The high energy drink Red Bull has been profitably sold since 1987. The company’s figures confirm its success around the world. Red Bull’s secret is an extraordinary marketing consisting mainly of the organisation of fun sport events to create a cool image and make teenagers loyal costumers. With this unique concept the enterprise will go on governing the growing energy drink branch.
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Thesis statement
2.0 Business success
2.1 Definition of a successful company
2.2 Red Bull’s figures of success
3.0 The marketing concept of Red Bull
3.1 The target group
3.2 Image creation
3.3 How to maintain success in the future
4.0 Conclusion and how to maintain success in the future
Objectives and Topics
This report aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the marketing strategy employed by Red Bull, analyzing how the company achieved its international market leadership and identifying sustainable strategies for future growth.
- Historical development and corporate origin of Red Bull
- Analysis of financial performance and market position
- Strategic approach to target group engagement
- Development of brand image through event marketing and "murketing"
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Image creation
On the whole, Red Bull’s specific marketing image can be described as a mixture of fun and danger and, to some extent, it finds its embodiment in the extreme sports the company subsidizes so generously, as Seiser (2004) reports.
Commercial TV spots in the form of cartoons are not shown to inform the audience (if you do not know the product you probably will not even understand what the advertisement is for), but to entertain them. The same applies to the musical events, night club promotions and sportive activities Red Bull organizes and sponsors: Fun-loving adolescents come in flocks to parties and contests, drinking the ‘beefy’ drink in communities (Rodgers, 2001). This, of course, gives the costumers the feeling that Red Bull is an authentic brand; it is a ‘social welfare’ operator of cool events.
Moreover, the clever marketing of the ‘bull drink’ makes use of another important tool, which works astonishingly well with young people: rumours, which make the drink appear cool. Hein (2001) points out that Red Bull is not only said to be some kind of “Liquid Viagra” with the “secret ingredient … [of] bull’s testicles”, but that people even tell themselves that “someone overdosed from the drink because it has drugs in it.” Especially when it is combined with alcohol, Red Bull is considered to have a strong, yes, occasionally even dangerous effect on its consumers, as the mix of alcohol with the ‘bully’ drink containing taurine, glucuroalactam and caffeine is verifiably quite risky (Cox, 2004).
All this scandalous and mystifying gossip makes the drink very attractive for adventurous adolescents. Walker (2002), made up the expression “murketing” for Red Bull’s way of marketing, which implies that company’s tactic is to keep everything about the product extremely vague, obscure and equivocal.
Summary of Chapters
1.0 Introduction: Provides an overview of the brand's history and the initial motivation for the essay.
1.1 Background: Details the origins of the Red Bull brand, from its discovery by Dietrich Mateschitz in Hong Kong to its global expansion.
1.2 Thesis statement: Outlines the objective of the report, which is to analyze Red Bull's successful marketing strategies.
2.0 Business success: Establishes criteria for defining a successful company and introduces the context of Red Bull.
2.1 Definition of a successful company: Discusses standard financial indicators of business success, such as profit and market value.
2.2 Red Bull’s figures of success: Examines Red Bull's specific financial performance, emphasizing its growth across global markets.
3.0 The marketing concept of Red Bull: Explores the brand's unique marketing philosophy based on finding gaps in the market.
3.1 The target group: Analyzes the company’s focus on the teenage demographic and their skeptical approach to traditional advertising.
3.2 Image creation: Describes the brand's use of extreme sports and rumors to cultivate a "cool" and mysterious image.
3.3 How to maintain success in the future: Discusses the necessity for Red Bull to continue innovating beyond its current success.
4.0 Conclusion and how to maintain success in the future: Summarizes the key drivers of the brand's triumph and suggests future strategic directions.
Keywords
Red Bull, Marketing Strategy, Brand Image, Energy Drink, Target Group, Business Success, Dieter Mateschitz, Murketing, Extreme Sports, Market Gap, Global Expansion, Consumer Loyalty, Brand Innovation, Financial Performance, Antibrand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this essay?
The essay explores the marketing strategy behind Red Bull, analyzing how it has become a global leader in the energy drink industry.
What are the central themes of the work?
The core themes include the brand's history, its financial success, its innovative approach to target audiences, and its unique image-building techniques.
What is the author's primary research goal?
The goal is to evaluate why Red Bull's marketing strategy is successful and how the company might maintain this success in a competitive market.
Which scientific methods are applied in this report?
The author utilizes a qualitative analysis based on secondary literature, corporate performance figures, and marketing theories from experts like Mark Sherrington.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body examines the company's financial growth, its specific targeting of the youth demographic, and the psychological impact of its "murketing" and event-based branding.
How would you characterize the keywords of this work?
The keywords highlight the intersection of strategic branding, consumer psychology, and market positioning within the global beverage industry.
How does the concept of "murketing" contribute to Red Bull's brand identity?
"Murketing" refers to the brand's tactic of keeping information vague and obscure, which fosters mystery and makes the product more attractive to adventurous consumers.
Why does the author consider Red Bull an "antibrand brand"?
It is viewed as an "antibrand" because it deliberately avoids traditional, mainstream advertising in favor of unconventional tactics that resonate more authentically with its target audience.
What future challenges does the author suggest for Red Bull?
The author argues that despite its current dominance, Red Bull must continue to innovate and invest heavily in sports events to stay ahead of increasingly numerous and cheaper competitors.
- Quote paper
- Sabine Buchholz (Author), 2005, When a brand gets wings. Red Bull's secret of marketing success, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/82618
