Nigel hollis Chief Global analyst at Millward brown wrote an article in 2011 talking about meaningful difference. Most brands these days try to be far too relevant, and in that have an amnesia of the need to be different.
The best brands are relevant, and also different.
I associate Red bull with good feelings, because it’s not always about the insight, Millward brown in the past few years have mentioned that emotional capital plays a far greater hand in brand selection than originally thought out.
Red Bull is known for being aggressive in marketing terms but cautious in terms of product development. Its unwillingness to modify the product format and the taste of the drink may not be attractive to young Japanese consumers, who typically flirt with new products and are quick to change brands.
Red Bull had strong worldwide brand recognition even before the jump through its ownership of a team in Formula One racing — followed far more closely around the world than in the United States — and extreme sport sponsorships. Its events, like the Stratos jump, mesh with its branding position, which touts not the drink's taste but the power it delivers consumers.
Addis says it's impossible to put a dollar figure on what Red Bull has reaped in publicity from the jump.
"This is about brand differentiation,'' he says. "That's something that is a long-term. ... This is one more thing in their (marketing) arsenal.''
That is a bit more focused on the large-scale cool aspects of what it was like to work for the company, but the majority of what I did was small scale, on-campus engagement. Fun stuff like hanging Red Bull cans from trees, crashing a CS development competition with free pizza and Red Bull, bringing a case of product to the people running a midnight pancake breakfast for finals week, etc. Across the nation, there were a lot of other students doing the same thing I was - making small impacts all over in limited but relevant ways. Eventually people start to associate Red Bull with fun, quirky activities and awesome, unique experiences. 4 years later, I still have people from school periodically tell me that they get excited to see that Red Bull is involved with an event.
As for the sports side of things - we had a saying that once a sport made it into the X-Games, it was too mainstream for Red Bull. Anyone who has watched the X games knows thats a bit of an exaggeration, but it stands to the point that the entire company is very much aligned on the goal of focusing on fringe activities that don't have the luxury of Coke, Pepsi or Chevy sponsorships. At that early stage of a sport or activity, the relationships are much more authentic and less focused on money - it is amazing how far a few cans of Red Bull and a few branded helmets will get you in the world of downhill skateboarding, for example. The people who interact with Red Bull's team early on are far more likely to carry a passion for the brand than if they get a $10k check a decade later.
This is key into understanding Red Bulls development, there is a firm emotional connection with the product, it may not be the best, but the argument never even takes place. All people think about is Red Bull.
Red Bull doesn't just sponsor and own teams and events, they also have their own media company, which has its own television and
