Even studying here in Spain, the Super Bowl is a big enough part of American culture, that me and five other students studying here in Spain still gathered at my friend’s apartment to screen it online. As the team takes a time-out, the game goes to commercials. Although I always pay attention to commercials (we all are), this year I noticed myself analyzing them more than usual – most likely due to all that I have learned about advertising and marketing due to this class. One commercial that especially stood out to me this year was the Budweiser’s. 

            Budweiser is a very popular American beer, first introduced in 1876 (http://www.budweiser.com/en/our-beers/budweiser.html). This year, their Super Bowl commercial, entitled “Born the Hard Way” centered around their history. The commercial opens with a foreigner in Europe. This man has left Germany because he wants to be in America, and upon arriving there, he is immediately and unfortunately placed with some opposition. People are yelling at him to go back to his country, for he is not wanted in America. He preserves and makes it to St. Louis, where he presents his idea (Budweiser Beer) to a business man. The tagline then reads "When nothing stops your dream. This is the beer we drink". Presumably, this commercial is telling the tale of how Budweiser, perhaps the most American beer there is, came to be - and that it came from an immigrant. 
When I first saw this commercial during the Super Bowl, I was shocked but also moved. I was immediately sure that this is the most political that this company has ever gotten, and was proud of how bold it was of them to take a stance during the Super Bowl. Clearly this ad is reflective of our new president, Donald Trump and his  position on immigration, a position that it appears much of the country stands behind. Budweiser is reminding all of America (for all of America is watching) that this nation was built on immigrants. We need immigrants. They have shaped America. 

          Marketing-wise, it was a risky move for the company to talk politics like this during a football game. And as the nation is divided over immigration, this was a risky topic to take a stance on at all. Although some people were angered by it, this was a smart marketing move for this company because it really enriched brand loyalty. If you are an immigrant, or the child or grandchild of immigrants, you can relate to this ad.  You feel like Budweiser is looking out for you. They are appealing psychologically and biologically. The company also covered their tracks by marketing this commercial as "Pro-America" and about the American Dream, rather than anti-Trump (it just happened to be glaring the opposite of his Immigrant Ban). I personally have never liked them more. 
          

Sources: fortune.com/2017/02/06/super-bowl-111-million-viewers/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtBZvl7dIu4

            Before this class, drinking Red Bull was somewhat natural for me as a way to get more energy. Now, I see the Red Bull fridge in my neighborhood grocery store every day and think deeper into it. I see the strategies. There are two Red Bull fridges, one beside each cash register. I know now that that plays into the 4 P’s of Marketing, specifically Placement. They are positioned right beside each cash register for maximum convenience, in hopes that you impulsively add one to your cart as you check out. As we learned about the first week of class, Red Bull has identified a need in the market and by positioning their product so closely to the check out, is capitalizing on this. 

            Perhaps the marketing strategy that Red Bull most heavily focuses on is branding. We learned in class about how important the brand’s image is to attracting the target market, and Red Bull seems to focus the majority of their advertising efforts on this. Red Bull strives to be seen as daring, adventurous, cool. They maintain this image by sponsoring daredevil-type events, mainly extreme sports, like skydiving. Consumers then naturally begin associating Red Bull with these events and start to subconsciously see Red Bull differently. For example, back home Red Bull recently held the “Red Bull All-Snow”, a competition in Vermont in the beginning of March. At the Red Bull All-Snow, anyone can register to compete in an old-school snowboarding competition on a course that Red Bull has made. Red Bull runs the contest; their logo is spray painted across the snow. This is their marketing, and yet the people are coming to them. Consumers are paying to enter this competition to be a part of this extreme Red Bull lifestyle.

              In conclusion, it is easy to say that my thoughts surrounding one of my favorite go-to beverages has really changed this semester. They have really researched consumer behavior and adapted their marketing strategies around it. I know that I personally will impulsively decide to grab a Red Bull as I am waiting in line next to the register. This class has opened my eyes to how complex Red Bull and their marketing strategy truly is.

Sources:
http://energydrink-es.redbull.com
https://www.redbull.com/us-en/events/red-bull-all-snow-freestyle-snowboarding-competition
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