Felix Baumgartner’s headline grabbing free fall from space was one of the week’s biggest stories – one that carried a lot of Red Bull sponsored branding.
We asked readers if the energy drink maker (and sponsor of some the most out-there sporting events on the planet) would see a sales boost as a result. Here’s what they told us:
“Will Red Bull’s sponsorship of Felix Baumgartner’s record-breaking jump move product?”
• For sure. It’s involvement was well-handled – 49%
• It depends on how they leverage it going forward – 41%
• No way. The sponsorship will be overshadowed – 9%
Readers were eager to point out that Red Bull is far more than a drink peddler. A commenter with the handle BLAH wrote “Does Marketing Mag not understand Red Bull is a MEDIA company and not simply an energy drink manufacturer. that said, if this doesn’t help sell drinks than advertising truly is dead.”
millions2 wrote “I don’t think Redbull even cares about selling energy drinks. Their website is dedicated to sports news, fashion lines and extreme sporting events – the energy drink product line is buried under a navigation menu. It seems their business model has other streams of revenue beyond sugary beverages.”
Both are good points. Red Bull’s brand reaches well beyond store shelves, and its global revenues include tickets sales from plane races and merchandise from downhill extreme skating. But we’re sure many CPG companies are eager to see if a program built around a man in a space suit breaking the sound barrier could drive sales… hence the poll. Red Bull may do much more than sell drinks, sell drinks it does nonetheless.
