How RED BULL got its wings….
View(s):Either a living creature or a company it needs time to grow, as success is not achieved over night. Red bull as a company just like any other had to grow little by little each day. It took some time for red bull to build up the wings that carry it and the others through the new experiences while soaring free.
The creator
Chaleo Yoovidhya lived in a very rural part of Thailand in a poor family and would have got a second glance if not for his success. His father was a Chinese immigrant from Hainan province who raised ducks for a living. Since his life was not properly traced back to the early years; various news sources suggest that he was born at some point between 1922 and 1932.
In his early age he moved to Bangkok to sell pharmaceuticals and later he established his own business named T.C. Pharmaceuticals. This exposure in the industry gave him a new idea.
The beginning
Back in his time there were no energy drinks that were produced locally. There was only one energy drink from Japan and some other potions with no brand name. By identifying the vacuum in the local market for a locally produced energy drink he knew exactly where he should hit the hammer. He fiddled with the Japanese recipe and made a much appealing form that pleased the tongues of the local workers who wanted extra energy toward the latter part of the day; through their low-paid long hours of work.
Starting small
After building up the suitable recipe he targeted the unpopular market, in the rural areas and gradually moved into the more competitive cities. He slowly crept out of the nest to look for new opportunities when he luckily met the right person for guidance. Chaloe’s life took a massive turn when Dietrich Mateschitz travelled to Thailand in 1982. He was an Austrian salesman for a German company and during his visit he discovered that Krating Daeng helped cure his jet lag, which took him to Chaleo, owner of T.C. Pharmaceutical.
Branding
The logo was inspired by the bull fighting that can be frequently seen in the rural Thailand. The logo communicates two major factors; power and energy. The two bulls project power while the sun in the background displays the energy. The company was first named by Chaloe as” Krating Daeng” but since it started off towards the west the name was translated as ‘Red bull’. Where, daeng means red in Thai, and a krating is a large species of wild bovine native to South Asia.
The journey
After allying themselves, Chaloe and Dietrich co-founded Red Bull GmbHin in 1984. They got together and invested on the company and turned it into an international brand. Dietrich took the recipe and developed it in a manner to suit the westerners by adjusting it accordingly. The product was first launched in Austria in 1987.
Growing
While Chaloe was new to the market with only a product in hand, the marketing strategies and the broader thinking was in the mind of Dietrich. Dietrich provided the guidance on how to dominate the energy drinking market. At first it was popular only among the workers but then they started off to introduce it to the others by starting off with the Austrian ski resort.
Red bull started off with the untrodden path of marketing. They started off with their slogan “Red bull gives you wings” and then created a ‘brand myth’, where they went out to give the new taste of adrenaline rush plus adventure to the people. They started their video advertising campaign which succeeded like nothing else in the modern world.
It targeted young minds and has conquered every inch of space from the high skies to the deep under waters and through every inch of land including mountains and valleys. With Extreme sports activities which involve a high degree of risk.
These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. These different kind of extreme sport include biking, BMX, motocross, windsurfing, skateboarding, rowing, wakeboarding, cliff-diving, surfing, skating, freestyle motocross, Formula 1 racing and break dancing.
Exploring the world
After gaining the courage to fly, Red bull helped others to dream and gave wings to their dreams. Red bull granted help to the adventurous lives and proved that one’s only limit is oneself by adding meaning to the saying that, life is not measured by the number of breaths that we take but by the number of times that took our breath away.
Red bull has positioned itself to be the epitome of the youth; fun loving, energetic, creative, and unique. Since it draws a parallel line between the two the young generation too feels connected. Hence it can be stated that red bull has reached and targeted the most appropriate audience.
Carpe diem
Some moments are worth experiencing. Red bull provides fun and entertainment. It encourages breaking free from the traditional to try out new things without being conformists. Red bull sets an example as to how to be one of a kind and stand out from the rest and to have the power to conquer the world.
The youth likes to be challenged and they often try to be the first to make the change, and red bull provides the platform to accomplish that.
I’m possible
Red bull provides the opportunity for people to think beyond the limits and encourages them do the impossible, which in turns proves that we ourselves have set the limits for ourselves when there is a lot that we can do. At the end there is no word as impossible because finally it proves that “I’m possible”.
The best example provided was the Red bull space jump which broke the Balloon altitude record and sound barrier which went viral all over, with more than 9.6 million viewers.
The Red bull tells their success story about how it began just through a little spark. Today Red Bull is available in 171 countries and over 75 billion cans of Red Bull have been consumed so far. It sells 6.790 billion cans per year and Red bull has marked its name as the highest market share in energy drinks.
Elaine Seiler said, “Energy doesn’t communicate in English, French, Chinese or Swahili, but it does speak clearly”, and Red bull knew exactly how.
-Madhusha Dep