What Red Bull Can Teach You About Content Marketing

You’ve probably heard Red Bull’s slogan “Red Bull gives you wings” more than a few times. But that’s only a portion of what the popular energy drink company does to reach its target audience.

Red Bull’s action-oriented marketing strategy, and more, in today’s Lunchtime Links:

Connect by doing: Keeping in the spirit of its famous slogan, energy drink maker Red Bull has become nearly as famous for the many daredevil events and contests it sponsors as it is for the can that bears its name. From its Flugtag contest, in which contestants are challenged to build their own aircrafts, to its sponsorship of high-flying athletes, to last year’s Stratos space jump, in which skydiver Felix Baumgartner became the first man to break the speed of sound in a freefall parachute jump, the company has always had a flair for expressing its values through extreme action. “Instead of ‘telling’ its story using advertising, Red Bull conveys its story through the creation of compelling experiences, all carefully crafted to ‘give you wings,’” writes businessman Ty Montague for Medium  (opens in a new tab). “Because of this, Red Bull has become a packaged-goods company that is also a content creation company that is also an events company that is also an adventure sports lifestyle company.” What does your association do  to connect with members beyond its tagline?

Browser based: The internet is a vast and wondrous place. But given everything that’s out there, it can sometimes be hard to find the information that matters most. Enter Lumi, a new web discovery tool from the founders of music site Last.fm  (opens in a new tab) that recommends online content based on your browser history. “The feed of individual suggestions of relevant and popular web pages automatically adapts to what the user browses,” explains Emma Hutchings for creative business site PSFK. “There is no need to select categories, tick boxes, or subscribe to feeds, just keep on browsing.” Want more options? AN writer Ernie Smith recently reported on a similar tool called Prismatic. What tools do you use to discover new content?

Don’t be afraid of IT: Just because you’re not as fluent in technology as your IT manager doesn’t mean you can afford to ignore its presence in your organization. Writing for the Nonprofit Technology Blog, Lisa Rau
, CEO and cofounder of Confluence, suggests several ways nonprofit leaders should approach technology  (opens in a new tab). For starters, understand the scope of your association’s technology environment, have a trustworthy relationship with a dedicated technology expert, and protect your association from cybertheft. “You don’t have to be a technology person to manage technology,” Rau asserts. “You have to believe it is important—as nothing gets done until and unless you prioritize it. Then apply the same excellent leadership skills you bring to your job to technology.”

What are you reading today? Share your links in the comments.

(Martin Pettitt/Flickr)