Essay --

Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz commented, "The most dangerous thing for a brand is low interest." (Gschwandtner) Red Bull is currently available in over 165 countries, resulting in over 35 billion cans sold. (Red Bull) While many companies try to push their products on consumers, Mateschitz decided to take a more personal approach towards attracting consumers and influencing them to make his product stand out and become their first choice. Red Bull's owner states that most of its success came from bringing consumers to the product rather than the other way around. (Gschwandtner) With events in the industries of sport, music, art, technology and adventure, there is little the company does that is not interesting to just about everyone. Red Bull hosts or actively sponsors contests and showcases for athletes in surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding, bike riding, and free style motorcycle riding events. These events take place all over the world and can attract as many as 30 to 50 thousand spectators during the event. (Gschwandtner). This "pull" strategy (Lamb, Hair, McDaniel) makes customers attracted to the event, and the actual drink plays a more secondary role. Using different host cities allow the company to incorporate the local culture and natural resources to its benefits. In Germany, a downhill mountain bike even used an abandoned potash mine to serve as its course because of the different elements provided throughout the 2,100-foot track. (Gschwandtner) Brazil, as a second example, was the host for a B.A.S.E. jumping event that had spectators watching jumpers perform back-flips and other aerial acrobatics off of their famous "Christ the Redeemer" statue with a parachute, of course. (Gschwandtner) O the... ... conclusion, sponsoring or acting as the main host of these international events, Red Bull uses reminder advertising to keep the product fresh in the customers mind. (Lamb, Hair, McDaniel) Placing the product in any market they want to and providing slogans like "It Gives You Wings" differentiates its product from other competitors with a message of "revitalizing" your mind in addition to getting an energy jolt. Having well known athletes in events is beneficial to attracting consumers to the events, where they are given free samples. By pushing the status quo of sporting events and breaking world records, Red Bull has a message of increasing human capability while also honoring the environment. With its high market share in local and international markets, and its increasing growth, the company should keep investing in events and sponsorships to continue expanding.