Sponsorships... A brand that STANDS OUT

Red Bull

As a keen follower of sport, it’s hard not to notice one brand, a brand that in reality has nothing really to do with sport but has created a paralleled image with nearly every sport; this stand out brand is known as Red Bull. They sponsor pretty much every sporting activity around the world ranging from extreme sports like BMX, mountain biking, cliff-diving, kayaking, motocross, windsurfing, snowboarding, skateboarding, wakeboarding, surfing, skating, freestyle and rally, to nationally recognised sports such as Formula 1 racing, football, hockey, American football, golf and individual athletes from various sports. They even sponsor shows, events, music and games all around the world.

Red Bull adopts an aggressive sponsorship campaign by partnering with sports and events that associate with their target market. Their target market can only be devised through behavioural segmentation. This is because Red Bull is not just an energy drink, it is primarily a utility drink taken against mental or physical weariness or exhaustion. Hence, the target market can be derived as the athlete, who drinks for caffeine and sugar driven energy; the worker, who drinks for mental and physical stimulation and the clubber, who drinks it for energy and a useful yet tasty cocktail mix. This market is generally dominated by young males but females also fall into this segment and can be noticed through sponsorship of female athletes such as Alexis Thompson (Golfer).

Sponsoring supports Red Bulls image, visibility and credibility. This strategy contributes to the awareness of their target market and creates value to the brand, as their logo appears with every sponsor. This method of sponsoring allows Red Bull to stand out in the sponsorship world. It attracts people’s attention towards their brand and connects them even if they have never drunk Red Bull. By associating the drink’s image with this form of marketing activity, the company has created a very marketable ‘cool’ image which has created tremendous brand power within the market.