Red Bull’s Marketing Success: Why Content Marketing Is So Important

There are two fundamental marketing strategies: traditional marketing and content driven marketing. Take into consideration that this is an oversimplification and there are certainly gray areas, but for our purposes, I will focus on these two distinct ideas. Traditional marketing encompasses the pull strategy, which is the driver behind the concept of interruption. The idea is essentially interrupting a consumer who is focused on something else in order to expose them to your product/service. Interruption typically takes the form of TV commercials, radio ads, billboards, etc. and it’s become increasingly difficult to drive sales using these methods. Over the years, content marketing has emerged as a more effective way to reach consumers and build an engaging brand. Content marketing is a pull strategy, meaning it attracts customers by delivering information that is educational, entertaining, and engaging. It’s about being available to consumers when they are looking for you and is much more successful than interruption based techniques.

Red Bull has been leading the way in content marketing.

When we look at their marketing approach, Red Bull remains unsurpassed in their ability to grow, innovate and adapt in a world of content. Their strategy has not focused on promoting the popular energy drink, but instead creating a brand that embodies a distinct lifestyle and audience.

Visiting RedBull.com provides a perfect example of how it differs from other branded products. The website itself has no immediate mention of their products but instead a utopia of content related to extreme sports, gaming, music, and anything else that might capture the attention of their target audience. Before you know it, you’re watching videos, reading articles and blogs, and trying to clear your schedule for their upcoming music festival. It’s any company’s dream: You’re engaging with the brand and enjoying every minute of it. It’s unlikely that you will notice Products & Company on the top right-hand corner, but that’s not the point. The point is that you’re actively choosing to be there, and that’s the importance of the pull strategy.

RedBullContentPool.com is another way in which Red Bull has found success in its content driven marketing strategies. The Content Pool is a site where Red Bull provides high quality stock photos and videos for editorial use, by publishers, news agencies, TV stations, etc., often using a Red Bull logo somewhere in the content. This means, not only is their brand being exposed to people who are actively looking on their site, but is now being seen by anyone who is watching the news or reading that article. The reach is exceptional. The Content Pool is a salient example of just how innovative and unique Red Bull is in their content marketing strategies and sets them apart from the crowd.

Perhaps the most impressive content marketing stunt that the company pursued has been the sponsorship and leadership role in Red Bull Stratos. Felix Baumgartner’s jump from the stratosphere, breaking the record for highest-ever jump and being the first person to break the sound barrier during freefall, was a huge project and success story for Red Bull. The 8 million concurrent views on the YouTube live stream broke records and has reached a massive audience where by the company can exemplify their “Red Bull gives you wings” motto. This is one of the most prominent success stories of content marketing. Image 3 At the end of the day, it’s this content that will make you more likely to feel engaged and willing to listen to Red Bull’s message. They’ve positioned themselves in a strategic sweet spot that wouldn’t be possible by running a commercial that’s interrupting your favorite TV show. After all, Red Bull is not the commercial; it’s the show.