It uses traditional advertising in a very limited way.
Mateschitz learned in the pre-launch years that advertising would play a very specific and limited role in the marketing of his complex brand: It is used to reinforce, not introduce, the brand experience. Red Bull only aired ads after the launch phase, and they remain a small part of the overall marketing mix.
Initially, Red Bull’s agency, led by Johannes Kastner, could not even come up with an idea for an ad campaign. But once they realized that the ads’ only purposes were to build brand awareness and likeability— and not to do the overall marketing job (i.e., establishing and increasing the understanding and acceptance of the energy drink category)—the task became much easier for the creatives.
In a now well-known last-ditch effort, Kastner’s team came up with the “Red Bull gives you wiiiings” campaign. The odd cartoon with a problem/solution message has been run consistently since 1988 on TV and radio throughout the world.
The company is also clever about the more subtle aspects of media planning. For instance, the brand stays off-air during the peak summer months, when share of voice would sink significantly anyway. In order to reach the right audience, its media planners focus on progressive and innovative TV and radio stations. Also, Red Bull doesn’t use print media to convey its brand message. The flatness of the medium doesn’t connote energy, which is the key Red Bull message.