Rather than co-sponsor an existing event, or even hosting its own version of an event, Red Bull has created its own sporting events (such as kiteboarding to Cuba), and in some cases a new sport to help market its brand. One such event is Crashed Ice.
*See link to Crashed Ice: http://www.redbullcrashedice.ca/
*See link to one reporter's thinking about various aspects of Red Bull's marketing machine: http://www.robwalker.net/html_docs/redbull.html
*Below is a brief preview of the NYT article that brought Crashed Ice to my attention.
WINTER SPORTS; Sport and Sponsor Collide in a Spectacle on Ice
*Please Note: Archive articles do not include photos, charts or graphics. More information.
March 3, 2007, Saturday
By MATT HIGGINS (NYT); Sports Desk
Late Edition - Final, Section D, Page 1, Column 3, 1002 words
CORRECTION APPENDED
DISPLAYING ABSTRACT - Maybe the gusts swirling snow through the alleys of the historic district here Friday were not actual winds of change. But in an old city famous for preserving the past, a new sport has become a showcase for changing relationships between fans and the way brands market to them. ...
Correction: March 6, 2007, Tuesday A sports article on Saturday about Crashed Ice, a competition created by the drink company Red Bull that is a blend of hockey and snowboardcross, misstated the number of racers who compete at a time. It is four, not three.
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Red Bull has invented a sport to complement its brand. I liken this to Mark Hughes’ idea of creating a reality TV show to complement Restylane’s brand. Rather than put their brand name all over these new products, they’re more subtly hinting at the association. Where Restylane will only come up in conversation once an episode, Red Bull is careful to not have too many signs screaming its sponsorship at fans. Both creative and buzz-worthy ideas, but I wonder what happens next.
Because of its sheer absurdity, “Hottest Mom in America” will certainly be mentioned on every talk show the week of its airing. The uniqueness of Red Bull’s new sports have led to its mention in several articles. But after a while – a few episodes or competitions – I can’t imagine that either of these ideas will prove to be much more than a fad. At that point, when the buzz has been stolen by someone else’s unique idea, what do you do with the show / sport you’ve created? Does Mark Hughes plan on airing this show for more than a season? Do the elusive Red Bull executives plan to continue shelling funds into “crashed ice”? I would expect not, as they have other fresher options to pursue.
I guess my question is: if your marketing scheme has attracted loyal followers (obviously a good thing for the brand), but has stopped attracting the attention of potential new followers (bad thing – sign of a stale marketing campaign), what do you do? Do you stop funding the show / sport (and risk losing loyal followers), or do you continue funding it (and forgo a fresher marketing opportunity)?
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