My friend Charlene is a cheerleading instructor for young girls between the ages of 5 and
15. She is a very peppy high-energy person. She drinks at least one 8 oz can of Red Bull a day. She prefers it to coffee in the morning when getting ready to go into work, and says she likes to drink it served over ice. When asked her opinions on Monster and Full Throttle her response was simple, “I just like the way Red Bull tastes better.” This may sound like an easy enough answer. But then I had to wonder, why does she prefer the taste? After further research I learned that Red Bull was the first energy drink she had ever tried. She tried it based on popularity. As a teenager she attended X-Game events often. She mentioned that at these events was when she was first made aware of the Red Bull brand. “Everyone was talking about this new drink that charges you up, drinking Red Bull was the cool thing to do.”(Charlene 2008) She also mentioned that once she was old enough to go out to bars, Red Bull based were the drink of the night always. Her loyalty and commitment to the brand grew to be more solid by having Red Bull available to her while being out with her friends. “I love all kinds of Red Bull based drinks, and if I feel I’m getting too tired, I can order just a Red Bull and no one knows the difference.” (Charlene 2008) Charlene’s commitment is so loyal that if they don’t offer the Red Bull brand she will go to a different location, be it a bar or convenient store, to purchase it.
Red Bull has an amazing marketing strategy. They were one of the first on the extreme sports scene, catering to a youthful market. Because of its energy increasing attributes it was primarily targeted to extreme athletes. Red Bull has had a strong presence in the skateboarding community, and has gained a lot of it popularity by sponsoring events that support extreme sports. They sponsor many sporting events from BMX, surfing, skateboarding, and racing. They even own their own Formula One racing team, Team Red Bull. (Red Bull 2008) In addition to supporting these sporting events they also host their own soapbox race, which takes place in multiple cities at various times during the year. The soapbox races are a free event to participate in and attend. By doing this Red Bull gains their consumers loyalty and trust by making them feel like they are part of the brand.
When it comes to commercial advertising Red Bull has taken a creative and humorous stand point. Using their tag line “Red Bull gives you wings” (Red Bull 2008) they show animated characters achieving impossible tasks by drinking a can of Red Bull, and physically sprouting wings and flying away. This gives the consumers the idea that with Red Bull anything is possible. They also use a lot of celebrity endorsement through popular extreme sports athletes.
Red Bull has capitalized on its fun, party crazed youth market. They have done so by making Red Bull a staple in most bars by offering drinks built specifically around their brand. It is commonplace to be able to walk into any bar and ask for a Jagerbomb. Every bartender knows that this drink specifically, is a shot of Jagermeister with a shot of Red Bull. In the same respect bartenders are aware that any drink with ‘bomb’ in its title is a Red Bull based drink. This aspect has given Red Bull a strong presence in a nightlife scene.
Red Bull has done an amazing job of creating a niche market amongst athletes and sporting events. They have also captured a youthful market through sponsoring unique sporting events and entertaining and amusing advertising.
References
Armstrong, G., Kotler, P. (2006). Marketing: an Introduction. Upper Saddle River, N.J.:
Prentice Hall.
Red Bull (2008). Retrieved October 24th 2008, from http://www.redbullusa.com/#
page=HomePage.1201744549410-1861037906.1
Screaming Energy (2008). Retrieved October 24th 2008, from http://www.screami
ngenergy.com/energy_drink_9.php
Red Bull Soapbox (2008). Retrieved October 24th 2008, from http://www
.redbullsoapboxusa.com/
Suite 101.com (2008) Bomb Drinks, From Jäger Bombs to Sake Bombs. Retrieved from http:
//liquor.suite101.com/article.cfm/bomb_drinks_from_jaeger_bombs_to_sake_bombs
