2007: Red Bull Media House opens and changes content marketing
To celebrate the Ad Club of New York's 120th anniversary, The Drum is inviting readers to share their favorite marketing moments from the past 120 years.
Today’s marketing moment was chosen by Kirk Drummond, co-founder and CEO at Austin-based Drumroll. Below, he reflects on a brand as media and how content marketing became more mainstream in the industry with the launch of Red Bull Media House.
The 2007 launch of Red Bull Media House proved to be a brilliant foreshadowing of the role content marketing would play in the creation of dominant, expansive, and loved consumer brands. It also marked the first time a brand truly transcended from being an advertiser (tangential to the feature story) to becoming the feature story itself.
Red Bull’s approach to content development has resulted in becoming a reference point for how to put your brand’s interests in the back seat and focus on creating a meaningful, emotional connection with your audience by sharing and celebrating what your brand stands for – in this case, it’s a high octane lifestyle – and when you do so honestly and effectively, you become a magnet for those that believe in the same which ultimately benefits your brand and bottom line in a way advertising never will.
In just nine years, RBMH has produced over 89 films of varying length, launched numerous print publications, TV channels, web experiences and even has a record label. That’s a remarkable accomplishment and can serve as an inspiration for brands in their own content development no matter how small.
One of my favorites is The Art of Flight. It's cinematically stunning and signaled another notch up in the level of the work coming out of RBMH.
See the full 120 Marketing Moments in the dedicated online section and find out how to purchase the exclusive book.