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"If I am thirsty today, I have a vast constellation of beverages to choose from. If I pick Red Bull, it is because, in addition to quenching my thirst and wakin

"If I am thirsty today, I have a vast constellation of beverages to choose from. If I pick Red Bull, it is because, in addition to quenching my thirst and waking me up, I want to take action that signals my allegiance to the Red Bull tribe, to make their story part of my story." Good article, but it's a little over the top at the end here. Most people are going to pick up a new beverage the first time based on marketing and packaging. The second time they are going to pick it up because they like the taste, pure and simple. I've always been bothered with this whole 'lifestyle' brand concept. Pepsi says it's a lifestyle brand, but what does sugared water have to do with the way you live your life? Alot, but not in the manner Pepsi would wan't it. It makes you fat, not perceived as some sort of alternative thinker. What Red Bull did right in all this, is that they NAILED the lifestyle brand marketing strategy. They hit it out of the park. Its not a strategy aimed at keeping people drinking it through their life, but convincing new customers they need to try it. The Lifetime Value of a Coke customer is probably 100x-1000x more then the LTV of a Red Bull customer. So to wrap this up, just because you succeeded in your marketing strategy, does not make it a truth. Was it "that it ‘gives you wings…’ which means that it provides skills, abilities, power, etc., to achieve whatever you want to" that triggered people to try and, I concede, maybe like the beverage more then they normally would? Yes. Do they keep drinking it just to signal their allegiance to the Red Bull tribe, not so sure.

sokoloff 13y ago
In Red Bull's case, I suspect people drinking it the second and subsequent times are doing so for the effects (both real and perceived/psychological) and not for the taste. I buy and drink it occasionally, but I assure you, it's not primarily for the taste.
- loceng 13y ago
  Indeed, it's self-medicating - like coffee; You can wake up different, better ways..
- oblique63 13y ago
  Along that same note, I thought this[1] post offered some interesting insight on the topic: "NYC Mayor Bloomberg's proposal is to ban soda sold larger than 16 oz. Is it a government intrusion into our private lives? Shouldn't we be allowed to make our own free choices about what to do with our own bodies? The answer to both is a resounding yes, but nevertheless that's the trick. The question that you should have asked, that you did not ask because you were hypnotized into asking the above questions, is: to what extent am I free to make the decision TO drink soda? Soda was tested, refined and improved so that you would probably like it; but it was packaged and marketed so that you would like it regardless of whether you liked it, and "you" means you now, in this time, in this place. Do you believe 10th century Viking marauders who previously described rejecting pop music would drink 3 sodas a day? I saw Valhalla Rising. The answer is no. I just heard you say, "yes, they would. Yes, they'd take a few sips and find it delicious and yes, they'd drink 3 bottles a day." WRONG. If you believe that they would, then you are saying that marketing is unnecessary, all that money is a waste, the soda is delicious enough to hook anyone. That the terms "market penetration" and "early adopters" and "branding" are meaningless. But if [the Pepsi logo], not the brown liquid, but that image-- which cost millions of dollars to create and promote-- if that strategy was necessary to making Pepsi a huge seller, more than the minor difference in taste from generic brand cola which no one drinks and thus no one needs protection from-- then you cannot say that your choice to drink soda is a free one. And it doesn't matter if the risk of diabetes with the liquid in the bottle labeled generic cola and the liquid in the bottle labeled Pepsi is the same, because product= object + branding: Pepsi is more dangerous than cola." [1] http://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2012/09/the_nanny_state_didnt_show_up.html http://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2012/09/the_nanny_state_didnt...
  - HeyLaughingBoy 13y ago
    So how does this explain that whenever I go grocery shopping and buy soda, my choice is almost always the generic store brand because it's the cheapest one?
- matwood 13y ago
  When it comes to energy drinks I find the sugar free Red Bulls the best tasting. I also like that they come in 8.4 ounce cans. I don't need 12-24 ounces of soda.
  - jkubicek 13y ago
    this is the primary reason I buy Red Bull over other energy drinks. I don't need 18oz. of liquid, especially on long drives.
- petercooper 13y ago
  Always possible to find a counterexample on the Internet these days it seems, but I do drink it for the taste. Caffeine, sadly, has little effect on me, but I find regular Red Bull to be the best tasting soda on the market so far. (Whereas the sugar-free one makes me nauseous and I find it vile.) I don't think it's surprising this could happen though because beer, wine, etc. taste pretty sour and disgusting until you get your tongue used to them. There's a soda called "Beverly" at the World of Coca Cola museum which most visitors also find totally gross but some people enjoy it :-) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_(drink) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_(drink) (5 out of 2000 claim Coca Cola..)
  - michaelbuddy 13y ago
    yup taste is big time for me, that's why I buy monster light blue 20 calorie. Don't care about the caffiene, don't care about the diet factor, but the taste is fun. I do like redbull but they are too expensive for the amount you get. Never slammed an energy drink in my life. because I savor it. I stretch a monster out for like 2 hours while I'm working at my desk.
    - petercooper 13y ago
      Ah yeah, that's what I do. It's usually over a few hours. I think it's more an addiction to sugar than anything. I could stretch a bag of candy over a few hours instead but it'd be far more calories.
- arethuza 13y ago
  I rather like the taste of Red Bull - and thinking about I just realised why. It tastes like Creamola Foam! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creamola_Foam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creamola_Foam

sokoloff 13y ago

In Red Bull's case, I suspect people drinking it the second and subsequent times are doing so for the effects (both real and perceived/psychological) and not for the taste. I buy and drink it occasionally, but I assure you, it's not primarily for the taste.

loceng 13y ago
Indeed, it's self-medicating - like coffee; You can wake up different, better ways..
oblique63 13y ago
Along that same note, I thought this[1] post offered some interesting insight on the topic: "NYC Mayor Bloomberg's proposal is to ban soda sold larger than 16 oz. Is it a government intrusion into our private lives? Shouldn't we be allowed to make our own free choices about what to do with our own bodies? The answer to both is a resounding yes, but nevertheless that's the trick. The question that you should have asked, that you did not ask because you were hypnotized into asking the above questions, is: to what extent am I free to make the decision TO drink soda? Soda was tested, refined and improved so that you would probably like it; but it was packaged and marketed so that you would like it regardless of whether you liked it, and "you" means you now, in this time, in this place. Do you believe 10th century Viking marauders who previously described rejecting pop music would drink 3 sodas a day? I saw Valhalla Rising. The answer is no. I just heard you say, "yes, they would. Yes, they'd take a few sips and find it delicious and yes, they'd drink 3 bottles a day." WRONG. If you believe that they would, then you are saying that marketing is unnecessary, all that money is a waste, the soda is delicious enough to hook anyone. That the terms "market penetration" and "early adopters" and "branding" are meaningless. But if [the Pepsi logo], not the brown liquid, but that image-- which cost millions of dollars to create and promote-- if that strategy was necessary to making Pepsi a huge seller, more than the minor difference in taste from generic brand cola which no one drinks and thus no one needs protection from-- then you cannot say that your choice to drink soda is a free one. And it doesn't matter if the risk of diabetes with the liquid in the bottle labeled generic cola and the liquid in the bottle labeled Pepsi is the same, because product= object + branding: Pepsi is more dangerous than cola." [1] http://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2012/09/the_nanny_state_didnt_show_up.html http://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2012/09/the_nanny_state_didnt...
- HeyLaughingBoy 13y ago
  So how does this explain that whenever I go grocery shopping and buy soda, my choice is almost always the generic store brand because it's the cheapest one?
matwood 13y ago
When it comes to energy drinks I find the sugar free Red Bulls the best tasting. I also like that they come in 8.4 ounce cans. I don't need 12-24 ounces of soda.
- jkubicek 13y ago
  this is the primary reason I buy Red Bull over other energy drinks. I don't need 18oz. of liquid, especially on long drives.
petercooper 13y ago
Always possible to find a counterexample on the Internet these days it seems, but I do drink it for the taste. Caffeine, sadly, has little effect on me, but I find regular Red Bull to be the best tasting soda on the market so far. (Whereas the sugar-free one makes me nauseous and I find it vile.) I don't think it's surprising this could happen though because beer, wine, etc. taste pretty sour and disgusting until you get your tongue used to them. There's a soda called "Beverly" at the World of Coca Cola museum which most visitors also find totally gross but some people enjoy it :-) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_(drink) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_(drink) (5 out of 2000 claim Coca Cola..)
- michaelbuddy 13y ago
  yup taste is big time for me, that's why I buy monster light blue 20 calorie. Don't care about the caffiene, don't care about the diet factor, but the taste is fun. I do like redbull but they are too expensive for the amount you get. Never slammed an energy drink in my life. because I savor it. I stretch a monster out for like 2 hours while I'm working at my desk.
  - petercooper 13y ago
    Ah yeah, that's what I do. It's usually over a few hours. I think it's more an addiction to sugar than anything. I could stretch a bag of candy over a few hours instead but it'd be far more calories.
arethuza 13y ago
I rather like the taste of Red Bull - and thinking about I just realised why. It tastes like Creamola Foam! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creamola_Foam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creamola_Foam