Challenge: Plan-it worked with Red Bull, the number one player in the energy drink category, on numerous projects over time, to insure the brand retained its leadership status as major soda manufacturers entered the category and put increasing pressure on the brand.

Objective: To help Red Bull profile current and potential college users to understand the depth of their loyalty and insure long-term interest. Specifically, Plan-it sought to better understand the college target’s attitudes toward Red Bull, their usage of the brand, and key drivers and barriers to drinking the brand in the future.

Solution: Variety of in-depth Qualitative Exploratory work and Quantitative Market Profiling have been conducted to:
• Provide input for communications
• Develop retention/loyalty strategies to retain college drinkers, particularly as they leave the “college life” to join the work force
• Work with Red Bull’s “brand ambassadors” on campus initiatives
• Evaluate viability for expansion among potential new audiences (e.g. athletes and coaches)
• Understand how to drive trial of the brand among the high school audience

Result: Insights have been used to drive product, communications and promotional strategies among college and high school students. Today, Red Bull remains the number one brand in the category.