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Red Bull and promises: Stay alert
Hello,
I don't want to add to the doomsdayers posts, but there is a bad and recent example involving Red Bull and sport clubs takeovers:
The company recently bought a football club in Austria and (despite earlier promises) changed the name, colours etc.
Links to action groups, press articles can be found here...
German:
http://mag.fussball-forum.de/1713/red-bull-salzburg-ein-kommentarItalian:
http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=79327&progr=10English:
?
Google for 'violett weiss' or 'Austria Salzburg', there also might be articles in English...
I know this is about a football club and not F1, but nevertheless is an eery example..and also a very recent one:
What might be learned from there:
1. Do not believe RedBull PR or announcemtns. They might take advantage of the "quiet" F1 winter holiday pause to change names and logos...and not keep any earlier promises or hints. Stay alert !
2. Don't give in. Protest from highly organized and committed people can make a difference, even against larger corporations . Take a clue from Greenpeace and other NGO action groups.
A link to the Austrian football fans action initiative and what they achieved so far...
http://www.violett-weiss.at/The press coverage they got:
http://www.violett-weiss.at/initiative-presse.phpMany of these are magazines or journals with print numbers above 100k or even 1 million in Austria/Germany/Switzerland...
3. Ending the post on an optimistic note: Maybe Red Bull has learned from the PR debacle after buying that Austrian football club and will do better this time ?
But I guess it's better to stay alert before it's too late...Nov 1, 2005 is approaching fast
I hope this topic can give some 'templates for action' in case it's needed.
I hope it's not.
(PS: My account signature gave an error on login , finally works agai. Followed this forum in read-only mode)
[Edited on 12/9/2005 by bladerunner]
Comments
http://www.redissue.co.uk/news/loadnews.asp?cid=TMNW&id=239240
I just hope the Red Bull Marketing / PR for Football doesn't handle F1 as well :(
not a good example...
The problem with Red Bull seems to be the complete denial of fans' interests and sense for compromise in the links i posted above.
- Fans are denied entries to the stadium even if many of them protested peacefully.
- See Red Bulls stance to "Project Spielberg" and handling critical journalists (RB CEO himself threatening them with mob tactics)
- the RedBull "forced" supply contracts denying small club owners to serve other brands of energy drinks.
I know RedBull paid good money, now own a 100% of Minardi and can do what they want to (more or less, we don't know the contract details Stoddart alludes to in his press release...).
But there are take-overs and take-overs.
No wonder most of them go wrong on the corporate world...
I just warn Red Bull could take over Minardi like a bull-dozer...well, the company logo could be a sign of things to come.
Red Bull doesn't seem to give in or even LISTEN to requests from Football fans even after a PR debacle is in the making for weeks in the German press covering the Salzburg case...
http://www.violett-weiss.at/initiative-presse.php
This includes critical coverage from highly respected journalistic outlets such as Der Spiegel, Standard or the NZZ.
Re-reading these articles - when searching for links - this doesn't make me feel better at all.
The 'Salzburg 2005 makeover' case may look like a primer to the 'Minardi 2006 makeover'.
What I unfortunately fear...
A 100% RedBull marketing walk-over destroying heritage and history in CI online and offline (the new Minardi 2006 homepage design and content will be a first good example to watch out for...)
Team RedBull SugarFree, Foundation date in 2006 or 2007 - no more Minardi logo or name anywhere.
The Faenza factory is simply kept to have a short geographical connection to maintain Ferrari engines for Red Bull long term.
...and so on.
Again, I hope I'm wrong but it all doesn't look good at all in my opinion....
[Edited on 12/9/2005 by bladerunner]
http://www.wisa.org.uk/cgi/l/articles/index.cgi?action=show&id=493
Excerpt:
_______________
The Austrian press, and most fans however have reacted negatively to Red Bull. Amidst this, and perhaps worried by the strength of fans feelings, Mateschitz has indicated that some degree of dialogue between supporters of the pro-violet groups could take place. The traditionalist supporters have made the following reasonable demands:
1. Violet and white must be recognised as an integral component of the club's identity.
2. Red Bull must fully accept that the club was founded in 1933 and not 2005.
3. The fan curve behind the goal at the southern end of the ground must be restored to its full size and position.
4. The club must fulfil its promise to lift the blanket stadium bans that were hastily and often erroneously imposed on certain pro-violet fans.
5. A continual dialogue between fans and the club should form the basis for a successful shared future.
So well oiled does the marketing seem however (see www.RedBullSalzburg.at, for a corporate website to put Premium TV to shame), that it will take continued pressure from supporters to get any successful outcome. It is here, where we can collectively show our opposition to what has happened, and leave messages of support for Salzburg fans, display banners, or simply raise awareness to make sure that such events do not happen to other football fans, whether abroad or in this country.
It is ironic, that a little over ten years ago, myself and friends- too young for beer- used to drink Red Bull to enhance our enjoyment on the terraces. Now it seems that this company is at the forefront of a corporate takeover that threatens the most cherished aspects of our football culture. Not for the first or last time it is up to ordinary supporters to make a stand.
_____
I will let you all make your own conclusions after reading these articles...
In fairness to Red Bull, they also made good calls like the Sound initiative, where the sponsor young DJs, musicians etc. and acted sensibly in their sponsoring approach to this largely alternative and young hip crowd (which is difficult to market for).
Same in Snowboarding sponsoring, where people also don't like to appear to sell out to corporations, Red Bull added sensible marketing as well for this in-crowd respecting the Snowboard culture and its values.
So there is some hope.
But the larger Red Bull investments in Football and F1 don't paint a rosy picture.
I don't see a Minardi future...I see a more successful NEW F1 team...but with NO link to Minardi or the Minardi name /heritage at all.
I certainly won't be cheering for ' RED BULL PLUS' or 'RED BULL SUGARFREE' F1 team in 2006 or 2007.
That's all I have to add.
I guess I will have to find a new way to spend 18+ weekends in 2006 then :cool:
I hope I'm wrong.
Sad.
[Edited on 12/9/2005 by bladerunner]
I don't trust the Red Bull PR marketing gods at all.
Petitions help to get started ( http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/minardif1 - I already sent the author a German translation ).
Stronger action may be needed....but there will have to be enough participants in the Minardi Guerilla.
Minardi Lion Guerilla - fighting the Red Bull PR machine since 9/11 (05):
LION, Panthera leo
Call of the African Wild, King of African Carnivores. Low hut large and powerful, especially males.
Different prides have different preferences and traditions.
Some, hunting in groups usually including males, regularly kill buffalos, including biggest, oldest bulls; even bull giraffes are occasionally taken (caught lying down).
[Edited on 12/9/2005 by bladerunner]
In the case of the Austria Salzburg Football club, it was about colours. Here it's about the team name, Giancarlo Minardi and all the employees in Faenza.
The Red Bull approach will be the same: Their PR/Marketing droids will walk-over Minardi.
(Yes, I'm taking bets against anyone thinking different)
Look at the football example:
- Red Bull refuses to accept simple demands from fans
- Red Bull refuses to even talk to fans about their reasonable demans
- Red Bull is completely out of touch not only with fans but also football regulations
and this DESPITE
- 50+ articles in the German/Austian/Swiss mainstream press
http://www.violett-weiss.at/initiative-presse.php
- solidarity throughout Europe from other football clubs. See the pictures from RIVAL fan blocks here supporting Salzburg fans against Red Bull:
http://www.violett-weiss.at/solidaritaet-bilder.php
That's VERY impressive stuff.
Now, think about it: Will you see support from OTHER F1 fans in 2006 demanding to keep the Minardi name/heritage intact in 2006 ? I doubt there is a similar solidarity or any solidarity at all...
So to sum up my postings:
- Do not believe Red Bull PR. Newer quotes already talk about (discussed in other threads) closing Faenza in 2008.
- Do not think a simple peition will help. Red Bull will simply ignore these..look at the Football example where they refuse to accept reasonable despite huge protests in the press and the football public and even this didn't help.
(Although I will of course sign these petition)
- Only a long-term and consistent planned grass-roots protest could help long-term in my view int his scenario...Guerilla tactics 101.
The football case again shows how a well-organized protest works showing solidarity from other fan blocks:
If you live in Europe and see a football match this coming weekend you will see banners (Sept 17./18 match weekend) in football fan clubs throught Europe against Red Bull sponsoring approaches.
Sadly, I doubt there is enough solidarity among F1 fans and/or people willing to take this route...
Again, I hope I'm wrong...but I guess I will need to bump this topic in a few months when the final Red Bull decisions will be made public (as low key as possible) in the quiet winter holidays...
Resistance is futile, the mad cow case disease is spreading :( ?!
Stay alert and prepare for this case before it's too late.
That's all I have to offer as input...
[Edited on 13/9/2005 by bladerunner]