That's What A Good Brand Does.

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Progressive, Nike, Apple, Kellog's, and Coca-Cola; what do they all have in common? They are all brand names. And with those names comes some sort of impression left on their consumers. As Jerry McLaughlin, who wrote "What is a Brand, Anyway?" on the Forbes website, said, "It’s everything the public thinks it knows about your name brand offering—both factual (e.g. It comes in a robin’s-egg-blue box), and emotional (e.g. It’s romantic)." There are a variety of ways a company can do this to you. I feel that Red Bull is a good example of a company that does this well.

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The possibilities of getting people to have an idea of the company's identity are endless. Some companies do it poorly, others do it well. In my opinion, Red Bull is one example that does it well. From what I read in the Red Bull Marketing Campaign, Red Bull aims to assist those who need to increase physical and mental exertion with the use of their energy drink. They market themselves by sponsoring sports that are considered "extreme." These include motorsports, adventure sports, eSports, skateboarding, surfing, and a range of other things people would not dare to do. They also have commercials that include their athletes doing their "extreme" sports. They target (not with a gun) a broad range of "young urban males" from ages 16 through 29. They also have a secondary target, older males from the ages of 25 to 45 with the same goals in mind-keep people awake for long periods of time. (You can find the Red Bull Marketing Campaign here)

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From all the information I have gathered, I figure that Red Bull has a solid identity. By this, meaning that they have a clear thesis statement. Let's start with "Red Bull gives you wings." It's a tagline, it's something catchy, yet true. It encapsulates the intense rush you feel when your mouth is blessed the sweet taste of a Red Bull energy drink. Although that is my opinion, I look at who they sponsor and what they represent. They sponsor "extreme" sports; these sports are on a different level of intensity. These sports are life threatening. They require a high level of concentration and physical exertion (other sports do too, but for the sake of "extreme" sports, why not put it on the pedestal). Red Bull's product, their energy drink, represents exactly what those athletes represent. The desire for increased focus and physical activity. And with that, the ingredients effects of the Red Bull energy drink does exactly what they aim to show the public. Their thesis statement (identity) is clear through the culture they sponsor and represent. However, this is only the essence of their product so that people understand who they are. 

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How do we know who or what Red Bull is? Well, as I stated earlier, they sponsor extreme sports. But let's get into more depth on how we discover their identity. What are the advertising tools they use to spread their name? First, Red Bull has their own magazine called "The Red Bulletin." It includes breath taking photographs of Red Bull athletes doing their "life on the edge" activities. It includes music and lifestyle sections. Second, they are all over the Social Networking sites. Red Bull is found on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and many other sites. Lastly, they also have commercials. These commercials are extremely inspiring. I have watched many of them before on the edge of my seat and completely filled with wonder of the unknown. Overall, Red Bull is on everything that is current. They follow the trends and stick to their target group, which is Generation Y according to their Marketing Campaign. Red Bull is a very successful company and have shown it through their marketing and identity.

A brand is the identity of the company. It is something people think they understand, whether it may be factual or emotional. Good brands understand who they are. They know who they are trying to sell to. They know exactly what they are trying to sell. They know everything about themselves and they tell the public everything about themselves. And they do their best to remain in your hearts and in your heads. That's what Red Bull does.

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Some Clever Tools of Influence.

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No matter the direction I turn my head, I feel as that a salesman is speaking to me. This salesman is not actually a person who insists that I buy something I feel is not necessary for myself. It is something salesmen behind the scenes have created in order to speak for that product. These creations come in the form of billboards, commercials, banners, and many other innovative developments that help sell the product. How do I feel about this? I am not too thrilled, but I do understand why companies do these things. Obviously, they need to sell their product. Although I do not like the fact that I am being given a sales pitch almost every five minutes of my life, I am intrigued by how these creations can affect me and people in general.

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"Sales pitches" (Marketing practices that do not include direct human communication) are things I dislike the most, but their affects on me are interesting. I am grabbed by how these marketing practices have subtly persuaded me to at least give them a chance. One day, I was influenced to watch a television show called Suits. I was flipping through the channels on my television and eventually stopped. I forgot what it was, but a commercial came on five minutes later. This commercial blew up in my face. It started with, "You are looking at the best closer this city has ever scene," with a scene of the Brooklyn bridge in the sunset. The music in the background was subtle yet engaging. It had a dramatic yet upbeat sound. That commercial had me at the first four seconds. After that, I was a fool for the rest of it. My mind was open to it and I just wanted to know what this commercial was about. I am sure this has happened to me plenty of times before, but I am in disbelief just analyzing this scenario. I have always thought that I chose things due to my own influence, but this situation has made me think twice. However, marketing is not all about me, but other people as well.

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Clearly, people are affected by advertising. The thing is, how they are affected amazes me. I feel that marketing reaches past the billboards created by people who work for that one company who tries to sell the product. It seems that consumers or people who are influenced by that specific "sales pitch" are tools of advertising as well. For example, a person becomes excited over a new product and discusses its features with a friend or a group of friends. There, a chain reaction begins and people who do become interested in this product may end up telling other friends. Advertising is a very intriguing tool to me.

I feel that marketing practices have made a big impact on certain parts of the world. It has interested me in many ways. First, its effect on me perplexes me. I thought I was a sole decider in my choices, but I may not be. Second, it can incite a chain reaction. Meaning that, one tool of marketing that was used to influence a person may cause that one person to be a tool of marketing. Although advertising is something I dislike due to the fact that I could be a victim of its influences, it is a practice that really does intrigue me.