ESCP ALUMNI magazine - #205 - Mars 2024 - 31

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Dossier ❙ Interview
events, we first worked on unique sports
that were not well structured by their
federations, like skateboarding, climbing,
surfing, wakeboarding, mountain biking,
and a dozen of other sports. It was easier to
create something completely new. Let's take
a recent example: we hosted the last stage of
the Red Bull Cliff Diving event in Paris last
year. It is a diving contest, and it is special.
The athletes did not dive in a simple pool;
they jumped in the river Seine, in front of the
Eiffel Tower. We have done pretty much the
same thing in La Rochelle since 2009 - the
contenders jump from the top of the SaintNicolas
tower, an iconic castle. Set design
is crucial; not only do you want to make a
pleasant setting for an extreme sport, but
you also want to put in a cultural connection
with the country or the city that hosts the
competition. Another example: last year,
we launched the Red Bull Ocean Rescue
event in Biarritz. It is a rescuing competition
that combines running, swimming, kayak,
and cliff jumping. There is a reason why we
picked Biarritz; swimming and surfing are
two major, iconic sports there. The idea is to
create and supervise competitions under a
format that can be reproduced everywhere
in the world to fit the local crowd.
Red Bull has also invested a lot in
mainstream sports like football
since then. The brand owns Red
Bull Salzburg, and RB Leipzig
for instance, two regulars in the
Champions League.
P.V: Indeed. We are still much involved in
extreme sports, but we have also stepped
into mainstream sports. Yet, we stick to our
own way of doing things.
What do you mean?
P.V: Our teams play an intense, attacking,
flamboyant style of football. They rely on
young players. Our athletes are the mirror
of the brand.
Your teams are spectacular. They
perform well. Yet, they are not top
of their leagues. Still, it does not
seem to be a problem...
P.V: Red Bull is always seeking performance,
of course. But in football as well as in other
sports, we know that sport is about telling
stories, first and foremost. Red Bull wants
to tell new sorts of sporting stories. We put
the emphasis on feelings and emotions. The
core of all our projects is not competition,
nor raw results, but the narrative outline of
such projects. The Red Bull media - like Red
Bull TV - do not only broadcast Red Bull
projects, i.e., events that we have full control
of. The most important thing for us is to tell
our own stories when it comes to sporting
events. If it means working with an external
sporting or media company, fair enough. We
won't change the results, but we can tell the
stories the way we want to.
change their storytelling to be more
modern?
P.V: Maybe. One thing is for sure: through
this strategy, Red Bull has played a key role
in developing some sports. I also think that
we have never forgotten that even though
new events are important, athletes are what
matters the most. They are at the heart of all
our actions. If they are not involved in our
projects, if our competition formats are not
to their liking, we will never be credible.
The reason why our events last in time is
because athletes like them as much as the
public.
One thing is for
sure: through
this strategy, Red
Bull has played
a key role in
developing some
sports.
So, the way you stage and tell your
sporting stories is key, right?
P.V: It is crucial indeed. Red Bull's motto
has always been to tell sporting stories in a
different way, and it has paid off. You must
also broadcast, promote, and bring out these
stories. You can create and host the most
amazing event in the world, if you don't
have the platform to highlight it, you won't
get ahead. To do so, we have the Red Bull
Media House. It is our own media platform.
We use it for the live streaming of our own
competitions and of the events we sponsor.
We also make documentaries and video
contents, and we have our own magazine -
the Red Bulletin.
Do you think clubs, federations,
and traditional competitions -
like the Olympic Games - should
ESCP Alumni Magazine numéro 205 ❙ MARS 2024
❙ 31
Sur fing, climbing, and
skateboarding became Olympic
sports in 2020, in Tokyo.
Breakdance will also be introduced
in Paris 2024. These sports are all
sponsored and promoted by Red
Bull.
P.V: If you think we have given them the
credibility needed to be at the Olympics, I
think you are right. Let's take breakdance
for instance: we launched Red Bull BC One
in 2004. It is like the annual breakdance
world championship. It has proven that
when Red Bull invests in a sport, it does
everything to make it work for the athletes.
And if it means helping the sport and
its federations grow in the process,
it is perfect.
❙
Article first published in ESCP Alumni
Magazine 201
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ESCP ALUMNI magazine - #205 - Mars 2024

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