Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz and Thai businessman Chaleo Yoovidhya founded Red Bull GmbH in 1984. While working for German manufacturer Blendax (later acquired by Procter & Gamble) in 1982, Mateschitz traveled to Thailand and met Chaleo, owner of TC Pharmaceuticals. He found that the energy drink Krating Daeng, developed by Chaleo's company during the 1970s, helped to ease his jet lag.[5] After seeing market potential in the drink, he partnered with Chaleo in bringing it to Europe. Under their agreement, the partners invested $500,000 each into founding Red Bull GmbH. In return, they would each receive a 49% stake in the company, with the remaining 2% stake going to Chaleo's son Chalerm. They also agreed that Mateschitz would run the company.[6]
Between 1984 and 1987, Red Bull GmbH modified the formula for Krating Daeng to better match European tastes by carbonating the beverage and making it less sweet. In 1987, the company introduced their adapted energy drink into Austria under the name Red Bull. It found huge success there by marketing to young professionals. The brand expanded throughout Europe during the early 1990s, exploding into the United States market during 1997, grabbing 75% of the market within a year.[6] The wealth of Red Bull's founders grew with the company's success, and by March 2012, both Chaleo and Mateschitz had estimated net worths of over $5.3 billion each.[7][8] Expanding its distribution to over 171 countries, the company sold over 11.5 billion cans of Red Bull in 2022, making it the world's most-consumed energy drink.[9]
The Red Bull company also distributes and markets a number of other drinks including Simply Cola, the Carpe Diem range of herbal soft beverages and the Sabai Wine Spritzer (the latter in association with the Thai Siam Winery in Thailand).[citation needed]
Initially, Red Bull distributed free cases of the drink to college students in an attempt at viral advertising. This strategy was wildly successful, resulting in the rapid proliferation of sales. Red Bull has since become known for its sleek marketing targeted at young urban professionals through various sports and entertainment-based advertising campaigns. The current motto, "Red Bull Gives You Wiiings", directly plays on the stimulating properties of the beverage.
Promotional cars
In addition to this, Red Bull has developed the MET (Mobile Energy Team) program. The teams consist of mostly college students, who drive specially designed Red Bull "Racers". The racers are detailed with the Red Bull logo and most carry an oversized can of Red Bull on their chassis (Suzuki Vitara, MiniCooper, SportTrac, etc.). The METs complete daily missions that include sporting events, businesses, colleges, shopping centres, etc. The Mobile Energy Team is trained to know the properties of the energy drink thoroughly and present them to consumers.
The brand is promoted via various music-related activities. In 2007, the company launched its own record labelRed Bull Records. It runs the Red Bull Studio recording facility, in Santa Monica.[citation needed] The Red Bull Music Academy organises music workshops and festivals around the world.
The brand also organises and sponsors the famous Red Bull Batalla de Los Gallos, a freestyle competition of hip hop which takes place every year in many Spanish speaking countries.
In 2013, it started an artist development program called Red Bull Sound Select. Randy Randall, of No Age, said he was okay working with Red Bull as the company is not owned by a larger company and the branding of the events is relatively low key.[12] In the same year, the Red Bull Amplifier was launched with help from Sidekick Studios. It plans to assist digital startups by giving access to its audience, events, and facilities. In return Red Bull gets associated with trendy startups.[13][14]
Sport sponsorship
Since the initial viral campaign, Red Bull's efforts have included sponsoring extreme sport events including cliff diving, BMX, skiing, flying, downhill and free-ride mountain biking and skateboarding. In the 1990s, Red Bull sponsored the rower Xeno Müller, who won an Olympic gold medal in the single sculls in 1996.[15] In 1995, Red Bull sponsored its first motorsports team, the Swiss Formula One team Sauber and in 1999 started sponsoring the Flying Bulls, a Czech aerobatics team.[16][17]
Red Bull also owns and conducts the Flugtag ("flight day" in German), a competition where entrants launch themselves off a 10-metre ramp in homemade "flying machines" into a body of water (reminiscent of the Birdman Rally); its own version of the soapbox derby called the Red Bull Soap Box Race; the Red Bull Crashed ice, a world tour, in the winter extreme sporting event, ice cross downhill, which involves downhill skating in an urban environment, on a track which includes steep turns and high vertical drops.
The Red Bull Art of the Can Competition, an international art competition in which artists are asked to create works using the Red Bull can; and the Red Bull BC One individual breakdance competition; also events such as the motorcycle Erzberg Enduro where less than two percent of entrants finish the course.
Red Bull sponsors the Red Bull Rope Masters competition with the National Double Dutch League for the Annual Holiday Classic at the Apollo Theatre in New York City, an event often dominated by teams from Japan featuring fusion double-Dutch (set to hip-hop or contemporary music), and they sponsor other regional events in Memphis, Tennessee and at Morgan State University, to name a few. There are several YouTube videos documenting these events.
Red Bull covers the costs to organise the Wings for Life World Run since its first edition in 2014. This permits that the entry fees for the participants can entirely be given to the nonprofit Wings for Life foundation.[18]
They also sponsor several cyclocross riders including Wout van Aert and Pauline Ferrand Prevot. This most viable as both riders have Red Bull branded helmets.
They have also sponsored England cricketer Ben Stokes, and their branding is visible on the back of his bat.
The sponsorship of Exeter Chiefs and England winger Jack Nowell has seen him become the first player with branding on a scrum cap.
Red Bull sponsors extreme cyclists Danny MacAskill and Fabio Wibmer.
Sport ownership
Red Bull has extended its presence to purchasing and entirely re-branding a number of sports teams.
Before acquiring the ailing Jaguar RacingFormula One team in 2005, Red Bull sponsored multiple teams. In 1995, Red Bull sponsored Sauber, a Swiss motorsports constructor, up until the 2002 season when Petronas became the main title sponsor.
In Formula One, Red Bull currently runs two teams: Red Bull Racing (previously known as Jaguar Racing; before Jaguar, it was known as Stewart Grand Prix)[19] and RB (Racing Bulls). The latter was previously known as Scuderia Toro Rosso between 2006 and 2019 and as Scuderia AlphaTauri from 2020 to 2023,[20][a] and preceding its purchase by Red Bull, it was known as the Minardi F1 Team.[20] Both teams have scored Grand Prix victories, with Red Bull Racing winning the 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2022 and 2023 Constructors' Championship. Two Red Bull Racing drivers have won the Drivers' Championship; Sebastian Vettel won the championship in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, with Max Verstappen winning the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 Formula One Drivers' Championships. Red Bull Racing used Renault engines between 2007 and 2018, before beginning a partnership with Honda that lasts until the end of 2025. In 2021, Red Bull founded its own power unit division, Red Bull Powertrains, which will begin producing its own power units for the Red Bull-owned teams in 2026 with backing from Ford. Red Bull Racing chief technical officer Adrian Newey has been credited with designing highly-successful cars that are capable of championship contention.[21] The Red Bull Racing RB19, designed by Newey, is one of the most dominant cars in Formula One history, winning 21 out of 22 races in the 2023 season.
The company has also been highly active in association football. On 6 April 2005, Red Bull bought the Austrian club SV Austria Salzburg and renamed it to Red Bull Salzburg, a move which has been heavily criticised by supporter groups within Austria and across Europe. They also purchased FC Liefering as Salzburg's feeder club.
In 2005, Red Bull purchased the MetroStars, a team in Major League Soccer representing New York City, from Anschutz Entertainment Group and renamed the franchise; Red Bull New York is the name of the Red Bull subsidiary that operates the team, while the squad itself is known as the New York Red Bulls. Anschutz Entertainment Group was about to begin building the MetroStars their own stadium, but groundbreaking was delayed a month as AEG completed the sale of the team. The company paid for the team's new stadium, Red Bull Arena, which had its match opener 20 March 2010.
In June 2009, the company purchased the football licence of German fifth division club SSV Markranstädt based near Leipzig, renaming them RB Leipzig for the 2009–10 season onwards. The company stated that its goal was to reach the country's first division, the Bundesliga, within ten years; this goal was ultimately achieved, with RB Leipzig winning four promotions in seven seasons to secure Bundesliga football starting in 2016–17 season.[25]
In May 2024, the company purchased a minority ownership stake at Leeds United along with being the club's front of shirt sponsor in a multi-year agreement.[26]
In August 2024, the company took over Japanese side Omiya Ardija from previous owners NTT, marking them as the company's first Asian club in their portfolio.[27]
In October 2024, it was announced that the company would purchase a future minority ownership stake at Paris FC.[28]
The company purchased EC Salzburg, the city's team in the Austrian Hockey League, in 2000 and renamed it Red Bull Salzburg. Furthermore, Red Bull took over DEL club EHC München, becoming the team's title sponsor in 2012 before purchasing it outright in 2013.
In January 2024 Austrian Federal Competition Authority (FCA) announced Red Bull GmbH's planned acquisition of a controlling interests of 51% in RD pro cycling GmbH & Co KG and RD Beteiligungs GmbH, the owner of the professional road cycling team BORA-Hansgrohe.[29]
The FCA approved the acquisition on Monday 29 January 2024. Bora-Hansgrohe's manager Ralph Denk stated "the foundations of our partnership with Red Bull are now officially in place. This is the green light we've been waiting for to go ahead with the formalities and many specific parts of the collaboration."[30]
Red Bull Media House is a media company specialized in sport, lifestyle, music and games.[34]
The company publishes several magazines: The Red Bulletin (lifestyle), Servus (food, health and gardening); Terra Mater (nature, science and history); Bergwelten (alpinism) and Seitenblicke (celebrities).
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