What does Red Bull represent to you? Please ask this question to a student struggling with work due the next day, an athlete whose life depends on that tierce of second, and to that adrenaline lover who just want to fly, friend… they will give you an extended essay on this product!

Red Bull’s name is synonym of fun, coolness, exaltation, and SWAGG! Red Bull has an intimate understanding of who their target market is (young men), what they watch (sports), and what they like (adventure, danger, pushing the limits). By speaking the same language as its consumers, this marketing genius, who has 60% of the market share, has been able to position himself in the head of his consumers as, ”a part of their lifestyle”. A life style which revolves around easiness and excitement “It will give you wings”.

Though our Bull uses traditional advertising (TV, magazine, etc…) to convey us to buy that drink that will keeps us wired for few more hours, our TGIF booster has also some convincing “guerilla marketing toys! As in, they sent a guy to the edge of space and told him to jump shooting out loud Red Bull’s! If that isn’t some crazy move to sustain our attention, what else can it be? These unusual creative and non- traditional advertisement not only differentiates Red Bull from other energy drinks, such as Monster, but also creates in many people the feeling of belonging to the number one revolutionary drink.

Red bull is everywhere and at each moment. They are distributing via more channels than any other energy drink company, for instance who else is our rowdy partner in any event if not Red Bull?In the past few years, they have had campaigns featuring wing suits (Girls really look amazing in those!), Rube Goldberg machines, and in a sudden we feel like Tintin heroes! In addition, the company sponsors many athletes and teams participating in both traditional and extreme sports (full list of sponsorships) as well as events such as the Red Bull Air Race and the Red Bull Flugtag. They even have their own record label!

Seriously, tell me that you’re not convince that in this era where sleep is so fast -paced Red Bull isn’t our Buzz Factor?

HBO Real Sports – Red Bull Extreme Marketing

What is the connection between Tongxiang, China- based Zheijang Cobalt Co. and Mbuji-Mayi capital city of Kasai Oriental in Democratic Republic of Congo? Child labor. The brutal truth about modern slavery shows that 4 out of 10 children in the Mbuji- Mayi district are forced to crawl into the underground mines with their hands and knees to dig for the essential raw materials, “coltan” needed to make electronic gadgets.

This rare columbium tantalite black gold, that Tongxiang Cobalt Co. provides to Sony Corp. Nokia Oyi and Samsung Electronics Co, to make our fancy cell phones, laptops, iPods, wireless systems, DVD players… is as a result of the calloused little hands of children under the age of 10 dug into dangerous mines of more than 100 feet. While these freelancers discover mines of coltan and diamond  worth millions of dollars everyday, they earn 20 cents a day that they not only use to buy food but also take care of the younger siblings. Hence one wonders what the cost of technology? What is one ready to do in the name of business? Can one justify child labor as Zheijang Huayou’s Zhain responded while asked about the child labor accusation “I’ve never been to Congo, so I don’t know the mines.” Whether you ‘been to Congo or you are the Congolese government itself the reality is that you ignored Geneva- based International Labor Organization and as a result more than two million children have died in the mining companies for the last  ten years.

For many, personal interest comes before morality in business. However I believe that whoever pronounces this sentence, wouldn’t want to be at the place of the person suffering for his sleep. Therefore, its time, we learn to know the difference between what we have the right to do and what is right to do.