Red Bull - Where has the fun gone?
There
has been much talk about Red Bull in the past 7 days and whether or not they
are going to recover from their current driver spat or not? I personally don’t
really care. I like Mark and I feel a bit sorry for him but I also like Seb, I
believe he is the best out there and he brings a relaxed and intelligent view
for an F1 driver, which is refreshing. I’m sure we will talk about ‘that’ race
for years to come, and who was to blame, who came out stronger and who - eventually
- walked, but for the moment I think I have solved Red Bull’s issues.
The
problem is: They just aren’t fun anymore.
It’s
ok to win everything. Pick up driver and constructor titles. Sign big name
sponsors, and be on the front page of every magazine, but if all you are really
trying to do is flog some fizzy drinks then there is a bit more to it than
‘just getting to the top step of the podium!
Now,
I am no marketing genius. And it may sound bonkers to be offering marketing
ideas to what most people would consider the leaders in that field, but I
remember the good old days.
The
days where you were dragged kicking and screaming from one Red Bull party to
another; where you had to fight your way through hordes of stunning models
parading around the paddock for no other reason than to provide a bit of eye candy.
I remember Hollywood A-lister’s, helicopters and speedboats.
And
what do we have now?
A
rather annoying pointy index finger.....
We
have a team that win everything but have lost exactly what “made” them number
one in the first place: Genius marketing with a laid back, relaxed attitude and
a surf dude mentality.
Maybe
they should never have got involved in F1? We all know the old Red Bull from
ski events, moto-cross, air racing and skydiving; did they really need to
splurge a huge part of their marketing budget on a stuffy, up-tight and
arrogant sport that is exactly the opposite of where they started from?
Luckily
for us though, I think we may just have a new contender heading to the top of
the class at the Red Bull marketing school:
Lotus
F1 Team, have for me, done it right in the past 2 years.
Do
you remember in 2010 when Lotus last came back into F1, with a green team
called Lotus, which had nothing to do with Lotus? Lotus then decided that Lotus
couldn’t use the name Lotus and so Lotus took Lotus Renault to court. Lotus
became Caterham and Lotus who didn’t want to be in the sport in the first place
became Lotus F1 Team..... Keeping up?
Anyhow,
forget whether they want to be here or not, and forget what they are called (right
now) and where the money comes from; the Enstone mob is doing it right!
They
have employed the right people to run their team under the management of Eric Boullier.
Their marketing and promotion is new, fresh and open. They laugh at themselves.
They use Kimi’s awkwardness in front of the media to their advantage. They hand
out ice creams, give away free cd’s; they have their promotion, humour and
sarcasm down to a tee.
So,
Red Bull, to get back in the game forget about your current driver
disagreement, don’t bother developing your 2013 car anymore, get rid of that
Newey bloke and spend the spare cash on parties, girls, rock groups and ice
creams!
Put
the fun back in the paddock!
It’s
a marketing plan that may just (not) work…..
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| Red Bull F1 Party - James Moy Photography www.jamesmoy.com |
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