Ultimately, the success of Mateschitz and Red Bull lies in the strategy behind its growth, and the slow build that guided the brand's early years; however, there can be no doubt of the importance that Red Bull's i nvolvement in port has played in building the brand's image and success. Mateschitz recogni ed the power of sport as an industry to access and engage with many of the target market identified by the company, and defined the energy drinks sector as an industry leader and pioneer. The sport industry, today worth
an estimated U $141bn,3 offers massive
potential for revenue generation on a global scale for all parties involved. Red Bull, in building a brand based on extreme sports and fast living, has capi talised on this global marketplace. In analysing Mateschitz and the case of Red Bull, this paper set out to identify the brand positioning and marketing strate gies underlying Mateschitz's entrepre neurial succe s, as well a to highlight key con tructs in the strategies employed, providing a renewed understanding of branding for prospective sport entrepreneurs.