Red Bull: the most impressive touchpoints of the market leader for energy drinks
Starting with a “wing-giving” energy drink, Red Bull has become the most valuable brand from Austria with a brand value of around 16 billion euros in 2021. Red Bull was founded by Dietrich Mateschitz in Austria in 1984 and is now represented in over 170 countries. The company sells 4 billion cans of the energy drink every year, which is 127 cans per second.
Values and Positioning
Brand personality HERO!
1. Red Bull Energy Drink1
In 2021, over 9.8 billion cans of the drink were sold, making it the best-selling energy drink in the world. Red Bull was marketed from the outset as an expensive and exclusive premium drink. Its origins can be traced back to the Thai energy drink Krating Deang. Mateschitz adapted the drink to European tastes, which had not existed before with the ingredients or such a design. In the 1980s, the hype around the narrow 250 ml can, unusual at that time, started in the club scene. To reduce environmental impact, the company developed “wall-to-wall production,” meaning that manufacturer and customer are in close proximity to each other. In addition, the cans are lightweight, their weight has been reduced by 60% in just ten years, and they are 100% recyclable.​
2. Red Bull Logo & Slogan2
Originally, the drink was intended for Muay Thai fighters. Two red bulls getting ready to fight is a typical Thai image. Bulls symbolize strength, red stands for endurance and a bright yellow sun rises behind them. Dietrich Mateschitz tried to transfer all parts of the cultural identity into the Red Bull logo. The logo was supplemented only by the lettering “Red Bull”. The slogan and the can design were created in cooperation with the designer Kastner. The slogan “Red Bull gives you wings” was visually implemented as a cartoon and lovingly brought to life in Tibor Hernádi’s film studio. Today, the slogan is world famous.
3. Red Bull Athletes3
In addition to sponsorship contracts with clubs in mainstream sports, such as ice hockey team EHC Munich or soccer club RB Leipzig, Red Bull is also known for athletes in extreme sports. More than 600 athletes from all over the world were already under contract with Red Bull in 2015, in extreme sports but also athletes of other disciplines. Athletes such as skiing ace Lindsey Vonn, soccer player Neymar, as well as ski jumper Thomas Morgenstern or Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen act as brand ambassadors and make the brand attractive. The Red Bull Stratos project caused a worldwide sensation in 2012, when base jumper Felix Baumgartner jumped from a capsule at almost 39,000 meters and became the first person to exceed the speed of sound in free fall – with a speed of almost 1358 km/h. In 2020, Red Bull’s sports sponsorship budget was 45.5 million euros in Germany alone.​
4. Red Bull Events4
Red Bull is not only known for its energy drink. The focus is not just on the product, but rather on Red Bull as a brand itself. Especially in the area of marketing and corporate philosophy, Red Bull places a lot of emphasis on image. After the market launch, founder Mateschitz made direct contact with the extreme sports scene, which was also in the process of being established. Red Bull markets itself as a brand of adventurers and heroes with its numerous events and sports films. The goal of all events, campaigns and activities is to reach or exceed the limit. Today, Red Bull stands as a brand for extreme sports, culture and lifestyle.​
5. Headquarters5
The headquarters of the Red Bull GmbH is located in Austria in Fuschl am See. The facility consists of many volcano–like buildings that represent the office buildings and a lush outdoor area. The idea behind the concept was to create an image of a herd of bulls charging out of a volcano towards Fuschlsee. The mountain panorama of Fuschl now features a composition of circular segments and cones (volcanoes) arranged in and around an artificial lake (lava). Architect Jos Pirkner created an extraordinary combination of art, architecture and nature. Dietrich Mateschitz did without a gigantic company logo above the entrance. Instead, he led built the largest bronze sculpture of modern times. The sculpture shows 14 bulls on an impressive length of 24 meters, handmade by the artist and architect himself.​
Image sources:
- Red Bull Energy Drink | Photo by Alexas_Fotos | Pixabay
- Red Bull Logo & Slogan | Photo by Fonsi Fernández | Unsplash
- Red Bull Athletes | Photo by Alberto-g-rovi | Wikimedia | CC Licence
- Red Bull Events | Photo by Emmanuel Acua | Unsplash
- Headquarters | Photo by Dein Freund der Baum  | Wikimedia | CC Licence
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