Monthly Archives: October 2011

The (Red) Bull Market

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While most consumer companies spend millions of dollars on TV and bus stop advertisements that have little effect in enticing customers, Red Bull, the Austrian energy drink pioneer, is taking a completely different approach. Dietrich Mateschitz’s enterprise benefitted from having the first mover advantage; this doesn’t, however, guarantee long term success. Red Bull essentially manufactures two products – the classic recipe and a sugar-free variant. How did they sell $320 million of their product in 2010? Grassroots marketing. By tapping into the collective efforts of brand enthusiasts, Red Bull has created a strong brand image and loyalty for a relatively low cost.

Rather than promoting their drinks, Red Bull aims to sell a lifestyle, an attitude and a sense of a somewhat irreverent community. As Marc Gobé, the CEO of a New York-based branding firm, points out, “the beauty of Red Bull is that it’s the antibrand brand.” Red Bull’s other tactic is the sponsorship of extreme and motor sports, and music festivals. Furthermore, their web site’s home page contains no mention of the drink whatsoever.

Check out the video on one of their many endeavours:

The Art of Flight w/ Travis Rice

 

11 Electric Cars in Iceland?

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Iceland: the country with more geothermal energy than it knows what to do with. Drilling 2000m below ground allows access to steam produced by the island’s 130 volcanoes, providing an infinite supply of free, green electricity. With the emergence of electric vehicles, one might expect the nation to have jumped on the bandwagon. Not so – according to a Reykjavik newspaper, there are exactly eleven eV cars in all of Iceland.

When I first read this I was shocked and somewhat infuriated: at this point in time, how can such waste be justified? Unfortunately, it turns out that Iceland may not be the best place for the vehicles of the future. Much of the country’s roads are unpaved, being better suited to thirsty SUVs. Furthermore, cold temperatures would have a devastating impact on the vehicles’ battery life, drastically reducing range; also, most of the cell’s energy would be expended in maintaining cabin temperature.

Looking to the future, Iceland’s scientists are currently testing CarbFix, a process that separates CO2 from volcanic steam and pumps it back underground to form limestone. While unrelated to the issue of electric vehicles, if successful the experiment could be a viable method of sequestering carbon, a vital part of the fight against climate change.

To read more, see The Globe & Mail and Inhabitat on CarbFix.