Red Bull

As a powerhouse of community marketing, Red Bull has always targeted smaller, more specialized communities, especially those that fit its vision of pushing the edges of sport. It makes interesting niche communities feel important and presents them to the world at the top of their game. It organizes and empowers communities that might lack the resources to band together, in turn, bolstering the identity of these community members. The brand doesn’t push product, instead pushing representation: from content to events that they broadcast on their own channel.

Red Bull has been building an esports empire by creating exclusive events and training facilities. It also introduced the public to niche/extreme sports through connections with networks of professional athletes, while allowing new fans to identify more with diverse communities.

On top of organizing events, the brand plays an active role in building the skills of current and future athletes, whether by teaching young and future F1 drivers or helping esports players train in state-of-the-art facilities. This allows the best athletes in their respective disciplines to share their expertise. Professional soccer players can connect with skydivers or esports players. In return, this talent incubation generates content and “epic moments” for Redbull to legitimize its notoriety in these communities.

Building unity around the idea of peak performance, Red Bull encourages power athletes from niche communities to excel to the limits of human potential in record-breaking ways. 

Red Bull has established itself as a key figure by profiling and helping subcultures and niche sports thrive and gain popularity, largely through event production or team ownership. This can be observed in various disciplines, from video games to freestyle rap, cliff diving, obstacle skate racing, and juggling a soccer ball. The brand has always pushed community members to excel to the limits of human potential.