APRIL 9, 2005

Red Bull buys into soccer

Red Bull is not a company that likes to buy advertising space. Instead it tends to invest its millions in those participating in events and thus gain publicity by being involved in an activity.

Red Bull is not a company that likes to buy advertising space. Instead it tends to invest its millions in those participating in events and thus gain publicity by being involved in an activity. This gives the company the image of being an organization that does things rather than riding to success on the achievements of others. This is very successful but it does irritate some, notably TV companies which would like to be getting Red Bull advertising dollars rather than being forced to, in effect, advertise for free. It is in some ways similar to the policy of Benetton a few years ago which decided that it made no sense to be a sponsor when it could be a team owner. Now Red Bull has extended that policy into soccer, having bought control of the Austrian club SV Salzburg.

Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz has, however, warned that he will be working to tight budgets even if the long-term goal is to take the team to success at international level.