There have been many brands that have been pioneers of innovation in their respective fields. They grasped the market, launched a product and service to fill in the gap, and have today become leaders in the sector. One such brand that pioneered its way into the energy drink segment and has today become a phenomenon in itself is, Red Bull.
How Red Bull Came To be
Red Bull started off as an energy drink brand by Dietrich Mateschitz in the mid-1980s. It was one of its kind as people would generally rely upon coffee and other caffeinated products were widely used to bring that zest of energy in you to get through the day.
An energy drink was a market-untouched back then. People looked for ways to get through their hectic day, whether it was office stress or getting through college, or simply getting over a bad hangover. People relied on caffeinated beverages highly.
Dietrich Mateschitz was inspired by functional drinks from East Asia and modified the ingredients to better complement the European market.
He developed not only a new product but also a unique marketing concept and launched Red Bull Energy Drink in Austria on April 1, 1987.
Early Struggles
Despite being a unique concept, shortly after commencing business, Dietrich was broke by 1990 and the company was on the verge to get shut. Instead of giving up on his dream, Dietrich decided to spend every last penny of the company on marketing.
He refused to take on any more loans or investments but decided to re-invest all the profits into its marketing.
How Marketing Proved Profitable
Under the guidance of Dr. Manfred Hückel, Redbull’s marketing trajectory took a sharp turn for the best. It came up with an unconventional and unique marketing approach that made the brand a huge success in no time.
A YouTube Channel, Intelligent Encounters, has shared a list of billion-dollar marketing lessons that we can learn from Red Bull.
1. Invest In Guerilla Marketing
Guerilla Marketing has always been one of the most crucial ways to generate brand awareness. Red Bull has always rolled out some of the most iconic guerilla marketing campaigns to date.
2. You’re Not Selling Energy Drinks
It will never be about selling an energy drink but about customer experience.
3. Keep The Customer In Focus
The brand never markets what it sells but keeps its customers focused on the thrill and adventure that people do in their campaigns.
4. Create Content The Audience Wants
The brand has constantly celebrated and promoted athletes doing extreme sports which have always kept the audience fixated on the idea of Red Bull.
5. Celebrate Others & Not Yourself
Red Bull’s social media page has been all about celebrating the accomplishments of the teams they own or sponsor.
6. Tell The Stories
Red Bull’s campaign has been all about narrating real stories of real people. This has helped them connect with the audience.
7. Trade Traditional Media For Word Of Mouth
Unlike its counterparts, Red Bull has never given much thought to the traditional media. They hugely invest in live events and sports tournaments where they can connect directly with their target audience.
8. Retain the Entrepreneurial Spirit
Despite becoming a billion-dollar firm, the company has not forgotten what made it a true success and still works around creativity more than anything.
9. Segment To Maximize Relevance
The brand has combined both online and offline means of marketing and made the content relevant on all platforms for its audience.
10. Go Niche
The brand has highlighted every segment from gaming to sports. In sports also, there are various niches that may not have an equal number of social media followers but have surely attracted some of the most enthusiastic and loyal audiences.
