. Don’t forget to share and leave comments. Thank you.

Other Interesting Reads:

A go through into the marketing strategy of Starbucks

Oreo Marketing Case Study: A blend of 4Ps of Marketing Mix

What is Brand Engagement & Why it is important?

• Trackback: Puma Marketing Strategy Between Competition & Sponsorship - Mix With Marketing
• Trackback: McDonald's marketing strategy: A benchmark in the fast food industry - Mix With Marketing

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Red Bull Media House’s Advice for Successful Content Marketing

Red Bull is running circles around every other name in the content marketing game.

Currently, the energy drink company has its wings dipped in a whole gamut of media channels — we’re talking digital, mobile, TV, print and music. People — millions of people — are actually consuming this content. (What a concept, right?)

But audiences aren’t tuning in because the company is marketing its energy drink. In fact, Red Bull continues to rise above the rest in content marketing by doing somewhat of the opposite. The company earned its spot on the content marketing throne by pushing its product to the side and its audience to the front in an extreme way.

Instead of a skinny aluminum can, Red Bull focuses its content on the sports, culture and lifestyle of its adventurous drinkers. In 2007, the company even launched Red Bull Media House  — its very own media company that develops all of the company’s content pieces and manages its social media channels.  

Some of the media house’s highlights? Take a look at Red Bull’s YouTube page (if you haven’t already as one of its 3.7 million subscribers).  These sports action videos have views that rank in the thousands — some in the millions.

On the day this blog post was published,  Danny MacAskill — “Way Back Home”  had 32,988,764 views:

While the  Wingsuit flying over the Turkish mountains  had 38,839 views:

But let’s not forget about the Red Bull Stratos Space Jump back in 2012 when daredevil Felix Baumgartner free-fell from the edge of space.

This viral video  had 37,005,846 views:

More recently, Red Bull further tapped into its audience by partnering with C3 Presents to host live-streams of Lollapalooza , broadcasting the music festival live on Red Bull TV . The Chicago music fest is one of the largest of its kind, always featuring a jam-packed lineup of artists. This year included performances by Eminem, Iggy Azalea and Lorde.

Moving into the print realm, Red Bull has its own monthly action, sports, travel, culture and music magazine, The Red Bulletin , which boasts a 2.2 million circulation and is available in English, German, French, Spanish and Portuguese.  

As you can see, Red Bull reigns king of content for a reason.

Putting the customer first

Author Mack Collier featured Red Bull as a case study in his book Think Like a Rock Star: How to Create Social Media and Marketing Strategies that Turn Customers into Fans .

In one of his website blog posts, titled “The Power of Being Second: How Red Bull is winning the (content) marketing wars,” he wrote:

“Everything about the brand’s content, marketing and communication efforts is about its customers and what’s important to them. The product itself is secondary to the activities that the customer engages in and cherishes.”

That’s a page from Red Bull’s book we can all take away: Put the customer first.

To help you with your own content marketing strategies, I reached out to Red Bull Media House to try to garner some key tips, but Red Bull puts itself second so much that I was told that, due to its corporate philosophy, Red Bull Media House puts its employees “behind the curtain” to let its “artists, athletes, products and events speak for themselves.”

Letting your work speak for itself? Love it.

Lucky for me (and you) the folks at Red Bull Media House were kind enough to work with me to offer some content marketing advice so long as I kept them behind the curtain, not attributing the advice to any one person. Well, this is fitting because what’s below is a collaboration of various departments at Red Bull Media House.

Go ahead, drink up.

MarketingSherpa: Red Bull seems to have been entrenched in content marketing from the beginning. Why did the brand feel this was an area of importance?

Red Bull Media House: Red Bull has been filming, photographing and providing the highest quality content for broadcast, print and digital media partners ever since its market launch in 1987. Since then, Red Bull has supported remarkable people in achieving their dreams and, in doing so, has documented their experiences. Sharing their inspiring, real-life stories with a worldwide audience that’s perpetually hungry for compelling content was a logical consequence.

MS: In 2007, the Red Bull Media House was founded. Why did the company choose to found an entire entity to focus on this type of marketing?

RBMH: After two decades of filming, photographing and storytelling, Red Bull had built an extensive portfolio of high-quality sport, music, lifestyle and entertainment content. Formalizing content production, collection and distribution — leveraging the assets and building on the expertise by establishing an independent media company — was a natural extension of the work Red Bull had been doing.

But to address the wording of the question: Red Bull Media House wasn’t founded to focus on marketing. From the outset, content itself has been the focus, specifically, quality content that fully engages audiences.

Since its launch in 2007, the overall mission of Red Bull Media House has been to share real-life stories of fascinating personalities from sport, music and lifestyle that inspire audiences from all over the world. So its main objective is first and foremost to produce, distribute and broadcast premium content that meets the highest expectations in both production technology and storytelling quality.

MS: Now, Red Bull has a presence across a multitude of channels whether it’s video, print or online. However, where did Red Bull first focus its content marketing efforts?

RBMH: Because Red Bull Media House is in the business of creating and delivering content, the product being marketed actually is content itself. Red Bull Media House has, of course, from the beginning been the exclusive source for all the action and excitement Red Bull athletes, projects and events deliver, but besides from the area of “Sport & Lifestyle,” the company now also produces and distributes programming from other realms — “Nature & Science” and ”Tradition & Inspiration” — for an ideal mix.

Furthermore, Red Bull Media House now maintains digital products, print magazines, a print publishing company and a TV channel as well as a professional network of communication experts in countries around the world. In addition, Red Bull Media House produces original web series, TV programs, feature films and music that media companies and industry partners can license to enrich their program experience and to fulfill their target groups’ demand for authentic, relevant content.

MS: If a company wanted to get its feet wet in content marketing, where should they begin? What advice would you give them?

RBMH: No matter how large or small your target audience may be, the content needs to be relevant to them, and it needs to be easily accessible . Plus, because today’s environment offers more platforms than ever for sharing your content, think about what you can do to make your content stand out in that vast and cluttered landscape so that it gets seen in the first place.

MS: How do you measure content marketing to determine its results and benefits for your company?

RBMH: For Red Bull Media House, success equates to audience engagement . Audiences who are engaged in content and who find the content easy to access on the platforms that matter to them will then be eager for the next story — be it a movie, TV programming, a web series, a magazine article, music, an event streamed live … That’s the best result possible for Red Bull Media House and for its partners.

Some examples of those partners who are looking to engage audiences, by the way, include media companies like the NBC Sports Group, which just renewed its partnership with Red Bull Media House to continue to create the Red Bull Signature Series; and sporting organizations such as the IFSC (the worldwide governing body of sport-climbing competition), as well as “C3 Presents” with its legendary Lollapalooza festival, which are partnering with Red Bull Media House to host event live-streams on Red Bull’s digital channels, such as RedBull.com or Red Bull TV, to heighten awareness and increase the audience for their events.

RB: What’s the most important thing for a company to keep in mind when it comes to content marketing?

RBMH: In the case of Red Bull Media House, where the product being marketed is content, it’s all about the audience . Red Bull Media House is always looking for new ways and channels to engage and inspire them. So, as mentioned in the previous answer, in both partnerships and the kinds of events and subjects Red Bull Media House covers, it’s all about delivering the best, most engaging content — content that’s authentic and relevant to today’s audiences around the world — on platforms that fit their lifestyles.

MS: Red Bull does a fantastic job of ensuring its marketing is customer-centric and that selling the product is secondary. How do you achieve this while achieving the company’s marketing needs?

RBMH: Being customer-centric — or audience-centric, in terms of content — is most relevant, not only in the media industry. One way of achieving that is through compelling storytelling. Empowering people to live their dream is part of the Red Bull brand heritage, and sharing compelling stories of remarkable people and their real-life dreams, creations and adventures to inspire others is a cornerstone of the Red Bull Media House business.

The stories that the media company shares are based on the vision, goals and journeys of more than 700 outstanding athletes, musicians and groundbreaking artists — not only capturing their professional achievements but also opening a window into their personal experiences and emotions. That way, Red Bull Media House builds bridges between their lives and the audience.

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Categories: Consumer Marketing Tags: audience engagement , content marketing , customer-centric , media , red bull

A must-share interview – thank you so much, Allison and Red Bull Media House!

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How the Red Bull Media House takes extraordinary stories global

Taken the remarkable history of Red Bull, the Red Bull Media House came a full 20 years after the brand was established in 1986. This does not mean the energy drink producer, which now sells over 6-billion cans annually, did not leverage an incredibly successful multi-platform media agenda to achieve brand extension in its early years.

The establishment of the Red Bull Media House, says Red Bull’s CEO for TV, publishing and operations, Dr. Dietmar Otti , was to formalise Red Bull’s already successful content production and distribution strategy. Today, the Red Bull Media House is a globally distributed multi-platform media company, inspiring communities around the world with extraordinary Red Bull related stories – both direct-to-consumer and through meaningful partnerships. “Our media products are available across TV, mobile, digital, audio, and print.”

Dr. Otti says the media portfolio helps Red Bull to engage with audiences in the best possible way through the company’s owned and managed channels, global partnerships, and communications network spanning 170 countries and 36 languages.

“In addition to our sports, music, lifestyle offerings, we have specialised TV and publishing units that include Servus TV, available in German-speaking regions, and Terra Mater Factual Studios, that produces factual and entertainment formats in nature, history & science. The publishing offering includes magazine titles such as Servus Magazine, Bergwelten, The Red Bulletin, and Terra Mater Magazine; and Benevento, an independent publishing unit that houses independent book publishers such as Ecowin, Servus, and Pantauro.”

The offline experience

The Red Bulletin is particularly successful, says Dr Otti. “Print magazines are proven to be a successful medium that provides our audience with an “offline” experience. The format of The Red Bulletin allows Red Bull Media House to go beyond the ordinary with stories that have deep, rich context including award-winning photography. Currently, The Red Bulletin is distributed in seven countries.

The Red Bull Media House also takes advantage of strategic partnerships to extend its reach. “Due to our 30-year history in markets around the globe, we have connections to local communities. Through our owned channels and third-party relationships, we bring global relevance to local stories. A key reason our partners choose us is because of the experiences only Red Bull can offer.”

An engaged community fanbase

One of the most important partnerships is a content distribution partnership with Reuters. “In 2016, we partnered with Reuters to curate a special collection of our sports and lifestyle content to be made available to all users of Reuters Media Express. Our high quality, editorial content filled a void for Reuters to deliver an action sports portfolio that is in-demand by their subscribers.”

Dr. Otti agrees that marketing is too often viewed as an expense rather than a revenue generator. This is something the Red Bull Media House is keen to change. While the company does not comment on questions relating to overall strategy, Dr. Otti is at liberty to say that since its inception, Red Bull Media House’s mission to bring incredible stories to life has been successful not only as marketing tool but as media entity. “Through storytelling, we have kept our viewers at the centre of what we develop resulting in an engaged community fanbase worldwide.”

A multidimensional audience

About the Red Bull content consumer, Dr. Otti says there are many platforms, techniques and avenues for engaging with people but “the only consistent, overarching guiding principle for us is audience-centricity. Red Bull Media House has loyal and engaged communities, and a key reason is because we know how to reach our audience when and where they want to be reached… we continue to deliver on the expected and surprise with the unexpected within our core sports and music areas. We know that the interests of our viewers are not of a single focus; in fact, our audience is multi-dimensional in that their appetite for stories crosses over many areas. Our goal is to create memorable content and experiences that motivates them to do more.

For example, an eSports enthusiast is not only interested in competition; but also tends to have a high interest in music and is often close to the nightlife scene.”

With an audience as multidimensional as this, Red Bull Media House is well aware that they need to push the boundaries of technology to continue to deliver with innovative ideas and platform experiments. Earlier this year Oculus VR announced that Red Bull TV would be a first-to-market partner for their new Oculus GO experience which went live in late June.

As a new member of the FIPP Board, Dr. Otti says FIPP’s role as influencer in the publishing landscape is now more important than ever. “As the nature of the media landscape becomes ever-changing, networks are more important. Networks, such as the one provided by FIPP, are not only for information sharing but also for enhanced collaboration. As platform monopolies emerge, it is important to have one cohesive body that bundles interests of diverse groups and regulates the developments that impact the whole ecosystem.”

More about Dr. Dietmar Otti

As chief executive officer for TV, publishing and operations, Dr. Dietmar Otti leads media brands spanning television, film, and book, periodical and multimedia publishing for Red Bull Media House which produces, publishes, distributes and licenses premium content in the areas of sport and lifestyle, nature and science and tradition and inspiration.

In addition to steering a portfolio that encompasses such assets as Servus TV, international production company Terra Mater Factual Studios, publishers Ecowing and Benevento, and The Red Bulletin magazine, he also guides the operations of key internal departments and platforms, including legal, human resources, finance, partnerships and facility management.

Dr. Otti’s successful track record in the media industry further includes senior international positions with Bauer Media Group and Axel Springer, as well as hands-on guidance of Austria’s leading economic newspaper and collaborations with Russmedia and Siemens.

At Bauer Media he was president, Western Europe and USA, developing internationalisation activities through organic growth and acquisitions and steering the brand to become the radio provider with the highest audience in Europe. In the role of senior vice president and COO at Axel Springer, he drove initiatives across Western, Central and Eastern Europe.

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Case spotlight: Red Bull Spreads Its Wiiings

Author perspective

Who – the protagonist.

The late Dietrich Mateschitz , co-founder of energy drinks company Red Bull .

Since gaining a foothold in petrol stations and as an alcoholic mixer in clubs and bars in the late 1980s, Red Bull has grown to become the world’s third most valuable soft drink brand (in 2021 its value stood at $8.1 billion).

The Austrian brand’s soft drink range includes the original product, Sugar Free and Total Zero formulations, as well as various flavoured editions such as cactus fruit.

Estimated to reinvest over 30% of revenues in marketing, Red Bull is perhaps better known for its activities outside of selling its core product.

To name but a few, projects range from a music academy and e-sports, to sponsoring over 800 top athletes, to owning multiple sports teams around the world, including the hugely successful F1 team Red Bull Racing , which has won multiple constructors’ and drivers’ championships - all of which produce engaging content promoted via Red Bull Media House.

Two new brand extensions threatened to alienate its loyal consumers and dilute Red Bull’s carefully cultivated anti-brand brand image.

The two products in question were the functional fashion line AlphaTauri and The Organics by Red Bull, a collection of premium sodas.

Whilst Red Bull wanted to disrupt and innovate with AlphaTauri and The Organics, it is unclear who the target customer is and to what degree the parent brand and its organisation can support a non-energy drink and high-end fashion line.

AlphaTauri was formed in 2016, and Red Bull’s second F1 team, Scuderia Toro Rosso, was rebranded as Scuderia AlphaTauri in 2019.

Meanwhile, in 2018, Red Bull Simply Cola was the latest product to be added to The Organics portfolio, after its initial failure in 2008 as part of Red Bull’s standard range.

Mateschtiz hails from Austria, with Red Bull’s global headquarters based in the country in Fuschl.

But, Red Bull is a worldwide entity, with 13,610 employees (as of the end of 2021) around the world and it is one of the most recognisable brands on the planet.

Both AlphaTauri and The Organics relied on the endorsement of their parent brand.

Ultimately, could Red Bull envisage both entities conquering new markets? Or could the association with Red Bull prove limiting? Most worryingly, would Red Bull’s loyal customer base feel alienated by these premium products? Critically, could the company’s carefully honed marketing formula be successfully deployed in these new markets, or did they require a different approach?

AUTHOR PERSPECTIVE 

Appetite for a second case

Nader said: “Over the years, I consistently received queries from colleagues about whether I planned to update the award-winning Red Bull case I co-authored in 2005.

“The media landscape has significantly changed, and Red Bull Media House is a leader in combining physical experiences and engaging consumers digitally. What triggered my decision to do so, eventually, was the renaming of their second F1 team to AlphaTauri in support of their fledgling functional-fashion label. This came right around the same time as their launch of the non-energy drink range The Organics by Red Bull. Both decisions hold inherent tensions - potential synergies and dis-synergies - that promised a rich classroom discussion. Both decisions also begged the question as to whether Red Bull’s formidable marketing system was fit for purpose, or whether they needed to adapt their rather unique approach.

“The old case was therefore reborn as one of the main actors in a new drama.”

Key highlights

Nader continued: “A key highlight for me was being able to have an excuse to immerse myself into the world of Red Bull, both as a consumer and as an observer of their business practices. The organisation has created an enviable balance between running a well-oiled marketing machine that fosters rather than stymies creativity to power it. This started top down with the late Dietrich Mateschitz and his top team of marketers that have now led the brand for over two decades. 

“A second highlight for me was writing the teaching note. I had not previously delved deeply into topics such as customer engagement and content marketing. Reviewing the academic and practitioner literature on these topics provided me with a much more solid and nuanced understanding and a structured means to convey them to my students.”

Favourite teaching case

He explained: “I currently use the case as the capstone case in the MBA marketing core, in an open enrolment executive education programme, and with individual client companies. I can say without hesitation, that this has been my favourite case to teach in my 30 years in the classroom. The brand literally brings energy into the classroom and allows for an academic and practical discussion of key marketing concepts - from engaging consumers emotionally through experiences to strategically building the core concepts using product-brand portfolio stretch. It is a brand everyone knows, but also one few have thought about systematically from an operational perspective.”

Inspiring subject

He added: “It is simply incredible for students to appreciate what Red Bull has been able to do with a mere soft drink, and it challenges everyone to think about how they can formulate a consumer-centric purpose that inspires new ways of engaging current and potential consumers. Simply by reviewing their marketing approach and asking, 'How would this look for your brand?' has already inspired brands in the luxury, financial services and consumer goods space to behave differently.

“The case is also a ‘safe’ one to teach, as there is no right answer regarding the brand-stretch decisions. It allows students to appreciate inherent tensions in any such decisions, and how executing and monitoring a strategy with these tensions in mind is as critical as formulating the ‘right’ strategy in the first place.”

Case writing tips

Nader commented: “First, for me, a case typically starts with a compelling business situation that I have no easy or preconceived answer to. This is not only key to stimulating classroom discussion, but also to hold my attention throughout the writing process.

“Second, I have to be able to develop, for myself, a solid academic understanding of the forces at play. This provides the core of the teaching note and a way to crystallise key learnings.

“Third,  I was a presenter at The Case Centre’s webinar ‘ The Ingredients of an Award-Winning Case ’ where I summarised a three-act structure - setup, confrontation and resolution - that highlights the importance of context, strategic alternatives, and decision criteria. We also learn through stories, and this structure allows everything to hang together using a story narrative.”

Additional materials

Nader concluded: “ I have not only provided a detailed teaching note but also shared an extensive set of PowerPoint slides and engaging videos for instructors to use . These materials will allow instructors to pick and choose the slides and videos that will permit students to viscerally experience key topics and make memorable the key lessons they want their students to take away.”

The protagonist

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• International Marketing

Red Bull’s International Marketing Strategy: Cracking the Code

• February 8, 2024

Table of Contents

Wings across the world: deciphering red bull’s international marketing strategy, understanding red bull’s global strategy: pinpointing the bullseye, key pillars of red bull’s international marketing strategy, case studies: red bull’s wings take flight around the world, learnings and applications: spreading your wings like red bull, conclusion: soaring high with red bull’s global marketing blueprint, red bull’s international marketing strategy: faq.

Imagine a brand so ubiquitous it’s consumed in over 177 countries, selling 12.1 billion cans annually ( Red Bull , 2024). That’s Red Bull, the energy drink behemoth whose iconic red and blue cans have become synonymous with pushing boundaries and chasing thrills. But how did this Austrian beverage conquer the globe, leaving competitors in its wake? The answer lies in Red Bull’s international marketing strategy, a masterclass in understanding target audiences, crafting a compelling brand identity, and executing innovative campaigns that transcend borders .

International marketing, the art of tailoring products and messaging to diverse cultures and markets, is crucial for any brand seeking global success. It involves navigating complex cultural nuances , legal regulations, and consumer preferences. For Red Bull, this meant adapting their “Gives You Wings” slogan to resonate with young adults in China, who associate wings with freedom and individuality. This understanding of local cultural contexts has been instrumental in propelling Red Bull to the top of the energy drink market , showcasing the power of effective international marketing strategies.

This article delves deep into the secrets behind Red Bull’s global marketing prowess. We’ll dissect their target audience, analyze their unique brand positioning, and explore the key pillars that have fueled their international success . Through case studies of specific campaigns and data-driven insights, we’ll uncover the actionable strategies you can apply to your own brand’s international journey. So, buckle up and prepare to be energized by the insights gleaned from Red Bull’s remarkable marketing playbook.

At the heart of Red Bull’s international marketing strategy lies a laser-sharp focus on their target audience: young adults and millennials . This demographic, characterized by their desire for adventure, individuality, and pushing boundaries, perfectly aligns with Red Bull’s brand identity.

Targeting the Energy Seekers

Red Bull understands that young adults crave experiences that fuel their passions and ambitions. With a global study revealing that 77% of millennials prioritize experiences over material possessions ( Forbes , 2019), Red Bull positions itself as the ultimate energy booster for their active lifestyles . Whether it’s conquering an exam, chasing creative dreams, or participating in extreme sports, Red Bull associates itself with the thrill of pushing limits and achieving personal bests. This resonates deeply with the target audience, who see the brand as more than just an energy drink; it’s a symbol of their aspirations and drive.

The Wings of Adventure

Beyond the functional benefit of an energy boost, Red Bull cultivates a brand image that’s synonymous with adventure and excitement . Their global marketing campaigns, often featuring extreme sports athletes and daring stunts, tap into the target audience’s desire for adrenaline-pumping experiences ( Red Bull , 2024). This association with adventure transcends cultural boundaries, uniting young adults across the globe under the banner of pushing boundaries and living life to the fullest.

Global Consistency, Local Nuances

However, Red Bull’s international marketing strategy doesn’t simply rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. While maintaining a consistent brand image with its iconic red and blue cans and “Gives You Wings” slogan, they adapt their messaging and campaigns to resonate with local cultural nuances. For instance, in China, where the concept of wings carries connotations of freedom and individuality, Red Bull tailored its marketing to emphasize these values, resonating deeply with the local audience. This adaptability demonstrates Red Bull’s understanding that global success requires respecting and embracing local cultural contexts .

Beyond the Can

Understanding Red Bull’s target audience, their unique brand positioning, and their ability to balance global consistency with local adaptation provides valuable lessons for any brand seeking international success. By pinpointing the target audience’s desires and aspirations, crafting a compelling brand identity that resonates with them, and adapting messaging to local cultures , businesses can unlock the potential of international markets and soar to new heights.

Red Bull’s international marketing strategy wasn’t built on a single tactic. Instead, it thrives on a multifaceted approach, carefully weaving together different marketing pillars to create a powerful and cohesive brand experience . Let’s delve into the key elements that have fueled their global success:

1. Content is King: Owning the Narrative

Red Bull goes beyond simply selling an energy drink—they curate engaging global content that resonates with their target audience. Their media arm, Red Bull Media House, produces high-quality documentaries, films, and online content featuring extreme sports, music, and art ( Red Bull Media House , 2024). This content doesn’t directly advertise the drink, but instead builds brand loyalty by showcasing an adventurous lifestyle that aligns with their target audience’s aspirations . Studies show that branded content, when done right, can increase purchase intent by 63% ( Business Wire , 2016), highlighting the effectiveness of this approach.

2. Experiential Marketing: Living the Brand

Red Bull doesn’t just talk about adventure; they create it. Their event sponsorships and activations, ranging from Red Bull Stratos to Flugtag competitions, allow consumers to experience the brand firsthand ( Red Bull , 2024). These events generate buzz, social media engagement, and positive brand associations, creating a deeper connection with consumers than traditional advertising . A report by Event Marketing Institute revealed that 74% of attendees are more likely to purchase from a brand after attending an event ( Event Marketer , 2016), underscoring the power of experiential marketing.

3. Social Media Mastery: Engaging the Tribe

Red Bull understands the importance of social media in connecting with their young, digitally savvy audience . They have a diverse, localized presence across major platforms, regularly creating engaging content and fostering online communities. Their humor, user-generated content campaigns, and influencer partnerships keep their audience interested and involved, generating millions of followers worldwide. Social media analytics firm Sprout Social reports that brands with a strong social media presence see a 133% higher customer advocacy rate ( Sprout Social , 2023), highlighting the value of this targeted strategy.

4. Data-Driven Decisions: Optimizing for Success

Red Bull doesn’t rely solely on intuition—they leverage data and analytics to track campaign performance and optimize their strategies . By analyzing social media engagement, website traffic, and event participation, they gain valuable insights into consumer preferences and campaign effectiveness. This data-driven approach allows them to continuously refine their messaging, content, and activations, ensuring their strategies remain relevant and impactful.

The Takeaway

Red Bull’s international marketing strategy serves as a blueprint for success, showcasing the power of a multi-pronged approach. By creating engaging content, crafting unique experiences, leveraging social media effectively, and utilizing data-driven insights , they’ve transcended national borders and earned the loyalty of millions worldwide. By understanding and adapting these key pillars, any brand can take a bold step towards achieving their own international marketing goals.

Red Bull’s international marketing strategy isn’t just theory—it translates to impactful campaigns that resonate across cultures . Let’s explore two successful case studies that showcase how they adapt their approach for international success:

1. Red Bull Stratos: Pushing Boundaries in the Name of Energy

Remember Felix Baumgartner’s 2012 jump from the stratosphere? Sponsored by Red Bull, this audacious feat wasn’t just a publicity stunt; it embodied their brand identity of adventure and pushing limits. The event garnered over 8 million live viewers, with YouTube views exceeding 88 million within a week ( Red Bull , 2022). This global media frenzy translated to a 20% sales increase in the US within a month , showcasing the power of a well-aligned, high-impact campaign.

Key Adaptation: While the core message of “Gives You Wings” resonated globally, Red Bull tailored its pre-jump content to different regions, relying on transcreation , localization services , and professional translation . In China, they emphasized Baumgartner’s courage and determination, values highly admired in the culture. This cultural sensitivity contributed to the campaign’s success in diverse markets.

2. Red Bull Soapbox Race: Community Spirit with a Twist

This quirky downhill racing competition, held in various countries, sees homemade, gravity-powered contraptions compete in hilarious and creative races. The free-spirited event perfectly aligns with Red Bull’s brand image and attracts young, adventurous audiences . With over 100,000 participants and 2 million spectators globally ( Red Bull , 2024), the Soapbox Race fosters community spirit and brand engagement.

Key Adaptation: Each local event features unique themes and challenges relevant to the host city’s culture or landmarks. For instance, the London race incorporates iconic red phone booths into the course design. This local touch resonates deeply with audiences and strengthens brand connection.

Lessons Learned

These case studies highlight the importance of:

• Bold Creativity:  Pushing boundaries and creating unique experiences can generate significant buzz and brand awareness.
• Cultural Sensitivity:  Adapting messaging and visuals to resonate with local audiences is crucial for international success.
• Community Engagement:  Building connections through events and shared experiences fosters brand loyalty and positive associations.

By following these principles, any brand can take inspiration from Red Bull’s international marketing strategy and create campaigns that soar across borders.

Red Bull’s international marketing strategy serves as a masterclass in navigating the complexities of global markets . By dissecting their approach, we can glean valuable insights and actionable steps for any brand seeking international success:

Key Takeaways:

• Know Your Audience:  Deeply understand your target audience’s desires, aspirations, and cultural nuances. Tailor your messaging and branding to resonate with them on a personal level.
• Embrace Bold Creativity:  Don’t shy away from unique experiences and campaigns that push boundaries and generate buzz. Remember, Red Bull’s stratosphere jump wasn’t just a stunt; it embodied their brand identity and captured global attention.
• Content is King:  Create high-quality, engaging content that aligns with your brand and resonates with your audience. Think beyond traditional advertising and explore formats like Red Bull Media House’s documentaries and films.
• Go Local, Think Global:  Maintain a consistent brand image while adapting messaging and visuals to local cultures. The Soapbox Race case study highlights how incorporating local themes and landmarks can strengthen brand connection.
• Data-Driven Decisions:  Track your campaign performance and optimize your strategies based on data and analytics. Red Bull’s success hinges on their ability to measure and refine their approach continuously.
• Build a Community:  Foster engagement and loyalty by creating experiences and events that connect with your target audience. Red Bull’s success with the Soapbox Race demonstrates the power of shared experiences.

Actionable Advice for Your Brand

• Conduct thorough market research to understand your target audience in each new market.
• Develop a global brand identity that resonates with your core values.
• Craft localized marketing materials and campaigns that are culturally sensitive.
• Invest in creating high-quality content that tells your brand story.
• Leverage social media and influencer marketing to reach your target audience directly.
• Track your campaign performance and use data to make informed decisions .
• Organize events and experiences that build brand loyalty and community spirit.

Remember, global success isn’t just about replicating Red Bull’s strategy—it’s about adapting their principles to your unique brand and target audience . By understanding the key takeaways and applying them to your own approach, you can take your brand to new heights and achieve international recognition.

Bonus Tip: Consider partnering with local agencies or influencers who have expertise in the markets you’re targeting. Their insights and connections can be invaluable in navigating cultural nuances and ensuring your campaigns resonate with the local audience.

By following these learnings and applying the actionable advice, you can take inspiration from Red Bull’s international marketing strategy and write your own success story on the global stage .

Red Bull’s international marketing strategy is more than just a textbook case study—it’s a testament to the power of a well-defined brand identity, bold creativity, and a deep understanding of target audiences across cultures . By analyzing their approach, we’ve gleaned valuable lessons that can be applied to any brand with international aspirations.

Red Bull’s success story speaks for itself. With over 12.1 billion cans sold annually across 177 countries ( Red Bull , 2024), they have redefined the energy drink market, proving that a strategic global approach can yield remarkable results . Their impact extends beyond the industry, influencing how brands approach international marketing, content creation, and experiential activations.

The key takeaway? Red Bull’s international marketing strategy isn’t a magic formula to be blindly copied. It’s a framework that can be adapted and personalized to fit your unique brand and target audience . By understanding the core principles, conducting thorough research, and tailoring your approach to each market, you can follow in Red Bull’s footsteps and achieve global recognition.

Ready to take your brand to the international stage? Start by:

• Delving deeper into Red Bull’s specific campaigns and strategies.  Their website and Red Bull Media House offer a wealth of insights.
• Exploring further resources on international marketing.  Industry publications and online courses can provide valuable guidance.
• Consulting with translation and localization professionals experienced in your target markets.  Their expertise can help you navigate cultural nuances and tailor your approach effectively.

Remember, Red Bull’s international marketing strategy is a journey, not a destination . By embracing continuous learning, cultural sensitivity, and a touch of audacity, you can craft your own global success story and leave your mark on the world stage.

Red Bull’s success hinges on several factors: understanding their target audience, crafting a bold brand identity, creating engaging content, and adapting their approach to local cultures. They also leverage data-driven decisions and build communities through events and experiences.

Deeply know your audience, embrace creativity, prioritize quality content, be globally consistent but locally relevant, use data to optimize, and foster brand communities.

Absolutely! While you can’t simply copy Red Bull, you can adapt their principles to your unique brand and target audience. Conduct market research, develop a global brand identity, localize your approach, create high-quality content, leverage social media, track performance, and build brand communities.

Explore their website and Red Bull Media House for insights. Also, consider industry publications, online courses, and consulting with experts in translation and localization well versed in your target markets.

Red Bull’s strategy is a framework, not a formula. Adapt it to your brand, conduct thorough research, and tailor your approach to each market. With continuous learning, cultural sensitivity, and a touch of audacity, you can achieve your own global success story.

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Bigger Than Sports

Selling Stories Not Products - The RedBull Case Study...

Even though redbull only sells energy drinks, how they market their brand will make you think otherwise. there are many marketing lessons we can learn from redbull, here are a few....

Happy New Week,

To most people, Redbull is known for its energy drinks but they position themselves as much more than just an energy drinks company. Redbull owns several football clubs, runs two formula one teams, and is famous for its extreme sporting events and athletes. Redbull is a great example of a brand constantly thinking outside the box to connect with the consumers.

Redbull was founded in 1984 when the owner, Dietrich Mateschitz was suffering from jet lag in Thailand and decided to try a local drink that improved his jetlag drastically. Mateschitz decided to bring the product back home to Austria and pitched it to several investors but got turned down as they didn't see a market for energy drinks. Mateschitz still believed it was a huge opportunity so he partnered with the producer of the South Asian drink, and together invested a million dollars. They successfully launched the product in Austria and created a new product category: energy drinks. 

“If we don’t create the market, it doesn’t exist.” Dietrich Mateschitz 

Redbull outsources the production and logistics operations which frees them up to fully focus on selling their drinks. To sell their products Mateschitz first focused on the club scene and used student brand managers to promote Redbull on campuses. They had the Redbull Mini driving around campuses and they even got popular students to throw parties sponsored by Redbull. Now Vodka and Redbull is a frequent (unhealthy) combination ordered at clubs.

Redbull realised that in order to make more potential consumers aware and excited about their brand, they had to get their brand in front of people that will associate them with exciting and extreme sports and events. Instead of advertising its product, it advertises its brand and experiences. Redbull is famous for its unorthodox sporting events such as Redbull Air Race, Red Box Soap Box Racing, etc.  Redbull is very inventive when it comes to creating high-octane events. They all fit their brand image of taking things to the edge. By focusing on telling attractive and gripping stories, based on adrenaline-fuelled, dangerous activities they’ve been able to build a successful brand.

Redbull has engrained themselves in the culture of extreme sports, they don’t just sponsor them but they create their own events and give these athletes a platform to showcase their talent to the world. Not only has Red Bull invested heavily in creating events, but they’ve played a major role in supporting extreme sports from grassroots levels, enabling extreme sports to become increasingly accessible.

My favourite thing about Redbull is its fully integrated entertainment and media value chain. Redbull engages with its customers in a deeper way than traditional advertising ever could because of the foundation they’ve created. They create their own stories through events and athletes they sponsor and create content with their own multi-platform media company, the Red Bull Media House. This means they own the rights to all content they use and can distribute them across all their channels like Social Media, Redbull TV, Redbull Bulletin, etc. With each event essentially acting as branded content, they’ve been able to create a content machine that constantly puts out engaging content their audience wants. 

Redbull only has one product, their energy drink, and they make around 97% of their money through this product. All the projects they undertake are all to push the brand forward and ensure consumers keep associating Redbull with energy and being extreme.

Instead of telling stories about their product they tell stories about individuals living life to the extreme. Their athletes and teams all have unique stories. These stories are what their audience and the wider public resonate with. Many other brands can learn from Redbull, instead of just marketing your products, create and share stories of people that align with your brand. People buy into people, not products so create compelling stories and content that will naturally generate word of mouth.

Have a great week!

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Delivering a scalable platform for ServusTV, a Red Bull Media House brand

Red Bull Media House is an award-winning, globally distributed multi-platform media company. They’re also premium storytellers, and makers of viral content since before we were accustomed to using the term.

They’re an instantly recognisable brand and powerful media network telling stories in 171 countries – with a mission to inspire and entertain with beyond-ordinary sports, culture, and lifestyle entertainment.

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In 2009 Red Bull Media House launched ServusTV a TV broadcaster operating in German-speaking regions and reaching 5.7 million viewers monthly. Red Bull Media House needed to consolidate all these web properties onto one centralised and easy to manage platform; one that would encourage efficient collaboration, drive streamlined processes and enable them to confidently embrace new technologies and digital solutions.

Altis delivered a core platform designed to provide fully-managed cloud infrastructure and give ServusTV the digital confidence to grow and innovate. And it also transformed their editorial process: creating an end-to-end workflow with the block editor that facilitated collaboration, creation, and publishing, as well as boosting engagement and performance metrics.

We’re delighted with our Altis experience: it’s made everyday processes and workflows faster, more efficient, and much, much more enjoyable than they were previously.

Altis enabled a huge digital transformation in our business, helping us manage our web properties effectively and in a way which gives us the confidence to innovate and drive growth.”

Stefan Weger,  Head of Digital Servus TV

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The Ultimate Red Bull Marketing Strategy Study

Table of contents.

Red Bull has grown from a simple energy drink manufacturer to one of the most recognized brands in the world. It has become synonymous with sports, extreme performance, and victory. Red Bull is the extreme athlete of marketing, literally and figuratively.

A few key statistics and facts about Red Bull:

• Number of Red Bull cans sold worldwide in 2022: 11.582 billion
• Revenue of €9.68 billion
• Red Bull's marketing budget for 2022 is estimated to be €2,9 billion (it is rumored to be around 25-30% of the yearly revenue)
• Red Bull sponsors athletes in 73 countries around the world .
• Number of employees in 2022: 15,779
• The logo is a breed of cattle called gaur.

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Red Bull History

Styrian success-makers.

The reasons for Mateschitz's conservatism lie in his family background. He grew up in modest circumstances in the upper Murgtal in Styria. His outstanding success is not an isolated case in this province. Arnold Schwar is a compatriot, as is the tennis player Thomas Muster, who for a time topped the world rankings ahead of Boris Becker, André Agassi, and Pete Sampras.

He is also a compatriot of Frank Stronach, who emigrated to Canada as a worker and returned to his homeland as a co-owner of the global auto parts manufacturer Magna. Styrians are said to have always been a bit their boss. Stubborn but not rebellious, strong, and persevering. Dietrich Mateschitz, who has been friends with half of Austria since his success and is nicknamed "Didi," has needed perseverance for his story to become a real success.

From jetlag to energy drinks

In 1976, Chaleo Yoovidhya introduced his Krating Daeng drink in Thailand. The name means "red gaur" in English. The maker was inspired by the energy drink Lipovitan, in which the main ingredient is taurine, and was popular with Thai truck drivers and blue-collar manual laborers.

When he visited Thailand in 1982, the Austrian-born Dietrich Mateschitz discovered that by consuming Krating Daeng, he was able to overcome the effects of jet lag, caused by the rapid change of time zones, much more quickly during the trip. Since the energy drink phenomenon was still unknown on the Old Continent, he was astonished at how many people consume the product, and almost immediately approached the owners of the company with the idea of bringing it there.

Mateschitz had been the international marketing manager for Blendax (now part of the Procter & Gamble Group) toothpaste at the time. The Yoovidhya family, which had already become rich through the pharmaceutical industry, welcomed the idea and began to develop a European business policy and strategy with the Austrian marketing expert.

Mateschitz founded Red Bull GmbH with Yoovidhya in 1984 intending to develop it into a global brand. Both parties invested $500,000, however, Yoovidhya and Mateschitz owned only 49-49% of the shares in the new company. The remaining 2 percent of the shares went to Yoovidhya's son Chalerm, but the agreement left Mateschitz as the de facto head of the company.

Product launch in Austria

The product was first launched in Austria in 1987. Mateschitz, still a bachelor at 39, has quit his lucrative multinational job and has been trying to introduce the Asian recipe to Austria for two or three years. The new product, the unusual flavors, the colors, the advertising are not the resounding success he had hoped for. After the initial setbacks, Dietrich Mateschitz does what he has never done before - he takes out a loan. The reason for his reluctance is simple: he was raised at home to believe that "a decent person does not have debts," and like many entrepreneurs, he still does not like financial institutions.

The startup’s growth has almost immediately slowed down because several well-known Austrian beverage companies considered the revolutionary idea too risky and refused to partner with Red Bull. The food authority was also not a fan of Red Bull, considered it dangerous, and banned its marketing in many places - but Mateschitz was not discouraged. Dietrich Mateschitz cites the three most difficult years of his life as the early days of Red Bull.

Being an experienced manager, he refused to lower the price of the not exactly cheap beverage. He is vigilant about consumer behavior. The highly stimulating product was finally a hit in Austrian discotheques. It was tempting to dance the night away. Word of the new wonder “drug” spread quickly across the border. However, on the German side, Red Bull was still not allowed to be marketed. It was banned for a time in Hungary, France, and Denmark because of what they consider to be its high caffeine and taurine content. It is the desire for the forbidden fruit that has brought the real breakthrough. Consumers "smuggle" a bootleg number of Red Bulls across the then non-EU Salzburg border crossing into Bavaria, where it is sold in nightclubs in violation of the law. From then on, the triumphal procession is unstoppable. And during this time, the custom of mixing it with vodka also arises.

Germany and the United Kingdom were introduced to Red Bull in 1994 after the company’s expansion in Eastern and Central Europe. It was able to win a 75 percent market share on the American energy drinks market despite the slow start and late expansion to the US in 1997.

In the process, Red Bull has also garnered some criticism for its use of extreme sports marketing and its impact on health. Due to this, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and other food regulatory agencies have limited the levels of caffeine, taurine, and glucuronolactone in Red Bull and other energy drinks.

Key takeaways:

A serendipitous meeting between the Austrian and Thai founders of Red Bull was quickly followed by the realization of an excellent business opportunity and action. The recipe was ready - even if it still needed to be refined for European tastes - and the parties focused on market development strategies, sales, and marketing activities.

Still, launching the product in Austria was not a success, and many founders would have given up at this point. But Mateschitz kept his eyes open and recognized what the sales drivers would be in the early days.

• Word-of-mouth marketing,
• The feeling of uniqueness (energy drinks were not yet known to the European public),
• A stronger effect than coffee, which, mixed with alcohol, stimulated parties in Eastern Europe as a non-addictive and non-consciousness-altering substance,
• The progressive association of the brand with sports, in addition to nightlife.

Together, these elements have served to build Red Bull's success on an increasingly efficient and planned business foundation.

The Products

The product portfolio of the company.

Three of Red Bull's products are core products that are sold in all relevant markets, regardless of culture or target group:

• Red Bull energy drink: the familiar gray-blue metal can that comes in a 250 ml edition. In some countries, it is also available in a 350 ml and a 500 ml version.
• Sugar-free Red Bull: Instead of sugar from sugar beets, the company uses aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame K to sweeten the product. The product's other ingredients and packaging are the same as the original energy drink.
• Red Bull Zero Sugar. The Zero and sugar-free variants differ little in terms of content. According to the company, the only difference is the taste.

However, there have also been numerous drinks that have been launched in limited quantities or connected with specific sporting events. These include The Tropical Edition, The Coconut Edition, The Red Edition, and The Summer Edition, currently available in four flavors. However, Red Bull not only limits the time of availability but also sells specific, localized products for the largest markets. For example, ORGANICS by Red Bull, which is only available in German, is not an energy drink but a soft drink that comes in six flavors. These include cola, tonic, and ginger drinks.

Red Bull cans are 100% recyclable. In addition, with only one manufacturing location, 80% of renewable resources are saved rather than using multiple ones.

Product localization

Almost all of the markets in APAC are served by Red Bull, and the company uses local development strategies to cater to consumer tastes in each market. Red Bull markets in the APAC region curate their product portfolios, and it takes a lot of time for each market to develop the most appropriate product selections. Local and center teams are continuously reviewing the portfolio of products to ensure that the energy, taste, and size requirements are met. Though the original blue and silver Red Bull Energy Drink is still a popular beverage, Red Bull is also interested in creating new products to match the changing tastes of the market.

Red Bull Editions are a seasonal range of localized products. To give an example, Red Bull has a Coconut edition in Singapore that includes coconut and blueberry flavors; in Australia, there are Orange editions (orange flavors), Tropical editions (tropical fruit flavors), and Red editions (watermelon flavors).

Each Red Bull market has a local team that interprets the meaning of the products to ensure they are relevant to the target customers. There is room for growth in the energy drink market through premiumization, even though the market is well established.

Manufacturing

A new Red Bull production facility is being built in Glendale, Arizona. A joint venture between Red Bull, Rauch Fruit Juices, and Ball Corporation, RRB Beverage Operating, is investing USD 250 million in the next few years to build a new 700,000 sq ft-sized facility. Originally, the company planned to start manufacturing in 2021, employing 140 people in the process. There is no news available on how COVID-19 has modified the plans.

Instead of keeping the production process in-house, RB outsourced it to Rauch. Among other beverages, it produces Red Bull's drinks in Nüziders, Austria, and Wildenau, Switzerland. It is only 40 kilometers between the two production facilities despite being in different countries.

It was previously made at a Swiss plant and imported to the U.S., but the company's growing popularity in North America and a threat to taxing cans and products imported from Europe, in general, led to the investment.

One of the joint venture partners, the Ball Corporation, which specializes in the production of aluminum and steel packaging for the food and beverage industry, opened an aluminum can manufacturing plant in Goodyear, Arizona in 2019, not far from the new project site in Glendale.

Sales channels

As a manufacturer of soft drinks, Red Bull does not market its products itself but distributes them to restaurants and stores via Red Bull-owned distribution companies. One such company is Red Bull Distribution Company , which is responsible for distribution in North America. The Group currently employs around 6,000 sales staff who distribute its products in 170 countries around the world.

The sales employees directly involved in the sales process are usually field sales representatives. They cover a predetermined territory by driving around and replenishing products from Red Bull in restaurants and convenience stores. They are also responsible for ensuring that the energy drinks are in the right, highly visible places on the shelves and that the company logos get the attention they deserve.

Of course, the larger chains and online beverage stores are already negotiating directly with distributors. The company's sales activities are rounded off by various corporate purchases.

Beverage retailers in particular tend to offer their customers a diversified product portfolio to generate more sales so that they can not only order a specific beverage but also upsell it. This involves offering additional options (both products and services) to a customer who has already been won over, which can then be sold at a much higher profit because there is no need to advertise and approach the customer again. In contrast, Red Bull has opted for a narrow product range - for a long time, there was only one type of energy drink and one flavor. Today, that range has broadened, but there are still many subsectors (e.g., alcohols, premium products) where there is room for further expansion.

Red Bull works with several international and local distributors, typically owned by RB. Sales are always B2B, with restaurants, small and large grocery stores, and corporate customers on the other side.

The Red Bull Brand

The Red bull brand stands out as a category dominating queen holding 42% of the global energy drink market in 2020. Second comes Monster with a 39% market share.

Company culture

The vision statement of Red Bull is “(The company) is dedicated to upholding Red Bull standards while maintaining the leadership position in the energy drinks category when delivering superior customer service in a highly efficient and profitable manner. We create a culture where employees share best practices, dedicated to coaching and developing our organization as an employer of choice.” (Source: redbull.com)

According to reviews on Indeed and Comparably , Red Bull is successful not only in building an outward-facing brand but also in creating a high-quality corporate culture. Typical feedback praises the internal social life, work environment, and highlights internal development opportunities. However, as in any other organization, those who work under a poorly performing manager are understandably dissatisfied with management skills, work-life balance, and supervisor availability.

Can of innovation: a branding move

The can became the symbol for Red Bull, even though it has been commonly used among beverage manufacturers. There is, however, a significant difference: instead of the usual 330 ml can, which is a bit chunkier, Red Bull has introduced the 250 ml sized container, which is thinner and taller than usual. There are two reasons for this: the unique appearance makes the product stand out from the competition, and it explains why Red Bull is much more expensive than the usual packaged drinks.

Red Bull’s target market: for those who need energy

Red Bull’s target market is young people between the age of 15 and 45 with high income. The company segments its target market even further offering as the main benefit a sense of belonging and enhanced physical and mental performance.

Matschitz explained the failure of Red Bull's first consumer test by claiming that such products only succeed in their intended environment. In sterile laboratories, no one needs extra energy, so Red Bull could not be treated at its true value. The moment the drink was introduced into gyms, parties, and bars, or even boardrooms, the rejection stopped, because the product found its right target audience.

Red Bull’s logo and design over the years

The energy drink was originally created for Muay Thai fighters and blue-collar workers in Thailand. A logo where two red bulls were readying to fight and the bright yellow sun rising behind them is typical for the APAC region. The only direct change was the “Red Bull” inscription written in bold, English font.

The Red Bull logo did not change significantly over the years. What makes the story special is that Mateschitz's marketing background allowed the team to spend extra time finding the right design. However, both the logo and the name and colors scored poorly on focus-group questionnaires. Nevertheless, the owners stuck to their original vision and did not change the design "rescued" from Thailand. Time has proven them right.

Red Bull brands and subsidiaries

Red Bull Racing

AKA Red Bull AKA RBR AKA Oracle Red Bull Racing is a Formula 1 racing team. The team won the 2021 championship with its driver Max Verstappen.

Scuderia AlphaTauri

AKA AlphaTauri is the second Formula One racing team of Red Bull. Originally the company’s junior team, today its considered to be the sister team of Oracle Red Bull Racing.

New York Red Bulls & New York Red Bulls II

The company’s two American professional soccer teams. The first participates in the Major league and the second in the second tier league.

FC Red Bull Salzburg

AKA FC Salzburg, the company’s Austrian professional football club. Red Bull bought the club in 2015 and changed its colors, a move that its fans found controversial.

FC Liefering

Red Bull's second league Austrian football club.

The German professional football club nicknamed Die Roten Bullen. The company bought the team in 2009 and in less than 9 years took it from the fifth tier league to the top-flight Bundesliga.

Red Bull Brasil & Red Bull Bragantino

The two Brazilian football clubs whose teams compete in the second and top tier of São Paulo state football league respectively.

EHC München & EC Red Bull Salzburg

Red bull’s ice hockey teams. The first competes at the highest level of professional German ice hockey. And the second competes in Austria’s top-tier ice hockey league.

Red Bull Records

It’s Red Bull’s global record label focusing on more niche genres like rock, alternative rock, punk rock and hip hop with bands like Awolnation, Twin Atlantic, and Beartooth.

The example of Mateschitz is rather the exception that proves the rule because his decisions - especially in the early years - were always at odds with business logic and common sense. The launch of the energy drink Red Bull in Europe was prepared through a series of processes: Testing the product, obtaining food safety and market approvals, market research as part of the launch. In the end, there were almost no areas left to support the owners' ideas, as neither the food authority nor market research considered energy drinks to be a good product.

Mateschitz, however, stubbornly stuck to his original ideas and, adapting some of the intellectual property brought from Thailand to European tastes, practically single-handedly created a youthful, trendy and energetic brand Red Bull.

Red Bull Marketing Strategy - Sponsoring Sports, Athletes And Events

Red Bull global marketing strategy focuses, but it’s not limited to, sponsorships of extreme sports, athletes and events of every scale, from local to global.

The company generates massive awareness with its presence in unique first-ever events like Felix Baumgartner parachute jump and in major regular events like the Volcom Pipe Pro and the Freeride world tour.

Red Bull’s marketing strategy, however, includes more traditional marketing practices and channels like TV commercials and social media with millions of followers across its Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Youtube tens of accounts. It runs ads across every channel, trying to appear in front of its target audience everywhere it goes.

Red Bull marketing budget

A question on a lot of people's minds is how much does red bull spend on marketing?  Unfortunately, Red Bull does not share its marketing budget, but it is rumored to be around 25% of the yearly revenue. So whilst we can only guesstimate what it spends, one thing we know is that it's a lot of money and a very important focus for Red Bull.

When the product becomes the means of Red Bull advertising

Sponsored stars are today's flesh-and-blood heroes: athletes, drivers, Formula 1 racers, and extreme athletes who stand for real achievement.

In addition to financial support, the stars receive equipment, clothing, and accessories with the Red Bull logo. And of course their advertised product, energy drinks in the required quantity. Red Bull's branded merchandise is particularly valuable because, unlike many beverage competitors, the company does not mass-produce merchandise - it is available only in the inner circle. 

The international marketing activities of Red Bull are aimed primarily at young people who are attracted to and like extreme sports. The range of extreme sports targeted is very broad and includes:

• Mountain biking
• Snowboarding
• Skateboarding
• Wakeboarding
• Cliff jumping
• Ice skating
• Freestyle motocross
• Break dancing.

Red Bull also uses music and  video games  for marketing purposes and has brought in celebrities like Eminem (through its support of the Red Bull "EmSee Battle Rap championships").

Red Bull is also known for its events, including music and art conventions. In Hungary, the company launched Red Bull Pilvaker in 2012, one of the country's most unique music and cultural projects, which commemorated the 1848 Revolution and the War of Independence with the help of outstanding contemporary art artists. The popularity of Red Bull Pilvaker is reflected in the fact that in recent years all tickets for performances at Erkel Theater, which seats almost 2,000 people, were sold out within a few days.

Red Bull also maintains soccer teams in Austria, Germany, the United States, and Brazil - these teams also carry the brand name, Red Bull. By associating the energy drink with these activities, the company aims to reinforce the "cool" image of the product and thus the strength of the brand. The energy drink has also created a market for over 150 additional souvenir items.

On the PlayStation 3 community platform PlayStation Home, Red Bull created a dedicated in-game island in 2009 to specifically promote the energy drink Red Bull and the racing series Red Bull Air Race. In January 2012, Red Bull also opened its first personal community area, the " Red Bull House of Skate," which featured an indoor skating rink for visitors.

Red Bull's sports sponsorship activities focus on supporting talented young athletes and helping them achieve their goals. The Red Bull Junior program in motorsports is the most prominent branch of this, but the company follows this philosophy in its support for athletes, regardless of the sport. Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, and Danyiil Kvjat are among the most prominent students of the Red Bull Junior program.

Formula One Red Bull Racing

Red Bull Racing is the Austrian Formula 1 team owned by the energy drink company Red Bull. The company's other team is Scuderia Toro Rosso (later Scuderia AlphaTauri).

The team's direct predecessor is the Stewart Grand Prix, founded in 1997 by Jackie Stewart. In late 1999, it was sold to the Ford Motor Company, which raced it under the name Jaguar Racing. In 2004, Ford decided to sell the unsuccessful but costly team. It was bought by Dietrich Mateschitz, owner of the energy drink company Red Bull. The team was then able to take to the grid at the 2005 Australian Grand Prix as the successor to Jaguar, now in the blue and silver colors of Red Bull energy drinks.

Red Bull was no stranger to motorsport's premier class, having previously sponsored Sauber, Arrows, and its predecessor Jaguar. Having started its own team, Red Bull naturally terminated its contract with Sauber (the Arrows had already ceased to exist in 2002). The drinks company has also appeared in the Formula 3000 series and its successor, GP2, and has a European talent scouting program called Red Bull Junior Team. Later Formula 1 drivers have also emerged from the program, with Enrique Bernoldi, Christian Klien, Patrick Friesacher, Vitantonio Liuzzi, and Scott Speed all having raced in the premier class.

RBR enjoyed immediate success in its first season in 2005, thanks to two of its drivers, Coulthard and Klien. The 2005 Red Bull RB1 was based on the already papered Jaguar R6. The team used the weakest Cosworth engines and Michelin tyres throughout the season. The team exceeded expectations to finish seventh among constructors with 34 points.

For the 2006 season, Red Bull Racing changed engine suppliers and used Ferrari V8 power units for the season. Adrian Newey, who was signed from McLaren in November 2005, was appointed as chief designer. Newey did not play a major role in the design of the RB2, which was almost complete by then, and instead started work on the 2007 model. By 2007, the Adrian Newey-designed RB3 was finally completed, with the Renault engine replacing Ferrari's. Mid-season saw the arrival of Geoff Willis, who had worked as technical director at Williams and BAR and then at Honda. Following the departure of Michelin, Red Bull Racing naturally started on Bridgestone tyres. On the racing front, David Coulthard remained with the team, while Mark Webber took the other seat. Webber left the predecessor Jaguar after 2004 and joined the energy drinkers after two disappointing seasons at Williams. The team finished 5th in the constructors' championship with McLaren eliminated and 24 points, David Coulthard 10th with 14 points, and Mark Webber 12th with 10 points.

For 2009, the retiring David Coulthard was replaced by Sebastian Vettel from Toro Rosso, while Mark Webber remained with the team. The team ended the year with a double victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Vettel finished second in the individual championship with 84 points, 11 behind world champion Button. The team finished second in the constructors' championship, 18.5 points behind Brawn GP. From 2010-13, RBR enjoyed a truly golden era, its World Championship victories making it unchallenged.

The 2014-20 Formula 1 era brought less success for Red Bull (regularly replaced by Mercedes in first place), but remained a worthy rival to Ferrari. In the 2021 season, with a Honda engine, they continue to pile on the surprises, and their fans are predicting the resurrection of RBR in an ever-strengthening F1 team.

Red Bull Ring ‍

The Red Bull Ring (originally called Österreichring, between 1997 and 2003 A1-Ring) is an Austrian race track in Styria. The circuit itself is located in the territory of the municipality of Spielberg, but its access roads are in the immediate vicinity of the municipality of Zeltweg, which is why it is often referred to as the "Zeltweg circuit". The track was renovated in 2011 with financial support from the energy drink manufacturer Red Bull to make it suitable for Formula 1 again and will be back on the calendar for the 2014 season.

Red Bull Racing has won at its home track four times since its inception.

Red Bull sponsoring other sports

• In 2006, Red Bull announced they would sponsor the NASCAR Team Red Bull. Lowe's Motor Speedway was their first stop in the Nextel Cup Series. The team was shut down in December 2011 and its assets were acquired by BK Racing.
• A major sponsor of Repsol Honda, Red Bull is the title sponsor of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team.
• Football has also been a huge part of the company's activities. The Austrian club SV Austria Salzburg was purchased by Red Bull on 6 April 2005, and it was renamed Red Bull Salzburg, a move that has been heavily criticized by supporters' groups in Austria and across Europe. FC Liefering has also been purchased as Salzburg's feeder club.
• Since 2000, the company has owned the Salzburg team in the Austrian Hockey League, now named Red Bull Salzburg. Throughout 2012 and 2013, Red Bull became the team's title sponsor and then bought the club outright.
• A new League of Legends team was formed by Red Bull in 2017, Red Bulls, which competed in the European League of Legends Challenger Series from 2017 until it folded in 2018. Several Red Bull sponsored fighting game players to compete in Tekken and Street Fighter games, as well as The International winner OG, who competes in Dota 2.

Felix Baumgartner parachute jump from space

Baumgartner and his team saw a mission in the world record attempt, for which the athlete had been preparing since 2005. The jump offered the opportunity to collect data to improve life-saving for astronauts and pilots or potential space tourists and to study the behavior of the human body in the stratosphere. It is critical to make the return from space safe for space crews, as they may have to eject from the aircraft and it is life-threatening to enter the stratosphere in an unprepared space suit in such an emergency.

The first record attempt was scheduled for Oct. 9, 2012, at 11:42 a.m. local time, but a strong wind prevented the 834,497-cubic-meter balloon from inflating safely, as it was twisted by the wind. Wind gusts of up to 40 km/h were measured at the top of the balloon, although the wind speed was not supposed to exceed 5 km/h.

The next attempt was therefore postponed until Sunday, October 14 - a postponement that tested everyone's patience but was the only way to ensure safety. At the press conference after the jump, FAI record holder Brian Utleya announced that Baumgartner had reached a speed of 1342.8 kilometers per hour (Mach 1.24), breaking the speed of sound. The pilot came down from a height of 39,045 meters in 4 minutes and 20 seconds, covering 36,529 meters in freefall.

Red Bull, like Ferrari , has found in sports the marketing platform that best reaches its audience. However, the company has not limited its sponsorship activities to motorsports but supports all sports from ice hockey to extreme sports. The company invests most of its marketing budget in financing the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team and maintaining the racetrack at the Red Bull Ring.

Red Bull also supports music as a nightlife player and various events aimed at partygoers.

Final thoughts and key takeaways of Red Bull’s story

Who owns red bull today.

Red Bull GmbH is a private company with its headquarters in Salzburg, Austria. Two billionaires own Red bull:

• Thai businessman  Chalerm Yoovidhya,  who owns the majority of the company sitting at 51%. His net worth as of 2021 is estimated at $24.5 billion.
• Austrian businessman  Dietrich Mateschitz,  who owns 49% of the rest of the company. His net worth as of 2022 is estimated at $26 billion.

Growth by numbers

According to Forbes , the brand that gives you wings sold 6.8 billion cans in 171 countries in 2018. Among the fastest-growing markets were India (+30%), Brazil (+22%), and Eastern Europe (+22%). Using a marketing strategy built around extreme events, Red Bull has sold a total of 75 billion cans since 1987.

Key takeaways from Red Bull's story:

• The founders’ agility: Red Bull would certainly not look the way it does today if the founders - a Thai pharmaceutical entrepreneur and an Austrian marketing manager - had not had a clear vision for the brand right from the start.
• Product portfolio: The soft drinks market is characterized by the dominance of aggregators (e.g. Coca Cola, which contrary to popular belief does not only produce Coke). To counter this trend, Red Bull has from the beginning thought in terms of a small product portfolio and focused on the energy drink market rather than a diversified range. It was not an easy task, as it was a pioneer in the field at the time of its launch - no other energy drink existed in Europe. The company invested a lot of energy in educating the market, which at first did not welcome this unique product, but now it has become an integral part of it.
• Marketing : Instead of investing millions of dollars in television, radio, and Internet advertising, Red Bull took a different approach from the beginning. Although it was initially forced to do so because many countries did not officially license the energy drink, word of mouth is still the strongest element in the company's marketing. The founders succeeded by identifying the two areas where there was a real need for energy drinks and focusing all marketing activities on them.
• Sponsorship : Red Bull quickly found its audience among athletes as well as party-goers, so it's no wonder that the company turned to sports sponsorships. One of Red Bull's main marketing weapons has been its own Formula 1 team, as well as sponsorship of a number of ball and extreme sports.

The companies more than 30-year history is a powerful story of challenges, of working against the wind, of the founders' strong vision, of defying business logic, and of perseverance. Even though the Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz has made countless decisions that would not have worked for others and that go against everything that business can teach us, the success of his company is beyond question.

If there is anything we can learn from him, it is surely his belief in his team and his own instinct to put an unknown product on the world map. Red Bull now inspires millions of people a year, its sales are skyrocketing (based on the sales statistics, every person on earth could drink one Red Bull), and its marketing efforts are leading the way for many other companies in the industry.

Red Bull: A Case Study In Brand Consistency

Full disclosure:  I’m not an energy-drink guy.  The mad-scientist combination of carbonated water, sucrose, taurine, benzoic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, maltodextrin, and 17 other multisyllabic compounds just doesn’t do it for me.  That said, I do give credit where credit’s due.  The category is as strong an example of brand consistency as you’ll find.  And one fella in particular does it better than anyone.

Red Bull sprung to life in 1987, effectively creating the global energy-drink category.  Austrian founder and sports enthusiast Dietrich Mateschitz set the tone.  Sports and extreme activities have been part of its corporate makeup since day one.  Its philosophy of creativity, self-confidence, nonconformity, and anti-authoritarianism still pervades everything it does.

Red Bull’s refusal to deviate from this persona is one of the underlying reasons for its massive success over the past three decades.  From its packaging to its advertising, you “get” the brand every time you see it.  Just look at its website.  Visitors can tell immediately what Red Bull stands for the moment they get there.  In fact, at one point its “About” page was titled “Holy S___.”  That’s so Red Bull.

Another reason for its dominance?  How about an unrivaled war chest.  Very few companies reinvest 30% of their revenue into marketing , let alone with the level of fury Red Bull seems to display at every touch point.

Let’s take the most obvious example of this spend.  Red Bull is as synonymous with action sports as any non-endemic sponsor could hope to be with any sport.  Its marketing team brilliantly gains the rights to product in places where extreme athletes seemingly “require” it to perform at a high level.

This extends well beyond surf, skate, and ski, though.  Red Bull has infiltrated F1, soccer, basketball, and other more traditional sports in very deliberate ways that align with its brand.  Even when it sniffs around scenes you might not expect like golf, it’s talking to people like Rickie Fowler, not Jack Nicklaus.

Apparently, the pre-established sports pond is too small for such an ambitious brand.  So, it’s taken the burden of expansion upon itself.  The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, Red Bull Air Race World Championship, and even ridiculous (and hilarious) exploits like Red Bull Flugtag are just a few of the many examples of the brand’s proprietary events over the years.  Some have come and gone, sure.  But, all have creatively brought to life its mantra, “Red Bull Gives You Wings.”  Now that’s branding.

It’s also just the tip of the energy giant’s irreverent iceberg.  Red Bull’s marketing muscle extends well beyond the wide world of sports:

• Red Bull Media House has become a well-established and respected multi-platform media company dedicated to producing innovative, on-brand content.
• Red Bull TV  digital-video service features live global events and an extensive selection of sports, music, and lifestyle entertainment from the world of Red Bull.
• Hundreds of endorsers representing the kind of edgy lifestyle Red Bull promotes serve as brand ambassadors to their own fan followings.
• Opportunities to support high-profile, groundbreaking initiatives like Red Bull Stratos speak to its desire to push boundaries.
• Partnerships with like-minded companies in the active-lifestyle space allow it to expand its influence through shared brand values.
• Music, esports, art, travel, fitness, fashion….Red Bull’s footprint reaches multiple corners of our culture, always in ways that reflect its own.

Red Bull’s self-awareness, discipline, and openness to investment spending have secured its spot as the world’s #1 energy drink.  Easily .  US market share by sales is 35%, head and shoulders above #2 Monster’s 25%.  And this figure can more than double in other markets.

Part of the reason for Red Bull’s pole position is its popularity in social settings that have nothing to do with half-pipes or moto whips.  Look no further than everyone’s favorite supercharged spirit, the Vodka Red Bull.  Such widespread, organic adoption is an impressive feat usually reserved for more conventional brands (Rum and Coke, anyone?).

Whether or not you have a taste for taurine or a passion for parkour, you’d do well to take a peek at Red Bull’s strategy for your own brand roadmap .  Besides, guys falling through space at 800mph is a great mid-afternoon distraction.

Grab a can of caffeine and give me a shout to talk about how we can best shape your sales messaging around your marketing portfolio.

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