An Unlikely Promotional Program
As head of a young company without much of an advertising budget, Mateschiz continued in his unorthodox ways when launching Red Bull in the United States in 1997. He bucked the trend of aggressive and excessive promotional campaigns flaunted by other start-ups in the 1990s. Instead, his young, attractive army of marketers tossed out free cans of Red Bull from a fleet of shiny logo-bearing off-roaders with giant cans attached to the trunk. Word of mouth took care of the rest. In this manner, Mateschitz introduced Red Bull to the masses and built a brand image for next to nothing.
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 let the rumors fly and say nothing.” In the beginning, the high-school teachers who were against the product were at least as important as the students who were for it,” said Mateschiz. “Newspapers asked, ‘Is it a drug? Is it harmless? Is it dangerous?’ That ambivalence is so important. The most dangerous thing for a branded product is low interest.”
Bit by bit, Red Bull’s portfolio of promotional weapons grew. At times, the company dabbled in TV and print advertising. But Red Bull’s primary tactics have steered clear of such mainstream techniques. Instead, it was Mateschiz’s plan to promote the brand in a way that would go way beyond reach and frequency of coverage. He wanted the brand to hit young people right in the face in a way that they experienced Red Bull to the fullest. He wanted to engage customers through activities so meaningful to them that deep relationships would form quickly.
With that philosophy, Red Bull’s promotional mix evolved into what it is today. The following descriptions are just a sample of Red Bull’s promotional techniques.