One enthusiastic alumnus of the Academy explained its impact and importance this way: "The people behind the Academy, they're not just 'suits'; they are really special people who are passionate about artists. Above them they have some 'suits' to deal with, but i've never dealt with them." Still, there are some dissenting voices. Matthew Herbert is a British electronic musican whose recordings include "One Pig," an album cataloging the life (and death) of, well, one pig. He has participated in the red bull music Academy in the past, but has no plans to do so in the future. "My overriding impression of any music industry red bull tie-in is that the brand is always louder than the art. I don't think one would come away from any interaction with them thinking that they were interested in anything else other than selling caffeinated sugary drinks," he said.
Nitmalya Kumar, a marketing professor at the London Business School, has written a case study on red bull titled "The Anti-Brand Brand." Kumar gives Red Bull high marks for its nontraditional marketing communication stategy. As Kumar explains, "Part of being a great brand is conveying what you stand for in an authentic manner so cusumers find it believeable. The music academy and the (Baumgartner) air show have given Red Bull a lot of that."