The
event, Red Bull’s Stratos, built on
the energy beverage company’s ever-expanding role in extreme sports. From
annual events such as Flugtag
to mountain-biking and surfing competitions, Red Bull has broadened their brand’s
reach via sponsorship and event-promotion. Their web-hits and overall awareness
(Monday pun) skyrocketed as Baumgartner took the plunge from 24 miles up
(broadcasted live on YouTube), and discussion will continue about the
achievement and Red Bull’s association with its completion.
Sponsorships are just another distinct avenue
for generating brand-awareness and name recognition in today’s marketplace. At
first glance, many sponsorships may not appear to provide the initial ROI you
desire, but the truth of the matter is they create buzz and association that
accompanies an event, be it a community outreach program or national stunt like
Stratos.
The
gospel around the PR/PR offices is that your greatest allies in publicity are
frequency and repetition. Along with a stout presence online and in print
media, sponsoring an event is a fantastic medium for creating the notoriety you
desire. Red Bull will be forever linked to Felix Baumgartner’s leap from Earth’s
stratosphere; align yourself with local organizations and events and watch your
name-recognition grow.