The chosen topic for this report is Red Bull as they are linked with several major events and would be a great example of displaying event strategies that they have come across to get where they are now. Red Bull has several event activities however a swot analysis and events that they have covered to achieve their aims for corporate strategy will be explained.

In 1982, Dietrich Mateschitz learned about so-called “tonic drinks”, which enjoyed wide popularity in Asia. So he got the idea to market these products in functional areas. This idea was not new but a variation towards Lucozade theme, another popular energy drink marketed by Smith Kline Beecham in the UK which was known as post-illness beverage and the consumers drank this to recover from cold or flu’s.

Red Bull had to develop a unique market segmentation strategy and took a different approach towards promoting the drink than the usual methods of marketing, relying more on what is called ‘buzz marketing’ or word-of-mouth. A brand image was created and cultivated which associated the drink with youth culture and extreme/ adventure-related sports for example they had an event to begin with called Driver Search programme which the competition was used to support young American racing talent., They used support from such things as motor sports, mountain biking, snowboarding and dance music and more. The Red Bull consumers can be divided into three segments: athletes, clubbers and workers. Each segment will absorb Red Bull energy drinks to meet their personal needs for example to obtain physical edges, mental edges or just consumption for pleasure purposes.

Red Bulls marketing is mainly based on the “3 pillars of Red Bull; Sampling, Advertising, Sponsoring”. This means that next to normal advertisements Red Bull made their brand visible on the street by:

Using pick-up trucks as mobile displays, painted blue and silver with a giant can of the drink mounted on top of the vehicle is not just promoting their energy drink but is also selling a lifestyle, seemingly people are willing to be a part of this Red Bull extreme sports lifestyle.

They used eye-catching tools and devices that were aimed at promoting the red bull brand as youthful and slightly ‘off-the-wall’

Free cans of drink given out to people on the streets who may be in need of energy.

Red Bull provided club DJs, empty cans so they can be left on tables in hot spots such as trendy bars, clubs and pubs

Red Bull used a ‘viral marketing strategy where as they were promoting the Red Bull brand directly to Generation Y, the so-called ‘millennials’ and encouraged student and brand managers at university campuses to throw parties and gained success from the ‘youth underground’ where as the reputation and word was spreading according to the brand managers research data.

Future Plans

Red Bulls future Event Planning and Marketing Intern from June 14th to August 6th, 2010.

Red Bull has 52 Culture Teams worldwide activating projects in music/arts.

Their MISSION is to invent and activate music, dance, film and other artistic / cultural projects from within the company. The Culture Teams function like event production companies within the Red Bull brand.

Example projects include

The Red Bull Music Academy is a music work