Jakob Rosenfeldt Hansen Bachelor Thesis 2013 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803!!

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2 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 Summary The development within social media is changing the way people are consuming media. As a result, corporations can no longer rely on traditional media to connect and engage with a target audience. Consequently, it is essential for corporations to embrace new ways for ensuring customer engagement. In light of the above, the purpose of this thesis is to investigate social media s ability to facilitate engagement among a target audience, in an integrated marketing context. Through a case study of Red Bull Stratos the aspects affecting the level of engagement on the social media platforms are analysed. For thoroughly examining this subject a theoretical framework is established. The framework enables the thesis to study the online behaviour of Red Bull s target audience and answer whether the content presented on the platforms is adequate for generating engagement. Finally, it is discussed if the findings from the case study are applicable for other businesses and industries. The methodology is of the thesis is based on a top down approach. First, the theoretical framework is established in order to create the foundation for answering the problem statement. Next, the theories are applied for the analysis of the case study. Methodological hermeneutics has been chosen as the scientific method for the thesis. This implies the approach for answering the problem statement is qualitative. Through interpretation of artefacts and an understanding of the intentions behind the campaign, it is analysed how engagement is generated among Red Bull s target audience. To complement the findings from the analysis the thesis applies empirical data collected through an interview. The thesis reveals that, through a coherent and consistent strategy, Red Bull was successful in utilizing the opportunities offered by social media and related concepts. The outcome was a high level of engagement generated among the target audience at the peak of the campaign. The content uploaded to the social networking sites played an important role in the creation of this engagement. The content earned the attention of the target audience due to its relevance, timing and emotional appeal. Moreover, due to the accomplishment of Red Bull Stratos, the thesis argues that other businesses 1of52

3 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 and industries can benefit of embracing a similar approach by including elements of Red Bull Stratos in their own strategies. The research conducted for the thesis is limited to the field of social media and customer engagement. Therefore, it is suggested that future research takes a wider perspective and conduct an analysis of the Stratos project s implications on the Red Bull brand. (Number of characters excl. spaces 2,260) Keywords: Social media, groundswell, content marketing, customer engagement, web 2.0, integrated marketing communication, word-of-mouth, converged media. (Total number of characters excl. blanks 54,803) 2of52

4 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 Table of Contents 1 Introduction Problem Statement Delimitation Scientific Method Theoretical Framework Methodology and Structure The Theoretical Foundation of The Thesis Social Media in the Context of Integrated Marketing Communication Web Social Media Sites Facebook Twitter YouTube The Process Of Engagement The Groundswell Content Marketing as Part of a Converged Media Landscape Part Conclusion Empirical Data Introduction to Red Bull and The Stratos Mission Analysis of Red Bull Stratos The Integrated Marketing Perspective of Red Bull Stratos Creation of Engagement Part Conclusion Discussion Conclusion Suggestions For Further Research Bibliography Appendix Appendix Appendix of52

5 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 1 Introduction The biggest risk is not taking any risk In a world that changing really quickly - Mark Zuckerberg (Tech crunch: 2011) In today s diverse society marketers are faced with many challenges when working with social media as part of an integrated marketing campaign. The problem is how to grasp it, social media is based on user-generated content and it is, therefore, difficult for corporations to control if their messages reach their target audiences as intended (Mangold & Faulds 2009). According to Li and Bernoff (2011) a groundswell exist among the users of social media and similar online technologies. Li and Bernoff (2011) define the groundswell as a social trend in which people use online technologies to get information and content from each other, rather, than from corporations and organisations through traditional media. Consequently, for corporations to get exposure on social networking sites, they need to create content that users want to share and discuss with each other. How such stimuli are created is very much up to the individual company. This thesis will analyse Red Bull s efforts to reach its target audience during the Stratos project. Red Bull established the Stratos project in 2005 with the goal of making a recordbreaking freefall jump from 39 kilometres and reach supersonic speed. The goal was accomplished October 14, 2012 when Felix Baumgartner completed the jump (Red Bull Stratos 2013). Besides successfully breaking three world records, social media was in wide extent used to promote the project (Red Bull Media House, 2013). Therefore, this thesis analyses Red Bull s ability to create engagement among its target audience, along with Red Bull s ability to influence the conversations taking place on the social media platforms. Finally, with the knowledge about social media, the groundswell and along with the results of the case study (i.e. the Stratos project), this thesis takes a broader look at the 4of52

6 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 applicability of Red Bull s approach. It is discussed if other business and industries can learn from the experiences gained through Red Bull Stratos. 1.1 Problem Statement In order to get a thoroughly understanding of the concerns presented in the introduction above, this thesis main focus areas is within the field of social media and integrated marketing communication. Using an extensive theoretical framework, this thesis is interested in analysing Red Bull s way of using social media throughout the Stratos project and its ability to make use of the opportunities provided by the groundswell. Moreover, this thesis reflects over the findings of the case study, in order to see if other corporations can learn from Red Bull s approach. Based on what have just been said, the problem statement for this thesis is as follows: Seen from an integrated marketing perspective, the objective of this thesis is to examine Red Bull s use of social media during the Stratos Project and study whether engagement among the target audience was achieved. Additionally, this thesis looks into the consequences of the Stratos project in order to see if Red Bull s approach can be applied in other contexts. In order to answer the problem statement and give an in-depth insight to the world of social media, the following research questions have been proposed: From a theoretical perspective, what characterises the strategies, technologies and tools within the field of social media? By analysing the content presented on the social media platforms and compare it to the traffic generated, how was the content able to establish engagement among the target audience? To which extent is Red Bull s approach suitable for other businesses and industries? 1.2 Delimitation The Stratos project was created as an integrated marketing campaign, however, due to limited space and the extensive scope of integrated marketing communication, this thesis will merely focus on the field of social media. Hence, emphasis will be on 5of52

7 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 theories, models and concepts within the field of social media. However, it is realised that social media was part of a bigger picture during the Stratos project. Therefore, the existence of other channels and media are taken into consideration, although not analysed in-depth. This will give a holistic account of the problem statement, within the space permitted for this thesis. Finally, this thesis focuses on getting an understanding of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Hence, the thesis excludes social networking sites as Instragram, Pinterest and Google+. The reason for this should be seen as a combination of the limited space offered and Facebook, Twitter and YouTube s significance for Red Bull Stratos. 1.3 Scientific Method This section explains the scientific tradition that serves as the foundation for this thesis. The scientific tradition will act as an overall framework throughout the thesis in order to create coherence between theory, research and empirical data. As already mentioned in the problem statement, the aim of this thesis is to understand how Red Bull was able to generate engagement among its target audience through the use of social media. This is primarily examined through interpretation of theory, research and artefacts related to the Stratos project and the field of social media. Based on the above-mentioned, the scientific tradition found most suitable for this thesis is Schleiermacher s methodological hermeneutics. This approach belongs to the field of human studies and strives to understand expressions of life through scientific interpretation (Palmer 1969). Schleiermacher s approach can be summarised as the art of understanding (Palmer 1969: 92). Methodological hermeneutics believes that a text has one true meaning and that this meaning is facilitated through an intended message by the author. In order to get to the true meaning of a text, methodological hermeneutics aim at understanding the intensions, emotions and thoughts of the author (Sherratt 2005). To achieve this, Schleiermacher suggests that the researcher must imagine him or herself as the author (Sherratt 2005). As a result, this thesis regards Red Bull as the author of the Stratos project and strives to understand the intentions and meanings communicated via 6of52

8 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 social media, from Red Bull s point of view. This way of identifying and empathising with the author is categorised as the psychological dimension of methodological hermeneutics (Sherratt 2005). Additionally, this dimension also includes analysing the cultural context of the author; this means considering the context Red Bull is working in and in particularly the overall context of the marketing activities conducted throughout the Stratos project. However, when conducting research based on methodological hermeneutics one must also take a grammatical dimension into consideration. The grammatical dimension is concerned about genre, historical context and grammar (Sherratt 2005). Genre and historical context will be considered throughout the thesis. This thesis sees social media as the main genre and takes earlier campaigns into consideration. Previously work is recognized as a creator for the image Red Bull has today, though not analysed due to the scope of the thesis. Grammar studies photos, text and videos and their roles in the creation of engagement among Red Bull s target audience. The grammatical dimension and psychological dimension works together through the hermeneutic circle. The hermeneutic circle merges the two dimensions together and creates a holistic way for understanding (Palmer 1969). The hermeneutic circle states that only through understanding of the parts and the whole is it possible to understand the intended meaning. The parts and the whole are interrelated and provide meaning to each other through interpretation (Palmer 1969). Hence, only by understanding the parts is it possible to understand the whole and vice versa. This is achieved by comparing something new with something you already know (Palmer 1969). Therefore, it is important with background information about social media and integrated marketing communication before conducting the analysis of the Stratos project. Consequently, for analysing the Stratos project, this thesis consider the different social media platforms and their content as parts and compare them to the overall marketing strategy for Red Bull Stratos and the overall level of engagement generated. 7of52

9 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55, Theoretical Framework This section merely highlights the main theories used throughout the thesis. Each theory is presented and the main characteristics described in brief. The theoretical framework is as follows: Significant focus will be on theories and concepts presented by Li and Bernoff (2011) in their book Groundswell - winning in a world transformed by social technologies. The book highlights strategies for communicating with a target audience through social media and technologies, seen from the corporation s point of view. Pickton and Broderick (2005) present in Integrated Marketing Communication a holistic approach for analysing marketing communication and propose strategies and concepts for creating synergy and consistency through an integrated marketing campaign. To understand how engagement is generated Sashi s (2012) customer engagement cycle is applied. Through seven steps it highlights what must be considered when aiming at generating engagement within a target audience. Lieb s (2012) theories on content marketing are used to describe how owned channels can be used to publish content produced by corporations. Additionally, Lieb and Owyang s (2012) view on converged media is described in order to understand the contemporary media landscape. To support this theoretical framework news articles, scientific journals and other relevant sources are included when appropriate. 1.5 Methodology and Structure With the theoretical framework and scientific tradition in mind, this section outlines the methodology utilized to comprehensively answer the problem statement. This thesis is based on a top down approach, which implies that the thesis starts by defining the theories and afterwards apply them to the analysis of the case study. As a result, this thesis has a two-sided approach for answering the problem statement. 8of52

10 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 Firstly, for a fully understanding of the intentions behind the Stratos project, it is essential to establish a theoretical foundation. Thus, with the hermeneutic circle in mind, chapter two is dedicated to establish sufficient theoretical background information, for analysing the case study and answering the problem statement. Secondly, chapter three presents the methodology of the empirical data gathered through an interview with social media expert Mikael Lemberg (appendix three). Chapter four introduces the reader to Red Bull and in particularly to the Stratos project. Subsequently, chapter five deals with the actual analysis of Red Bull Stratos. As the thesis is based on methodological hermeneutics, the analysis is characterised by having a qualitative approach. For examining the engagement within the target audience this thesis studies, photos, videos and updates and compare them to the number of likes, retweets, comments and shares they generated. By looking at what specific content that generated a high level of activity and engagement, it is possible to understand the trigger that engaged the target audience. Chapter six reflects upon the findings from chapter five and discusses if Red Bull s approach is suitable for other corporations. This is obtained by looking at the results in a broader perspective and by applying the knowledge gained through the empirical data. Finally, a conclusion will sum up the findings and the consequences of the Stratos project together with suggestions for further research. 2 The Theoretical Foundation of The Thesis This chapter gives an elaborated account of the theory needed to comprehensively answer the first research question. Furthermore, it creates the foundation for answering the overall problem statement of the thesis. Thus, this chapter strives to understand the characteristics of social media and how social media can be used to generate engagement among a target audience. However, as previously mentioned this thesis realises that social media was part of an integrated marketing campaign executed for the Stratos project. To understand social 9of52

11 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 media in this context, chapter 2.1 starts by defining the concept of integrated marketing communication. 2.1 Social Media in the Context of Integrated Marketing Communication Pickton and Broderick (2005: 25) define integrated marketing communication as the [ ] concept under which a company carefully integrates and coordinates its many communications channels to deliver a clear, consistent and compelling message about the organisation and its products. According to Pickton and Broderick (2005) integrated marketing communication offers several advantages. First and foremost it creates synergy. By brining together all aspects of a campaign and consider how the channels can support each other in getting the message across, the whole becomes more than the sum of its parts, i.e. 2+2=5 (Pickton and Broderick 2005). To achieve synergy it is important that the channels are coherent and that the message is consistent throughout all activities. Integrated marketing communication mainly focuses on how to get the intended message across with the use of the traditional IMC mix model (appendix one), consisting of advertising, public relations, personal selling and sales promotion (Pickton and Broderick 2005). However, Pickton and Broderick s (2005) IMC mix model does not take social media into consideration and is, therefore, not adequate for comprehensively answering the problem statement. Hence, Mangold and Faulds (2009) view on social media as a hybrid element of the IMC mix model is added. This will give a better understanding of Red Bull s use of social media in an integrated marketing context. The rise of social media has created a platform that combines all the aspects from the traditional IMC mix model. Through social media corporations can talk to their customers with global reach and vice versa. Social media is also a hybrid when looking at the multimedia opportunities it offers. It is possible to use social media to distribute videos, sound, text and photos. As a result, corporations can no longer dictate the frequency, reach and coordination of a campaign (Mangold and Faulds 2009). This aspect is further discussed in chapter 2.5. By considering social media as a hybrid of the IMC mix model and use it in collaboration with traditional channels and media, it is possible for corporations to create a coherent and holistic campaign. 10of52

12 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55, Web 2.0 The technological foundation of social media websites, such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter is web 2.0. Hence, this section is dedicated to create an understanding of how the emergence of web 2.0 has made it possible for corporations, like Red Bull, to communicate with customers in new ways. Web 2.0 has allowed the development of interactive interfaces, collaboration between users and user-generated content, which all are vital aspects for the existence of social media (Tapscott 2006). The development of such software was termed web 2.0 by O Reilly in 2006, he defines it as [ ] the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as platform [ ] (qtd. in McAfee 2009: 3) Web 2.0 is characterised by offering platforms that enable communication and interaction among the users. Many of the online platforms based on web 2.0 today are free of charge and rely on content generated by the users (Tapscott 2006). Some of the most recognized platforms today are Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram and several blog sites (Smith 2013). With the technological foundation of social media now established chapter 2.3 gives an account of the characteristics of the three social media sites analysed in this thesis. 2.3 Social Media Sites This chapter describes social media and gives an account of the characteristics of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. This is done in order to create the foundation for analysing Red Bull s activities on the different platforms during the Stratos project. Each platform is unique and offers different opportunities. Consequently, it is important to understand how each platform communicates to a target audience and how interaction among users takes place. In general social media is characterised by being build upon user-generated content, interaction between users and by combining several media, such as video, photo, sound and text. Kaplan and Haenlein (2010: 61) define it as [ ] a group of Internetbased applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content. The 11of52

13 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 following paragraphs give an in-depth account of the three social networking sites analysed in this thesis Facebook Founded in 2004 Facebook is, at the time of writing, the largest social networking site, with 1,06 billion registered users and 618 million daily active users (Facebook 2013 and Smith 2013). Facebook is the second most visited website on the Internet only exceeded by Google (Alexa 2013). Facebook s mission is to to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected (Facebook 2013). The way Facebook strives to do this is through tools as photo/video sharing, instant messaging, comments, status updates, games, contests, check-ins (i.e. through mobile devices share your location with your friends), photo tagging and likes (allow users to indicate what content, celebrities and brands they like by giving a thumbs up). These tools are available for all private users and corporations with a Facebook account. However, corporations must create a Facebook page. A Facebook page allows corporations to create a corporate site that users can like and then stay connected. Furthermore, a Facebook page also enables the creation of targeted advertising, which allows corporations to reach a specific target audience. Corporations pay to get their ads shown in the right-hand side of the screen or in the users news feed as a sponsored story (Facebook 2013). The higher an amount of money spend, the higher a number of people do the ads reach. Facebook s revenue is mainly gained from these ads (Rich 2011) Twitter Established in 2006 Twitter is the second largest social website with its 517 million registered users (Creotivo 2013). Twitter allows its users to make updates named Tweets no longer than 140 characters with the possibility of embedding photos and videos (Twitter 2013). The Tweets create the content of Twitter and generate a realtime information network (O Connor 2012). Users connect with each other and are presented with a news feed that includes the Tweets for all of the users they are connected with. They way users interact is by comments, by forwarding updates (retweets), hashtags (#) and the at sign (@). Hashtags and at signs allow users to tag persons, events or products in an update. For corporations Twitter creates real time connection with customers and the possibility for feedback. Moreover, corporations 12of52

14 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 can create promoted Tweets and accounts in order to reach a higher number of users (Twitter 2013) YouTube Kaplan and Haenlein (2009) define YouTube as a content community because the main purpose of the site is creation and sharing of videos. YouTube has more than one billion unique visits each month, however, not all visitors are registered users, as videos can be watched without having an account (YouTube 2013). However, it is not possible to upload videos or comment on videos without having an account. For corporations an account makes it possible to share videos and allow users to like, rate and comment on the videos Moreover, users can also subscribe to the corporations YouTube channel and will be notified every time a new video is uploaded. In hours of video was uploaded every minute to YouTube (YouTube 2013). YouTube has contributed to a change in the way people consume TV (O Connor 2012). For instance, it is now possible to follow politicians under an election, see the newest music videos and watch videos made by people and corporations from all over the world, which use YouTube to become a global broadcaster. Occasionally, through partnerships, YouTube live streams events in order to generate traffic to the site. Finally, YouTube also generates its revenue through advertisements placed on the site (Rich 2011). This chapter has explained the fundamentals characteristics of three of the most prominent social networking sites that exist today. Chapter 2.4 will describe the steps users go through before becoming engaged on social media platforms. 2.4 The Process Of Engagement For a thoroughly analysis of the engagement among Red Bull s target audience during the Stratos project it is significant to fully understand how engagement is created. Thus, this chapter defines the process of generating engagement. Forrester Consulting (2008: 3) defines engagement as creating deep connections with customers that drive purchase decisions, interaction, and participation over time. Through the customer engagement cycle Sashi (2012) explains how engagement is generated in a social media context. Figure one shows the customer engagement cycle, which explains the process of generating engagement through seven stages: Connection, interaction, 13of52

15 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 satisfaction, retention, commitment, advocacy, and engagement (Sashi 2012). In order to create the foundation for engagement it is a prerequisite that corporations connect with their customers. After having connected with the customers, corporations can start interacting. Corporations can use the interaction for value creation by stepping into a dialogue with the customers or gain market insights about customers needs and wants. Corporations should play an active role in creating the interaction by using the tools offered by social media. Customers will only move towards connection and engagement if corporations succeed in satisfying them through interaction. However, satisfaction per se is not sufficient for creating Figure12TheCustomerEngagementCycle Source:(Sashi2012:261. engagement. Thus, the next step in the cycle is retention. In order to retain customers it is important with satisfaction over time. According to Sashi (2012) satisfaction has a positive effect on retention and creates long-term relationships. Commitment is created through two dimensions, affective commitment and calculative commitment. Affective commitment is emotional and is achieved by establishing trust and mutual respect between customers and corporations (Sashi 2012). Calculative commitment is rational and is the result of lack of choices or high switching costs. Combined, or separately, affective commitment and calculative commitment results in customer retention, delighted customers and a high level of loyalty. Advocacy is achieved when customers create emotional bond to the corporation. Hence, customers that are affectively committed are most likely to become advocates. Committed customers share their positive experiences about corporations, offline and online, through word-of-mouth. Commitment, trust, delight and customer loyalty is the foundation for engagement. Hence, customer engagement only occurs when there is a strong bond between a corporation and its customers. Engaged customers are spokespersons for corporations and are fans that remain loyal 14of52

16 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 through ups and downs (Sashi 2012). Engaged customers are valuable to corporations, as they spread goodwill through interaction with other people and will be customers for a long time. To keep customers engaged is an iterative process. Customers will not keep their level of engagement, thus, corporations must continuously work their way through the steps in the cycle in order to retain and generate engagement. 2.5 The Groundswell As recognized above, engagement cannot be created without communication and interaction with the target audience. Therefore, in order to understand Red Bull s approach for generating engagement, it is essential to know how they communicated and interacted with their target audience. Additionally, it is also important to be familiar with the characteristics of the target audience. Thus, through theories and models related to the concept of the groundswell, this chapter provides strategies for how to analyse a target audience s online behaviour and how social media can be used as an initiator for engagement. The term groundswell has already been defined in the introduction. However, to elaborate: The groundswell occurs due to the emergence of web 2.0 technologies, which have allowed people to stay connected through online services. This has resulted in new ways for people to get the information and news they need. Instead of turning to corporations when information is needed, people connect through online services and use each other as sources of information. As a consequence, people rely on content from online platforms to provide them with information instead of information from corporations and organisations through traditional media (Li and Bernoff 2011). Hence, online presence is important for corporations in order to get an opportunity to affect the conversations and content distributed by online users. This paragraph looks at how corporations can analyse their groundswell by using the social technographics ladder. It categories users based on their online behaviour. The social technographics ladder enables this thesis to see whether the content uploaded by Red Bull applies to the users characteristics and preferences. The ladder classifies users into seven categories, with the most active of the groundswell at the top of the ladder and the most inactive persons at the bottom of the ladder (Li and Bernoff 2011). Figure two shows the ladder and the seven categories. Creators are at the top 15of52

17 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 of the ladder and are people that at least once a month publish an article online, upload a post on a blog, maintain a website or upload videos/audio to sites like YouTube and Facebook (Li and Bernoff 2011). Conversationalists make weekly status updates on Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites and take part in the dialogues that occur in relation to status updates. Critics do not create any content themselves, however, they react to content posted by others, e.g., by liking status updates, comment on blogs and forums or take part in editing wikis (e.g. Wikipedia). As it is easier to react than create, it is often seen that there are more critics than conversationalists within a target audience. Collectors save and collect content through online bookmarking services. People categorised, as collectors are also likely to vote on websites and use RSS feeds 1. Joiners maintain a profile on a social networking site but without contributing with any content. Spectators consume what the rest of the groundswell produces. Spectators do not necessarily have an account to a social networking site. However, they consume what is accessible to them. They watch videos, read blogs, and updates on sites where no account is required (Li and Bernoff 2011). Finally, inactives are persons who not participate in online activities and are untouched by social technologies (Li and Bernoff 2011). Figure22The TechnographicsLadder Source:(LiandBernoff2011: 43. Next paragraph outlines the five primary strategies used for tapping the groundswell. The five strategies are: Listening, talking, energizing, supporting and embracing. The five strategies are presented in order to create foundation for analysing the approach taken by Red Bull and to assess if the strategy facilitated engagement. Listening refers to using the groundswell as a market research tool. Corporations monitor blogs, social media sites and other relevant sites in order gain insight about 1 RSS is a system that collects all new content from websites users subscribe to. The system generates a feed and makes all content available on one site, typically through a RSS reader (Li and Bernoff 2011). 16of52

18 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 what their consumers are saying about them online. Furthermore, Corporations can also set up their own community for consumers to join in order to gain market insights (Li and Bernoff 2011). Talking refers to using the technologies available within the groundswell, as a facilitator for getting the message across to the target audience. Today people are exposed to more than 3,000 brand impressions every day, hence, messages may get lost in the noise (Lieb and Owyang 2012). Consequently, it is important for corporations to find other ways to connect with their target audiences. This can, for instance, be achieved by creating a presence on social networking sites, create blogs, writing updates, take part in the conversations on the platforms and post viral content that people want to share (Li and Bernoff 2011). By talking to the groundswell it makes people aware of your existence and encourages to interaction and sharing of content. By posting content that people want to share corporations can use the groundswell to spread their messages. Furthermore, people trust messages from friends and family more than from corporations, thus the message is seen as trustworthy (Li and Bernoff 2011). This aspect is closely related to energizing, which is described in the next paragraph. Energizing of the groundswell deals with encouragement of word-of-mouth. Word-ofmouth is the sharing of information through interpersonal communication (Kotler et al. 2009) According to Gelb and Johnson (1995) word-of-mouth is the phenomenon taking place when friends, peers or family are used as a source of information and the receiver perceives the communicator as non-commercial. Energizing is achieved by connecting with the most committed customers and utilize them to create awareness about your corporation. Committed customers can be encouraged to create content about a brand, e.g., through updates, photos or videos about a corporation s products. This content will spread throughout the groundswell and create numerous of impressions. This is not an easy job, however, if you have a strong brand with passionate customers, they will inevitably create content about your brand and recommend it to others. If not, it is necessary to encourage customers in other ways, e.g., through brand ambassadors and opinion leaders. 17of52

19 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 Supporting the groundswell uses tools provided by web 2.0 for creating a framework wherein the persons inside the groundswell can support each other (Li and Bernoff 2011). This can, for instance, be achieved through forums where people can share their passion for a brand or get help to solve problems for a product. Supporting of the groundswell is relevant for corporations that currently use large resources on supporting their customers (Li and Bernoff 2011). Embracing the groundswell takes place when corporations include customers into their business. This is done by include customers in the product development and use their ideas for future products. Embracing the groundswell requires a strong and engaged groundswell. Therefore, it is only useful for corporations that have succeeded with the four other strategies explained above. One drawback of using the groundswell for marketing activities is the lack of control. Customers can speak freely about brands and corporations have little control over the information and content distributed about them online (Kaplan and Haenlein 2009). However, one method for corporations to gain some control over the content distributed is by creating their own content for the platforms. For corporations this means to use content marketing (Lieb 2012). Li and Bernoff (2010) do not propose sufficient theory about this aspect, hence, next chapter of this thesis is dedicated to explain how the uses of content marketing can help corporations in their online presence. 2.6 Content Marketing as Part of a Converged Media Landscape This chapter describes the term content marketing and how it contributes to a converged media landscape. Content marketing deals with the actual content (e.g. photos, videos and text) people see on the online platforms. The theories presented in this chapter enable this thesis to analyse the content created by Red Bull, in order to see its contribution to the engagement obtained. Content marketing focuses on enabling corporations to create their own content and publish it on owned media channels they control (Lieb and Owyang 2012). Owned media include blogs, social media and websites. Lieb (2012: 2) argues that Content 18of52

20 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 is the bait, it s what captures eyeballs, ears, attention and engagement. Hence, it is important to produce content that is relevant for the target audience. If successful, customers will come to you without the use of advertising and promotion. This means that customers are interested in your corporation and are receptive for what you have to say (Sashi 2012). This enhances the prospect for getting the message across, generating customer loyalty and engagement significantly. Content comes in many shapes, examples are: videos, text, games, photos, audio, e-magazines, infographics, newsletters and podcasts. Lieb (2012) argues that content should entertain, inform or educate in order to engage customers. Content entertains by using humour, storytelling, celebrities or emotions. Additionally, live streaming is another way to create attention and engagement during an event. Through live streaming people can be part of an event no matter where in the world they are (Lieb 2012). On the other hand, content that informs or educates is achieved through knowledge sharing, videos, online communities, websites, articles, research and statistics. The aim of content marketing is to create, awareness, trust and transparency (Lieb 2012). Moreover, owned media relate closely to paid media and earned media. Paid media include all advertising activities where media buy is necessary for achieving attention, e.g., ads on TV and all sorts of advertising space bought online like sponsored stories and ads (Lieb and Owyang 2012). In an online context, earned media include publicity gained due to content produced or distributed about a corporation by Figure32TheConvergenceofPaid,Owned&EarnedMedia Source:(LiebandOwyang2012:5. users through, e.g., status updates, Tweets, reviews, videos and photos (Lieb and Owyang 2012). The emergence of social media has contributed to the creation of a converged media landscape where owned, paid and earned media all work together. 19of52

21 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 Figure three shows this convergence (Lieb and Owyang 2012). For the analysis of Red Bull Stratos it is taken into consideration how earned, paid and owned media supported each other in reaching the target audience. 2.7 Part Conclusion To sum up, the theoretical foundation established in this chapter has created a framework for analysing the case study. Through theories and concepts related to integrated marketing communication, social media, customer engagement, the groundswell and content marketing this chapter has facilitated knowledge for a thoroughly analysis of Red Bull Stratos. Next chapter presents the methodology of the empirical data gathered for the thesis. 3 Empirical Data In order to get a profound insight of Red Bull s online strategy a qualitative interview has been conducted. The interview was capable of contributing with data and knowledge beyond what the sources of this thesis have provided. The interviewee was advertising director Mikael Lemberg from the advertising agency Komfo. With respect to the scientific method of the thesis, the interview was used as research tool for a greater understanding of Red Bull s intentions and strategy for generating engagement. As the interview has a qualitative approach, the questions were openended in order to encourage to conversation and elaboration. The data gathered from the interview are interpreted and applied in the analysis and discussion when appropriate. A transcription of the empirical data is presented in appendix 3. Next chapter introduces Red Bull and the Stratos project. 4 Introduction to Red Bull and The Stratos Mission Inspired by an energy drink developed in Thailand, Dietrich Mateschitz introduced Red Bull to the Austrian market in 1987 (Red Bull 2013). Today Red Bull is sold in more than 165 countries with a total of 5,226 billion cans sold every year (Red Bull 2013). Red Bull s main target audience are people with a zest for life, mainly males aged However, females are also considered to be part of the target group, though not the main target audience (The Red Bulletin 2013). Red Bull spends 30 to 40 per cent of its revenue on marketing activities. The marketing strategy is based on 20of52

22 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 sponsorships, guerrilla tactics, events and advertising campaigns (Bhasin 2012). Based on previously marketing activities Red Bull has gained an image closely linked to extreme sport. Its marketing activities ranges from airplane races in Rio, ownership of Formula 1 teams to personal sponsorships of athletes. The close link to extreme sport correlates well with Red Bull s slogan: Red Bull gives you wings (Red Bull 2013). The slogan also emphasizes the enhanced effect, which the Red Bull energy drink promises to have on your performance (Red Bull 2013). The Red Bull Stratos mission started in 2005 as a partnership between Red Bull and the Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner (Red Bull Stratos 2013). It was a space diving mission with the goal of transcending human limits (Red Bull Stratos 2013). To achieve this the aim was to ascend to 39 kilometres in a stratospheric balloon with a capsule attached to it, make a freefall towards earth and reach supersonic speed before parachuting back to the ground. Appendix two shows a graphic illustration of the original plan of the jump (note the initial plan was to ascend to 36 kilometres, however, the actual height was 39 kilometres). Moreover, the project was established in order to provide future research data for the aerospace and medical industries (Red Bull Stratos 2013). On October 14, 2012, after having been postponed two times due to bad weather conditions, Baumgartner succeeded in making the jump and broke three world records. Highest jump (39 kilometres), longest freefall (36 kilometres) and became the first person to break the speed of sound, without the assistance of an engine (Red Bull Stratos 2013). The core target audience for the Stratos project is similar to Red Bull s overall target audience. However, as the Stratos project gained much publicity, online and offline, the target audience for the Stratos project exceeds Red Bull s usual target audience. Thus, the extended target audience includes mentally and physically active people aged 30-50, with an appetite for life. Online platforms were in wide extent used to promote the event. Next chapter analyses Red Bull s ability to generate engagement among its target audience on the platforms. 5 Analysis of Red Bull Stratos Based on the theoretical framework established in chapter two, this chapter analyses Red Bull s use of social media. This will give answer to the question proposed in the 21of52

23 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 problem statement about whether engagement was generated during the Stratos project. With respect to the approach of methodological hermeneutics and the hermeneutic circle, Red Bull s intentions for the Stratos project are defined. This enables the thesis to understand the true meaning of the project and social media s role in the campaign. From a marketing perspective, the intention was to create a story that was able to capture the attention of millions of people and earn Red Bull the right to talk to its audiences. This created an opportunity for Red Bull go get its message across and solidifies its brand positioning. Hence, Red Bull aimed at emphasizing its link to extreme sport and its desire to continuously push the limits for what is considered possible. For capturing the attention of the target audience Red Bull used social media platforms as a facilitator for generating engagement and word-of-mouth. 5.1 The Integrated Marketing Perspective of Red Bull Stratos With the psychological dimension of methodological hermeneutics in mind, this section analyses the overall framework of the marketing activities conducted throughout the Stratos project. This is done to obtain an understanding of the context social media was working in. Thus, this chapter applies theories related to the concept of integrated marketing communication as presented in chapter 2.1. The Stratos project was not merely built upon social media, it was created as an integrated marketing campaign. Besides social media other communication channels were also included for reaching the target audience. TV and magazines were some of the other main channel used. Red Bull s own monthly magazine The Red Bulletin included feature stories about the jump in the six months leading up to event and in the issue following the jump (The Red Bulletin International 2012). This generated knowledge and interest before the event took place and contributed to increase the awareness. Furthermore, Red Bull Stratos gained massive exposure on TV during the day of the jump. The jump was broadcasted on more than 40 networks across 50 countries (Clancy 2012). The use of TV and magazines were used in close collaboration with the social media platforms, in order to reach people and get the intended message across. Consequently, social media worked in a context were TV and magazines complemented each other in order to attain synergy and consistency. 22of52

24 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 The use of TV and magazines were only part of the campaign; the Stratos project was mainly based on a strategy aimed at reaching and engaging the target audience through social media (Red Bull Media House 2013). Hence, next chapter analyses if Red Bull was successful in engaging its target audience through social media during the Stratos project. 5.2 Creation of Engagement With regards to the grammatical aspect of methodological hermeneutics this chapter conducts the actual analysis of the content presented by Red Bull on the social media platforms. Therefore, Lieb s (2012) theory on content marketing, the customer engagement cycle, Li and Bernoff s (2011) five strategies for tapping the groundswell and the social technographics ladder is now applied. Red Bull s approach for generating engagement was based upon communication with the aim of gaining the audience s attention. Hence, this thesis regards talking and energizing as the most prominent tactics used and are, therefore, analysed in the following sections. According to the customer engagement cycle, connection is a predecessor for generating engagement. Hence, first Red Bull has to start talking to its target audience. In order create awareness about the mission Red Bull initiated its communication through owned media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube) nine months prior to the jump (Red Bull Media House 2013). The content was created to inform and educate the target audience about the mission. At first sight it can be difficult to understand the concept of Red Bull Stratos. Therefore, Red Bull needed to explain the target audience what it was all about. This was done through posts revealing videos and photos of how the team prepared for the mission. It included footage of test jumps and interviews with Baumgartner and his Stratos team. This enabled people to get a closer relationship to Baumgartner. By learning about his childhood and background for doing the jump they got to know him as a person, and not just as another daredevil seeking attention. It created a connection between the 23of52

25 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 target audience and the project as a whole. Moreover, it created foundation for generating engagement. Some of the first content uploaded to all three platforms by Red Bull, was a video introducing the Stratos project. It gained 1,494,323 views on YouTube, which can be considered as a high number. However, in terms of engagement the video did not reach high numbers. It reached 93 likes, 14 comments and 34 shares on Facebook and got 86 retweets on Twitter (Red Bull 2013). Consequently, since there are a high number of views compared to the level of traffic generated, mostly spectators were affected by this video. Thus, creators, conversationalist and critics were not affected by the video in the same degree. This was very much the picture of the engagement among the target audience in the beginning of the Stratos project. Hence, in order to move to a higher level of engagement, Red Bull needed to move to the next step in the customer engagement cycle. The interaction between Red Bull and the target audience, however, was at a minimum. Besides uploading content to the platforms Red Bull did not step into a dialogue with the users online. Many users posted questions on the platforms about the mission, however, Red Bull did not reply. According to the customer engagement cycle interaction has to be created in order to satisfy customers (Sashi 2012). Hence, Red Bull missed an essential step in the process of generating engagement. By not participating in the dialogues no interaction was created. It can be assumed to be part of Red Bull s strategy. However, Red Bull impeded the creation of engagement and did not make use of the two-way communication processes offered by social media. It creates a distance between Red Bull and its target audience when replies are not reacted upon. This is not preferable when aiming at generating engagement. Among the target audience it may give the impression of Red Bull being uncaring about its customers and take them for granted. What Red Bull did instead, was to leave it up to the users to answer the questions. This relates closely to the concept of the groundswell, as the users get information from each other, rather, than from Red Bull. Hence, it can be argued that this was able to compensate for the lack of interaction between Red Bull and the users. As the project progressed Red Bull kept posting content till the day of jump and was despite all able to create satisfaction and retention. However, if Red Bull had focused on interaction earlier in the progress, it is reasonable to assume that the level of engagement would have been higher over a longer period. Nevertheless, as table one, two and three shows, Red Bull managed to generate a high level of traffic on the platforms, in particular in the days leading up to 24of52

26 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 the jump. Table one, two and three shows the increase in mentions, interactions, and subscribers, on the three platforms, respectively. From the interview with Lemberg (appendix three) it is realised that this was partly achieved through an Table1 MentionsonTwitter Source:(Socialbakers2012:8. Table22DailyInteractionsonFacebook Source:(Socialbakers(2012:(5. energizing the groundswell is now applied. impressive budget that sponsored allowed stories and ads to direct traffic to the sites. As it can be seen there is a profound increase in the days leading up the event, and especially at the day of the jump. This also indicates an increase in the level of the engagement and in the creation of earned media among the target audience. However, it does not answer how it was achieved. To answer this Li and Benroff (2011) theory on The concept in itself played an important role in energizing the audience. According to Kemp (2012) people have always been interested in space exploration and 25of52

27 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 adventures. Furthermore, people love to be impressed by daredevils and what they are capable of achieving. Hence, Red Bull talked to a basic human interest. Additionally, Table3 GrowthinSubscribersonYouTube Source:(Socialbakers(2012:(4. the Stratos project was relevant for the Red Bull Brand. It could be linked to Red Bull s brand and positioning everything Red represents. Jump and highlights that Bull The literally shows that Red Bull gives you wings and emphasizes Red Bull s link to extreme sport. Therefore, in order to engage the target audience it was necessary with content that was able to show this and establishes incentives for people to share the content throughout groundswell. Because Red Bull has its own media house, it was possible to produce all content inhouse and gain full control over the message of the content. Thus, through energizing of the target audience, Red Bull aimed at generating engagement and advocacy by controlling the content communicated to the audience. Red Bull energized its audience through content that was able to generate affective commitment. Content with an emotional aspect to it were uploaded to achieve this. Furthermore, by showing photos and videos from behind the scenes Red Bull was able to make the project transparent for the target audience and obtain trust. Red Bull Stratos reached 854,029 fans on Facebook and 205,158 followers on Twitter (Red Bull 2013). This was the result of an increase in awareness, online word-of-mouth and an emotional bond established between Red Bull and its target audience. As a result, people began to advocate for the mission. Hence, the content had also caught the attention of creators and conversationalist. On Twitter 3,2 million Tweets were generated with Red Bull s certified hashtags for the Stratos mission 26of52

28 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 (#Stratos and #Livejump). Through knowledge gained from the empirical data of this thesis, it is acknowledged that the number of persons who talked about Baumgartner and Red Bull on Facebook was considerably high, compared to the number of people who talked about all other popular subjects on Facebook at the time. According to table one the average daily mentions of Red Bull on Twitter was an average of 762,87 per day from September 16, 2012 to October 16, 2012 (Socialbakers 2013). For Facebook the number of average interactions (likes, comments and shares) was 37,542,03 (Socialbakers 2013). This is a high level of impressions and is evidence of engagement mainly among conversationalists. Many Creators are also found among the target audience. On YouTube users have created hundreds of videos with Baumgartner. By looking at the first 20 videos shown on YouTube, it can be seen that fans have created 14 of them. Red Bull used some of this content to promote the event. One user recorded a video of a song he had written, which Red Bull later on posted on Facebook and Twitter. The video got 27,797 views, 3,207 likes, 163 shares on Facebook and 237 retweets on Twitter (Red Bull 2013). Besides that Red Bull intensified its advertising efforts on the platforms (ads and sponsored stories) in the days leading up to the jump, it was the content that was the primary element for generating engagement. Photo one, two and three show the content from each platform that generated the most traffic throughout the Stratos project. The content is characterised by all being from the day of the jump. Table one shows that Red Bull Stratos was mentioned 23,649 times on Twitter, in the month leading up to the jump. 20,000 of the times were on the day of jump and the day after. The Tweet shown in photo one (next page) was retweeted 8,416 times and has in wide extent contributed to this level of traffic. Based on these numbers it is argued that the level of engagement among the target audience on Twitter was substantial. The reason for the high number of retweets is due to its relevance for the target audience. As already mentioned, people love daredevils, especially when they succeed. Thus, as people followed the jump on TV or on the live streaming on YouTube, many created a need for sharing their excitement and enthusiasm. A Tweet is a simple and easy way to do this. Hence, the high number retweets. The Tweet was 27of52

29 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 created by Red Bull only seconds after Baumgartner touched ground in order to catch people s attention while they were still affected by the event. Photo12TweetStatingBaumgartner sreturntoearth Figure32RedBull'sTwitteraccount.RetrievedApril28,2013. From table two it can be seen that in the month leading up to the event 1,163,803 interactions were generated on Facebook, whereas 909,959 of them were generated at the day of the jump (Red Bull 2013). Photo two (next page) played an important role in reaching this level of engagement. The photo achieved 527,790 likes, 15,429 comments and 69,367 shares (Red Bull 2012). It is estimated that the photo generated at least 10 million impressions and up to 50 million impressions, depending on the amount of advertisement used by Red Bull on Facebook (Socialbakers 2012). This means that Red Bull s message has reached millions of people that otherwise would not have been affected by Red Bull s marketing activities. These numbers indicate a high level of engagement among the target audience and are achieved due to the design of the content. The photo shows Baumgartner after touchdown sitting on his knees and looking humble over what he has just achieved. The photo has an emotional appeal and captures the essence of Red Bull Stratos. Compared to the Tweet (photo one) this post shows it instead of telling it. People who watched the jump saw it as an I was there moment. Therefore, this photo is relevant for the target audience, as it will trigger people s emotions when they see the photo appears on Facebook afterwards. Through likes, comments and shares people are able to express their emotional connection to the project and feel as part of it. Consequently, the photo has strong emotional appeal and reinforces the affective commitment established prior to the 28of52

30 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 jump. The high number of retweets and likes for photo one and two indicate that besides having engaged creators and conversationalists, Red Bull also managed to engage critics. Furthermore, the high number likes for photo two indicate that critics make up large part of the target audience. Due to the high number of impressions and reach it is conceivable to assume that the Stratos Project has also affected joiners to some degree. Even though they merely maintain a profile on social media sites, it can be argued that due to the high level of impressions they have been exposed to the content while being online. Photo2 PhotoFromRedBull sfacebookpage Source:(RedBull sfacebookpage.retrievedapril28,2013. Table three shows that Red Bull s YouTube channel gained 184,604 new subscribes in the month leading up to the jump and 87,801 of them subscribed at the day of the jump (Socialbakers 2012). The reason for this increase has to be found in the number of people who watched the live streaming of the jump on YouTube. The live streaming gained more than 8 million viewers, which is a YouTube record (Iezzi 2012). It was the result of integration among the platforms. In all updates at the day op the jump, on Facebook and Twitter, a link to the live streaming was included. Consequently, people were presented with the same message and directed to the same site. Through transparency the live streaming contributed to generate trust between Red Bull and its target audience. All viewers could follow Baumgartner in his jump, whether he would succeed or not. This gives the impression that Red Bull was not only doing it for the sake of publicity. Furthermore, photo three shows a screenshot of 29of52

31 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 a video uploaded to YouTube by Red Bull with highlights of the jump. At the time of writing it has views (Red Bull 2013). Photo3 ScreenshotofTheYouTubeVideoWithHighlightsofTheMission Source:(RedBull syoutubechannel.retrievedapril28,2013. The high numbers of view are due to the timing of the video. Because of Red Bull s ability to create its own content the video was uploaded within hours after jump, while people were still amazed and touched by the jump. Furthermore, it was wellproduced and allowed everybody else to feel as part of the group who saw the jump live and to some degree get the I was there feeling. As, spectators consume content created by others users, it is conceivable that many of the viewers have been spectators affected by the traffic generated on the platforms and afterwards drawn into YouTube. This indicates a high level of engagement among the target audience, since viewers then have been exposed to earned media generated on the platforms. 30of52

32 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 As it can be seen, Red Bull has been able to engage nearly all categories of the technographics ladder. However, no evidence supporting collectors online behaviour has been found. Understandably, inactives have not been affected by the activities taking place online. When looking at the outcomes of Red Bull Stratos, it is unquestionably that it was a success in terms of engagement and awareness. By creating content that was able to cut through the clutter and catch people s attention and emotions, Red Bull reached out to millions of people with tools provided by web 2.0 and social media. Red Bull was in high degree able to generate engagement because of its approach to the project. Red Bull sees themselves as a media company that create content in order to sell energy drinks and not the other way around. Lemberg argues that (appendix three: line ), It was all just a matter of generating something people wanted to talk about and then make the conversation the actual advertising. In order to obtain such earned media the Stratos project used paid and owned media. The social media platform was owned media, whereas the use of ads and sponsored stories to promote the event was paid media. As a result, Red Bull was able to reach and affect a high number of people with its message. Hence, through interconnection the converged media landscape contributed to a higher level of engagement and enabled Red Bull to use the capabilities within the groundswell to spread its message. 5.3 Part Conclusion In conclusion, what made the Stratos project successful was Red Bull s ability to create relevant and timed content. Red Bull was able to talk to its customers when they were most engaged through content with an emotional appeal to it. As a result, Red Bull Stratos was a success when looking at its ability to generate engagement among the target audience. The success is also the result of Red Bull s ability to talk to almost all groups of the technographics ladder. However, the campaign was not perfect. Red Bull did not make use of the tools offered by social media to a degree that encouraged to interaction, which could have resulted in a higher level of engagement over a longer period. 31of52

33 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 6 Discussion In order to answer the final research question this chapter looks if other corporations can apply Red Bull s approach of the Stratos project. Red Bull Stratos is considered successful in terms of reach and engagement. Thus, it could beneficial for other corporations to apply elements from Red Bull s approach into their strategy. It is not essential for corporations to create worldwide event in order to create engagement, it is important to find a way to cut through the clutter. Lemberg argues (appendix three: line ), You need to have a brand that stands for the content they you are producing [ ]. For businesses this mean to prove their worth by creating content that is relevant for their target audience and link it to the core of their brand. In order to obtain trust the content should be affective and not look like a publicity stunt. It is about generating value for the audience and create content that make them come back and share it with others. Pepsi is an example of a company that has embraced content marketing as a tool for generating engagement among its target audience. Pepsi s website is no longer a display for its products; it is a music news site with articles, videos and photos of artists and bands that are popular among Pepsi s target audience (Pepsi 2013). The content is created by Pepsi and distributed on its website and on social media platforms. Moreover, in order to encourage the target audience to generate content for the site and, thereby, achieve earned media all content generated by Pepsi s users on social media sites is shown on the website and is visible for all visitors of the site. To engage a target audience through content marketing demands large resources. In order to keep customer engaged it is essential to keep producing content. Thus, corporations need to consider if they are ready to do it. However, if corporations are successful they have something unique that is hard to copy by other competitors. Content marketing can be used in large scale, like Red Bull Stratos, or in a less extensive scale for smaller businesses. Experts agree that even a small injection of Red Bull s way of thinking could be beneficial for corporations (Chun 2012). To be successful, no matter the size, corporations should be dedicated to generate content that is able to create an impact. It is suggested that corporation create a media department to handle the production of content. This allows corporations to stay in 32of52

34 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 control, to some degree, of the content distributed about them online. More importantly, it enables corporations to produce timed content. This means that corporations can produce content when customers are most engaged. If used properly, content marketing is an efficient method for affecting the process of customer engagement. 7 Conclusion Based on the theoretical foundation of the thesis and the findings of the case study, it has become evident that Red Bull was able to engage its target audience. Red Bull reached and engaged millions of people through social media. Based on what has been said in this thesis it can be concluded that Red Bull Stratos was undeniably a success in terms of engagement and reach. Red Bull Stratos was a campaign with several aspects to it, which all worked together through an integrated marketing strategy. TV and magazines were used to create attention through traditional media. However, the main focus area was within social media. Through a strategy that utilized the groundswell and took the converged media landscape into consideration engagement was achieved. In the introduction of this thesis a quote from Facebook s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, is found. It states: The biggest risk is not taking any risk In a world that changing really quickly (qtd. in Rao 2011). Red Bull has embraced this way of thinking. Red Bull has developed from being a company selling energy drinks to a company that produces content in order to sell energy drinks. Hence, Content marketing was an important feature for the level of engagement generated. Red Bull Stratos was in itself a unique concept, however, what engaged the target audience was the content s ability to show this uniqueness through relevant, timed and affective content. However, the campaign has also room for improvement. Red Bull did not make use of the two-way communication tools offered by social media. This can be assumed to have affected the level of engagement negatively. If having stepped into a dialogue with the target audience, a higher level of engagement may have been reached earlier in the process and maintained over a longer period. 33of52

35 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 Nevertheless, other corporations and industries can learn from Red Bull. By embracing content marketing and the groundswell, corporations can speak and interact with their audiences in new ways. Corporations will in higher degree be able to affect what are distributed about them online and as well be able to create their own content for distribution. As long as the content links to the brand users will understand the message. In order to create incentives for users to share it, corporations should create content that informs or entertains through an affective appeal. It demands large investments, however, if done properly corporations are rewarded with an engaged target audience and over time a loyal customer base. 7.1 Suggestions For Further Research It is realised that not all content created by Red Bull is analysed. Thus, to gain a deeper insight into the content s affect on the level of engagement, research of further content uploaded during the Stratos project is suggested. Athletes sponsored by Red Bull were also used to promote the event online. Research on this issue would be applicable to get a more detailed picture of the process of engagement among the target audience. Finally, the research area of this thesis has mainly been within the field social media and its impact on engagement. Hence, the Stratos project s implications on Red Bull s brand have not been analysed. For future research it is suggested to investigate the change in people s assessment of the Red Bull brand and the impact of the overall positioning of Red Bull. 34of52

36 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 8 Bibliography Alexa (2013) Statistics Summary for facebook.com. Retrieved from: [Accessed 20 March 2013]. Bhasin, K.(15 February 2012) How Dietrich Mateschitz Ignored The Haters And Created The Top Energy Drink On The Planet. Retrieved from: 20 April 2013]. Chun, J. (15 September 2012) Red Bull Stratos May Change Future Of Marketing. Retrieved from: [Accessed 27 April 2013]. Clancy, R. (15 October 2012) Red Bull 'worth 5bn' after Felix Baumgartner skydive. Retrieved from: Red-Bull-worth-5bn-after-Felix-Baumgartner-skydive.html [Accessed 5 April 2013]. Creotivo (2012) 100 Social Networking Statistics & Facts for 2012 Infographic. Retrieved from: [Accessed 5 April 2013]. Facebook (2013) Key Facts. Retrieved from: [Accessed 20 March 2013]. Facebook (2013) About, Retrieved from: [Accessed 20 March 2013]. Forrester Consulting (2008) How Engaged Are Your Customers? A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Retrieved from: 35of52

37 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 Customers.pdf [Accessed 25 March 2013]. Gelb, B. and Johnson, M. (1995) Word-of-mouth communication: Causes and consequences. Journal of Health Care Marketing 15(3), Iezzi, T. (15 October 2012) Red Bull Stratos shatter records and traditional notions of marketing. Retrieved from: [Accessed 22 April 2013]. Kemp, N. (10 October 2012) Six marketing lessons from Red Bull Stratos. Retrieved Red-Bull-Stratos [Accessed 24 April 2013]. Kotler, P., Keller, K. L., Brady, M., Goodman, M. and Hansen, T. (2009) Marketing management. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Lemberg, M. (2012) The most respected Facebook expert. Retrieved from: [Accessed 12 April 2013]. Li, C. and Bernoff, J. (2011) Groundswell winning in a world transformed by social technologies. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press. Lieb, R. (2011) Content marketing Think like publisher- how to use content to market online and in social media. Indianapolis: Que Publishing. from: Lieb, R. and Owyang, J. (2012) The Converged Media Imperative: How Brands Must Combine Paid, Owned, and Earned Media. Retrieved from: [Accessed 29 March 2013]. 36of52

38 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 Kaplan, A. M. and Haenlein, M. (2010) Users of the world, unite The challenges and opportunities of social media. business Horizon, 53, Mangolds, G. W. and Faulds, D. J. (2009) Social media: The new hybrid of the promotion mix. Business Horizon 52, McAfee, A. (2009) Web 2.0 and the emergence of emergence - a history, explanation and definition of new collaborative Internet tools. In Enterprise 2.0: New collaborative tools for your organization s toughest challenges. Boston: Harvard Business Press Nolan, J. (2012) Felix Baumgartner Stratos Song - Stratosphere (Go Felix Go) - Jean Nolan. Retrieved from: [Accessed 2 May 2013]. O Connor, R. (2012) Friends, followers and the future how social media social media are changing politics, threating big brands and killing media, San Francisco: City Lights Books. Smith, C. (1 May 2013) How Many People Use the Top Social Media, Apps & Services? Retrieved from: [Accessed 2 May 2013]. Palmer, R. E. (1969) Hermeneutics as Foundation of the Geistewissenschaften. In Palmer, Richard E: Hermeneutics. Interpretation. Theory in Schleiermacher, Dilthey, Heidegger and Gadamer. Northwestern University Press, Pepsi (2013) Pepsi Pulse. Retrieved from [Accessed 25 April 2013]. Pickton, D. and Broderick, A. (2005) Integrated Marketing Communication. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. 37of52

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41 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 Tapscott, D. (2006) Winning with the enterprise 2.0 in IT&CA Big idea. New Paradigm Twitter (2013) About - The fastest, simplest way to stay close to everything you care about. Retrieved from: [Accessed 20 March 2013]. YouTube (2013) Statistics. Retrieved from: [Accessed 20 March 2013]. 40of52

42 BA Marketing and Management Communication Numbers of characters 55,803 9 Appendix 1 The IMC mix model. Source: Pickton and Broderick 2005: of52