In 1992, a jet-lagged Austrian businessman slumps in a Bangkok hotel room. Dietrich Mateschitz, a toothpaste marketing expert, reaches for a local energy tonic, Krating Daeng. The effect is immediate, almost miraculous.

“I was jet-lagged, but suddenly, I was wide awake,” Mateschitz recalled. At that moment, a global phenomenon was conceived — not just an energy drink but a brand that would redefine human potential.

Mateschitz, ever the opportunist, tracks down Chaleo Yoovidhya, Krating Daeng’s creator. They strike a deal: $500,000 each, 49% stake apiece, with Yoovidhya’s son taking the remaining 2%.

Red Bull is born.

But the real work of fueling human potential is just beginning. Mateschitz doesn’t just import Krating Daeng. He reimagines it for Western palates — carbonated, sweeter, and with a distinct flavour profile.

Rory Sutherland uses Red Bull as an example of a seemingly counterintuitive business idea that became hugely successful. In his book “Alchemy”, he includes Red Bull in a list of business ideas that wouldn’t make sense on paper, but succeeded in practice. Specifically, he notes that Red Bull’s success is surprising given that “the drink has a taste which consumers say they hate.” This highlights how Red Bull’s marketing and brand were able to overcome what could have been seen as a major product flaw. Sutherland uses this example to illustrate his broader point about how irrational or non-obvious approaches can sometimes lead to great success in business and marketing. He argues that purely logical or data-driven approaches miss the “magic” that can make certain ideas resonate with consumers in unexpected ways.

Here’s where the genius begins: Instead of competing with Coke or Pepsi, Mateschitz creates an entirely new category — the energy drink. But Red Bull isn’t just a beverage. It’s a performance enhancer, a fuel for human achievement.

The slogan “Red Bull Gives You Wings” isn’t just catchy. It’s a promise of unleashed potential, an expression of Redbull’s positioning statement, Fueling Human Potential, that will define everything to come.

Fueling Human Potential.

This positioning encapsulates several key aspects of Red Bull’s strategy and brand identity:

Performance Enhancement: The core promise of “giving wings” or boosting energy and performance.

Beyond the Beverage: It’s not limited to just the drink, but encompasses all of Red Bull’s activities.

Pushing Boundaries: Aligns with their involvement in extreme sports and record-breaking feats.

Aspirational: Speaks to the desire for achieving more, whether in sports, creativity, or personal endeavors.

Lifestyle Brand: Positions Red Bull as more than just a product, but a way of life.

Universal Appeal: While focused, it’s broad enough to apply across various domains (sports, arts, business).

Action-Oriented: Implies movement, progress, and achievement.

This positioning is reflected in Red Bull’s:

Product Development: The energy drink itself, designed to enhance performance.

Marketing Strategies: Sponsoring extreme sports and boundary-pushing events.

Content Creation: Producing media that showcases human achievement and creativity.

Brand Extensions: From Formula 1 teams to music academies, all focused on peak performance.

It’s worth noting that this positioning goes beyond just “energy” or “extreme sports.” It’s about empowering people to reach their full potential, whatever that might be.

This allows Red Bull to maintain its core identity while expanding into new areas and adapting to changing market conditions.

This positioning has remained consistent since the company’s inception, even as its expression has evolved. It’s broad enough to accommodate future growth yet specific enough to guide strategic decisions across all aspects of the business.

Launching in Austria in 1987, Red Bull faces an uphill battle. Energy drinks are unknown. Some countries ban it, citing high caffeine content. Retailers are skeptical.

Mateschitz’s response? Lean into the mystique of human potential.

“We don’t bring the product to the people; we bring people to the product,” he declares. No TV commercials. No billboards. Instead, Red Bull goes guerrilla, appearing wherever people push their limits.

The distinctive slim blue and silver can appears at college parties, in nightclubs, at extreme sports events. Free samples flow freely, distributed by the “Wings Team” — students embodying the Red Bull lifestyle of unleashed potential.

As one early employee said, “We were marketing a feeling, not a drink.” That feeling? The thrill of surpassing your limits.

The strategy of premium pricing

In a world of discount sodas, Mateschitz makes another counterintuitive move. He prices Red Bull at a premium, three times higher than Coca-Cola.

“People are willing to pay a higher price for a higher value,” Mateschitz explains. It’s not just a drink; it’s a tool for unlocking human potential.

It works. By 1994, Red Bull is expanding across Europe. By 1997, it hits the US market. Coca-Cola and Pepsi scramble to catch up, launching their own energy drinks. But they’re playing catch-up in a game of human potential that Red Bull invented.

Beyond the Beverage

As the millennium turns, Red Bull evolves from a drink into a lifestyle brand focused on human achievement.

Mateschitz starts sponsoring extreme sports athletes, not just any athletes, but those pushing the boundaries of human performance.

Red Bull doesn’t just sponsor events; it creates them. The Red Bull Flugtag. The Red Bull Air Race. The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. Each one a spectacle, each one a celebration of human ingenuity and daring.

“We are not a soft drink company. We are a premium brand focusing on enabling and inspiring people,” Mateschitz asserts.

In 2005, Red Bull buys its first Formula 1 team. By 2010, it owns two. The company isn’t just sponsoring sports anymore. It’s participating. Winning. Making history. All in service of showcasing the heights of human potential.

The Content Revolution

But perhaps Red Bull’s most innovative move in fueling human potential comes in 2007 with the creation of Red Bull Media House.

Red Bull becomes a media company, producing high-quality videos, documentaries, and live streams. They’re not selling energy drinks but showcasing human potential in all its forms.

The culmination? Felix Baumgartner’s space jump in 2012 — a man freefalling from the stratosphere, breaking the sound barrier with his body.

Brought to you by Red Bull.

It’s not an ad. It’s a historic human achievement, watched live by millions worldwide. It’s the ultimate expression of Red Bull’s mission to fuel human potential.

Challenges and Criticisms

Red Bull’s rise hasn’t been without challenges. Health concerns about energy drinks have led to scrutiny and even bans in some countries. Critics argue that Red Bull markets too aggressively to young people.

Mateschitz’s response? Double down on the brand’s association with performance and achievement while also investing in research on the effects of energy drinks. Every challenge becomes an opportunity to further emphasize Red Bull’s role in unlocking human potential.

The company has also faced criticism over its environmental impact. In response, Red Bull has launched sustainability initiatives, including a can recycling program and investments in renewable energy. Even here, the focus is on fueling a better future.

The Legacy and Future

Today, Red Bull sells over 7.5 billion cans annually in 171 countries. It owns football clubs, runs a record label, and continues to push the boundaries of marketing and human achievement.

In 2022, Mateschitz passed away, leaving behind a legacy that transcends the beverage industry. Red Bull isn’t just a drink; it’s a marketing empire, a media powerhouse, a sports phenomenon. Above all, it’s a testament to what happens when a brand dedicates itself to fueling human potential.

Looking ahead, Red Bull faces new challenges. Energy drinks are now a crowded market. Young consumers are increasingly health-conscious. But if history is any guide, Red Bull will adapt and innovate, always finding new ways to help people surpass their limits.

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The progression of Red Bull’s story while contrasting the inside-out business strategy (IQ) and outside-in brand strategy (EQ) aspects of their strategy.

Inside-Out (IQ): Business Strategy	Outside-In (EQ): Brand Perception
Birth of a Revolution (1982-1987)
• Create new product category: energy drinks • Develop unique formula for Western palates • Invest $500,000 each with Chaleo Yoovidhya	• Craft slogan “Red Bull Gives You Wings” • Promise unleashed potential to consumers • Create an air of mystique around the product
Challenges and Innovations (1987-1994)
• Implement guerrilla marketing tactics • Focus on product placement in high-energy environments • Create “Wings Team” for targeted distribution	• Appear wherever people push their limits • Associate brand with energy and excitement • Market feeling of surpassing limits, not just a drink
Premium Pricing Strategy (1994-2000)
• Price Red Bull at premium (3x Coca-Cola) • Invest in quality ingredients and production • Expand strategically across Europe and into US	• Communicate Red Bull as tool for unlocking potential • Create sense of exclusivity and aspiration • Establish as lifestyle choice, not just a drink
Beyond the Beverage (2000-2007)
• Sponsor extreme sports athletes and events • Create owned events (Flugtag, Air Race) • Acquire Formula 1 teams	• Cement association with pushing human limits • Position as enabler of extraordinary achievements • Create community of high-achievers
Content Revolution (2007-2012)
• Create Red Bull Media House • Produce high-quality videos and documentaries • Invest in groundbreaking projects (space jump)	• Showcase human potential in all forms • Position as facilitator of historic achievements • Create emotional connections through inspiring content
Facing Challenges (2012-2022)
• Invest in research on energy drink effects • Develop sustainability initiatives • Diversify product offerings	• Reinforce association with performance • Communicate commitment to responsible consumption • Position sustainability as fueling better future
Legacy and Future (2022-Present)
• Continue innovating in product development • Explore new markets and categories • Adapt to changing consumer preferences	• Maintain core identity while expanding associations • Address evolving perceptions of health and wellness • Continue to inspire and enable human achievement

The Lessons of Red Bull

Red Bull’s story offers crucial lessons in positioning and brand building:

1. Create a category; don’t just join one.
2. Your product is more than what’s in the can; it’s the potential it unlocks.
3. Don’t just sell to your audience; enable their ambitions.
4. Content isn’t just king; it demonstrates what’s possible.
5. Your brand is a promise of potential; every action must reinforce it.

In a world of copycats and me-too products, Red Bull remains unique. Not because of its flavour or its caffeine content but because of the potential it represents in our collective imagination.

Red Bull doesn’t sell energy drinks. It sells the promise of superhuman performance, the idea that you, too, can achieve the extraordinary with the right fuel.

That’s the power of positioning.

That’s the genius of Red Bull.