Full disclosure:  I’m not an energy-drink guy.  The mad-scientist combination of carbonated water, sucrose, taurine, benzoic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, maltodextrin, and 17 other multisyllabic compounds just doesn’t do it for me.  That said, I do give credit where credit’s due.  The category is as strong an example of brand consistency as you’ll find.  And one fella in particular does it better than anyone.

Red Bull sprung to life in 1987, effectively creating the global energy-drink category.  Austrian founder and sports enthusiast Dietrich Mateschitz set the tone.  Sports and extreme activities have been part of its corporate makeup since day one.  Its philosophy of creativity, self-confidence, nonconformity, and anti-authoritarianism still pervades everything it does.

Red Bull’s refusal to deviate from this persona is one of the underlying reasons for its massive success over the past three decades.  From its packaging to its advertising, you “get” the brand every time you see it.  Just look at its website.  Visitors can tell immediately what Red Bull stands for the moment they get there.  In fact, at one point its “About” page was titled “Holy S___.”  That’s so Red Bull.

Another reason for its dominance?  How about an unrivaled war chest.  Very few companies reinvest 30% of their revenue into marketing, let alone with the level of fury Red Bull seems to display at every touch point.

Let’s take the most obvious example of this spend.  Red Bull is as synonymous with action sports as any non-endemic sponsor could hope to be with any sport.  Its marketing team brilliantly gains the rights to product in places where extreme athletes seemingly “require” it to perform at a high level.

This extends well beyond surf, skate, and ski, though.  Red Bull has infiltrated F1, soccer, basketball, and other more traditional sports in very deliberate ways that align with its brand.  Even when it sniffs around scenes you might not expect like golf, it’s talking to people like Rickie Fowler, not Jack Nicklaus.

Apparently, the pre-established sports pond is too small for such an ambitious brand.  So, it’s taken the burden of expansion upon itself.  The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, Red Bull Air Race World Championship, and even ridiculous (and hilarious) exploits like Red Bull Flugtag are just a few of the many examples of the brand’s proprietary events over the years.  Some have come and gone, sure.  But, all have creatively brought to life its mantra, “Red Bull Gives You Wings.”  Now that’s branding.

It’s also just the tip of the energy giant’s irreverent iceberg.  Red Bull’s marketing muscle extends well beyond the wide world of sports:

• Red Bull Media House has become a well-established and respected multi-platform media company dedicated to producing innovative, on-brand content.
• Red Bull TV digital-video service features live global events and an extensive selection of sports, music, and lifestyle entertainment from the world of Red Bull.
• Hundreds of endorsers representing the kind of edgy lifestyle Red Bull promotes serve as brand ambassadors to their own fan followings.
• Opportunities to support high-profile, groundbreaking initiatives like Red Bull Stratos speak to its desire to push boundaries.
• Partnerships with like-minded companies in the active-lifestyle space allow it to expand its influence through shared brand values.
• Music, esports, art, travel, fitness, fashion….Red Bull’s footprint reaches multiple corners of our culture, always in ways that reflect its own.

Red Bull’s self-awareness, discipline, and openness to investment spending have secured its spot as the world’s #1 energy drink.  Easily.  US market share by sales is 35%, head and shoulders above #2 Monster’s 25%.  And this figure can more than double in other markets.

Part of the reason for Red Bull’s pole position is its popularity in social settings that have nothing to do with half-pipes or moto whips.  Look no further than everyone’s favorite supercharged spirit, the Vodka Red Bull.  Such widespread, organic adoption is an impressive feat usually reserved for more conventional brands (Rum and Coke, anyone?).

Whether or not you have a taste for taurine or a passion for parkour, you’d do well to take a peek at Red Bull’s strategy for your own brand roadmap.  Besides, guys falling through space at 800mph is a great mid-afternoon distraction.

Grab a can of caffeine and give me a shout to talk about how we can best shape your sales messaging around your marketing portfolio.