RED BULL: MARKETING GIVES YOU WINGS!- by Nikhil Singh

With a sales figure of more than 62 Billion can in over 170 countries, one might think Red Bull has reached the peak. But, no. Contentment is a mirage – one never quite reaches Pareto optimality with their choices and consumption patterns. One is seldom satisfied with what they are and what they have. Aspirations for a higher ideal wield a great deal of power in any consumer’s mind, and Red Bull is one of the most recognizable brands that top the list of companies that have successfully played with this inherent desire of users to go bigger, larger, and higher.

And how higher up would you even go from the Stratosphere? Red Bull’s been there, done that too. With their out-of-the-world campaign – “Stratos” which involved a choreographed space dive mission from the ‘edge of space,’ Red Bull with one move gripped the entire world in sheer collective awe and excitement. The campaign went down the annals of marketing campaigning history as one of the most daring initiatives of all times, while subtly (one may choose to disagree) hinting at the brand’s core proposition of imparting wings to it users.

Red Bull is everywhere. It has a worldwide brand recall fueled by its associations with events. Time and again, the brand has joined hands with the some of the world’s most edgy and spunky ventures.

Be it Moto GP Racing, or Go-Karting, or even something more glocal like Street Style B-Boying or even a Dahi Handi event, Red Bull has managed to keep the brand’s raw nerve pulsating among its core TG – who are generally construed as being open to new thrills, fierce, and competitive in their outlook.

Also, it doesn’t hurt that there are tons of athletes who swear by Red Bull.So what if it alienates itself from the masses? The brand’s uniqueness lies in being a market niche wherein it has consciously stayed away from catering to the lowest common denominator.

Red Bull has taken yet another generic product which serves the same functional utility like water, coke, or any other potable liquid per seat its core. Or has it? Strictly speaking, No! One of Red Bull’s biggest USP lies in its product configuration. It balances the tightrope between being a fun energy drink and also a provider of some serious physical prowess.

When does one drink Red Bull? Well, when you’re on the road, attending lectures, at study sessions, at work, while you’re playing sports or video games, or when you’re going out: be it day or night. Every occasion is an occasion to drink Red Bull, and that is what the brand communicates.

Another way Red Bull has elevated itself amongst the myriad is the source of water used: The Alps!

The Water used is fresh Alpine Water of the highest quality, which comes from springs nearby the production sites in Austria and Switzerland. This region, the Alps, is known as one of the world’s big- gest freshwater reservoirs. Hence, to ensure consistency of the utmost premium quality around the world, Red Bull is produced in the Austrian and Swiss Alps.

The brand has gone way beyond its proposed utility offering and promised an elevated way of living for its consumers – a Red Bull drinker’s aura is unparalleled. You are promoted to a secret cult club of sorts if you are Red Bull loyalist. And all that others around you do is gape and wonder – what is it that makes paying a bomb for a can, settling for an acquired taste,

and drinking an energy drink on a daily basis – worth it?

And the final blow comes from the communication. Maybe you are worth it, or maybe you are not. Too bad if you aren't part of that elite cult – you remain estranged from the new world order that Red Bull promises. There’s a whole 360° metamorphosis of a simple commodity that has been brought about by Red Bull – almost akin to an act of magic – one that fools us, one that sways us, one that makes us believe in deception. And what’s worthy of appreciation here is that we know it all, understand it all and yet love to see the saga of deception playing out.