Media Analysis: Red Bull

By: Sam Mangan

Background● Red Bull was founded in 1984

● Offers four primary types of drinks: Red Bull Energy Drink, Red Bull

Sugar Free, Red Bull Energy Shot and Red Bull Cola

○ There are also Red Bull Editions and Red Bull Zero Calories

● Products are distributed to 166 countries worldwide

● Made to vitalize one’s mind and body

ProQuest, 2015

Energy Drink Market Share

Red Bull’s major competition includes Monster Beverage, Rockstar Energy Drink and Living Essentials LLC (5 Hour Energy).

Energy Drink SalesRed Bull lead in unit sales in 2014 in convenience stores over U.S.

With over double Monster’s unit sales!

CSP

Red Bull’s Media Spend

Redbooks

Red Bull’s Media Spend Summary

● Red Bull tended to spend majority of their media allocation on

Network TV, Cable TV and Outdoor ads.

● Continued to lessen their spend on US Internet Display ads and US

Internet Video ads.

● During 2015’s quarters the spend for Nail Spot Radio ads have started

to increase again.

Competitor’s Media Spend

Redbooks

Comparisons of Energy Drinks’ Media Spends

● All three companies focused much of their media spends on TV ads.

● Although each company lessened their spends for Internet ads, Red

Bull’s overall spend for Internet media was significantly higher than

Monster Energy and LLC (5 Hour Energy).

● LLC (5 Hour Energy) spent more than the others on Cable TV ads in

2015.

● Monster Energy spent more than the other two on Newspaper ads.

● Red Bull had the highest overall media spend in 2015 and years

previous.

Online Appearance in 2015

In 2015, Quintly.com looked at five big brands that effect consumers’ every day lives and made major impact on the social media world.

These big five are Starbucks, McDonald’s, Oreo, Pepsi and Red Bull.

As noted earlier, Red Bull actually lessened their online spend in 2015.

So how did Red Bull still make this impact?

Gottke, 2015

Red Bull Online Allocation

Gottke, 2015

Red Bull Target Consumers

Currently Red Bull’s Core Targets are…

● Males ● Ages 18-30● Active● College Students● Professionals

These consumers are active on social media; watch sports channels; go on sports websites, hulu.com, and movie websites; and read magazines like Barron’s or automobile magazines.

Looking Ahead for Red Bull

All of the energy drink industry’s major competitors are focusing on the same current core target consumers.

In order to expand the market, one of the leading companies in the industry will need to expand the target audiences and appeal more to those audiences.

Recommendations for Target Audiences

While men ages 18-30 have been the target core for Red Bull, it might be time to look into appealing to both men and women of ages 28-40.

This age group for men and women are professionals, balancing different things in their lives. This may be getting engaged and planning a wedding, or raising children while working full time. Some of these professionals could also be working full time while earning a higher degree (master’s degree, doctrine, etc.)

Red Bull Energy Shot Slogan SuggestionsWhile appealing to a new target audience, new slogans may include or be inspired by:

● Red Bull gives you a boost● Red Bull. Energy, No Bull● Be the Bull● Gives Energy by the Shot● Energy. Strong like Bull● Energy, No Wings Needed

Ideas for Red Bull’s second half of 2016’s $35M Media Spend● $10.5M for Internet and Digital Media

● $14M for Television

● $5.25M for Magazines

● $1.4M for Radio

● $3.5M for Outdoor

● $130,000 for Newspaper

● $220,000 for adjustments

Breakdown of Media Spend Categories● Internet Media Spend

○ Social media platforms that this age group uses like FaceBook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+

○ Online sites professionals read like NYT, Forbes, Mashable through display ads, video ads or native advertising

○ Websites for entertainment like espn.com and hulu.com○ Job search sites like monster.com

● Television Media Spend○ Network TV○ Cable TV○ Late night shows○ Primetime comedies

Breakdown of Media Spend Categories Continued● Magazine Media Spend

○ Economic and Marketing magazines○ Parenting magazines○ Bridal magazines○ Magazines that appeal to more women like InTouch and Vogue

● Radio Media Spend○ Mostly National radio spots

● Outdoor Media Spend○ Guerilla Marketing Strategies

● Newspaper Media Spend○ National daily newspapers

Rationale

Suggestions for the media spend and allocations within the media spend categories are from research found from MRI Plus where respondents drank energy drank heavily (5+ times over the last 30 days).

These categories tend to be more popular with an older target audience and can appeal to women as well as men, instead of focusing mainly on men.

This suggested target audience also has a higher disposable income to purchase energy drinks.

References

CSP. (n.d.). Energy drink unit sales in U.S. convenience stores (C-stores) in 2014, by brand (in millions). In Statista - The Statistics Portal. Retrieved April 20, 2016, from http://www.statista.com/statistics/294902/best-selling-energy-drink-brands-in-us-c-stores-based-on-unit-sales/.

Gottke, J. (2015, February 18). Social Media Analysis of "Big 5" Retrieved April 20, 2016, from https://www.quintly.com/blog/2015/02/mcdonalds-growth-rate-outperforms-competition-in-social-media-analysis-of-big-5/

IBISWORLD. (n.d.). Energy Drink Production: Major Companies. Retrieved April 20, 2016, from http://clients1.ibisworld.com.www.libproxy.wvu.edu/reports/us/industry/majorcompanies.aspx?entid=4205

MRI Plus. (n.d.). MRI Reporter. Retrieved April 20, 2016, from http://ureporter.mriplusonline.com/selectdemo.asp

References ContinuedREDBOOKS. (n.d.). Red Bull GmbH- REDBOOKS Details: ANNUAL MEASURED U.S. MEDIA SPEND. Retrieved April 20, 2016, from http://www.redbooks.com.www.libproxy.wvu.edu/advertiser/RED_BULL_GMBH/

REDBOOKS. (n.d.). Monster Beverage Corporation: ANNUAL MEASURED U.S. MEDIA SPEND. Retrieved April 20, 2016, from http://www.redbooks.com.www.libproxy.wvu.edu/advertiser/MONSTER_BEVERAGE_CORPORATION/

REDBOOKS. (n.d.). Living Essentials, LLC: ANNUAL MEASURED U.S. MEDIA SPEND. Retrieved April 20, 2016, from http://www.redbooks.com.www.libproxy.wvu.edu/advertiser/LIVING_ESSENTIALS_LIMITED_LIABILITY_COMPANY/

Red bull GmbH: Consumer packaged goods - company profile & SWOT report. (2015). (). Basingstoke: Progressive Digital Media. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1652852065?accountid=2837