Red Bull Marketing Plan
How Red Bull woke up the teen market
It looks (and tastes) like medicine, but it still conquered the soft drinks trade. Now the edgy pick-me-up is moving into the grown-up world of motor racing. John Arlidge reports
reddit this
John Arlidge
The Observer, Sunday 5 December 2004
Article history
At this time of year fallen leaves shroud the carefully planned suburbs of Milton Keynes. Mist drifts in from the fields. The posh car firms - Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi - whose UK head offices ring the Buckinghamshire town are gearing down for the winter. But last week the end-of-year gloom was lifted by the arrival of a most unlikely new inhabitant.
A bronzed and energetic Austrian, who has made a billion-pound fortune selling a drink that looks and tastes like medicine has just become the town 's biggest private investor. Dietrich Mateschitz, 60, the owner of Red Bull, spent more than £60m buying up the Jaguar Formula One racing team. The thundering bull logo and 'Red Bull gives you wings ' advertising slogan will replace the Jaguar logo on the wings of the silver F1 cars next year.
In a sport dominated by tobacco giants, banks and telecom multinationals, the arrival of the Austrian health entrepreneur has raised eyebrows. From Suzuka to Silverstone, everyone is gossiping about Herr Bull. How has he transformed a slim blue-and-silver can into a 200mph silver arrow? Is a mix of taurine, detoxicants, caffeine, sugar and vitamins any match for petrol? What makes Red Bull run and run?
The sugary drink was launched in the UK a decade ago. At that time no one had heard of an 'energy drink ' and most people assumed Red Bull was a brand of Austrian lager. What has happened since has written a new chapter in drinks and marketing history and might be about to give F1 a much-need image boost.
Red Bull 's journey to Milton Keynes started with toothpaste. Mateschitz worked in Bangkok, where he was international marketing director for Blendex, a German
It looks (and tastes) like medicine, but it still conquered the soft drinks trade. Now the edgy pick-me-up is moving into the grown-up world of motor racing. John Arlidge reports
reddit this
John Arlidge
The Observer, Sunday 5 December 2004
Article history
At this time of year fallen leaves shroud the carefully planned suburbs of Milton Keynes. Mist drifts in from the fields. The posh car firms - Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi - whose UK head offices ring the Buckinghamshire town are gearing down for the winter. But last week the end-of-year gloom was lifted by the arrival of a most unlikely new inhabitant.
A bronzed and energetic Austrian, who has made a billion-pound fortune selling a drink that looks and tastes like medicine has just become the town 's biggest private investor. Dietrich Mateschitz, 60, the owner of Red Bull, spent more than £60m buying up the Jaguar Formula One racing team. The thundering bull logo and 'Red Bull gives you wings ' advertising slogan will replace the Jaguar logo on the wings of the silver F1 cars next year.
In a sport dominated by tobacco giants, banks and telecom multinationals, the arrival of the Austrian health entrepreneur has raised eyebrows. From Suzuka to Silverstone, everyone is gossiping about Herr Bull. How has he transformed a slim blue-and-silver can into a 200mph silver arrow? Is a mix of taurine, detoxicants, caffeine, sugar and vitamins any match for petrol? What makes Red Bull run and run?
The sugary drink was launched in the UK a decade ago. At that time no one had heard of an 'energy drink ' and most people assumed Red Bull was a brand of Austrian lager. What has happened since has written a new chapter in drinks and marketing history and might be about to give F1 a much-need image boost.
Red Bull 's journey to Milton Keynes started with toothpaste. Mateschitz worked in Bangkok, where he was international marketing director for Blendex, a German