As a product that thrived on grassroots marketing ,Red Bull depended on word of mouth.As word about Red Bull spread throughout Europe's all-night-party circuit,so did rumors.Tales circulated that taurine was a derivative of bull testicles or even bull semen.Even worse,there were rumors that young people had died while partying too hard and drinking too much Red Bull.Although none of these rumors was ever substantiated,Mateschitz is convinced that one of the most important promotional techniques the company ever employed was to lat the rumors fly and say nothing.