Red Bull sales soar
Red Bull managed to sell more than 4.6 billion cans of its trademark drink last year, it was announced yesterday (Weds).
The company – which has its headquarters in Fuschl near Salzburg – said 4.63 billion cans of its energy drink were purchased across the world in 2011, 11.4 per cent more than in the previous year. The firm refused to speak about earnings and profits but informed of a turnover increase of 12.4 per cent from 2010 to 2011 to 4.25 billion Euros. This is a significant improvement compared to 1987, its first business year. Red Bull raked in 11 million Euros back then.
Red Bull officials said the brand prospered especially in its core markets like Germany and the United States but also in Turkey and Japan. Two-figure growth rates were achieved in all of these nations in 2011, according to the beverages manufacturer which sells its products in 164 countries.
Red Bull employs almost 8,300 people in Austria and abroad. The firm – which is strongly engaged in sport sponsoring, fun sport event management and merchandising – revealed plans to expand to China a few months ago. Red Bull chief Dietrich Mateschitz said in one of his rare interviews that launching operations in the prospering Asian country could help his business to sell eight billion cans a year. “We’ve just left the first base camp on our climb to the top,” the billionaire claimed, adding that Red Bull was also set to become busier in Pakistan and India.
Red Bull’s energy drink sales are strongly soaring but the company had to accept some defeats in the last few years as well. The firm announced last August it decided to stop selling Simply Cola – a new soft drink free from artificial flavours and preservatives– in the USA. The firm did not justify the move but American business papers report that sales of the drink were devastatingly low ever since it was placed on shop shelves.
The news incited concerns about whether Simply Cola was doing any better in Europe. Red Bull may focus on increasing its activity in Asia and South America but Europe is the enterprise’s key market in the present. Red Bull was convinced being able to challenge market leaders Coca-Cola and Pepsi in the United States and its home market. Every Austrian drinks 24 Red Bull energy drink cans a year on average, according to research.
Red Bull topped the Universum Student Survey of 2011 which lists Austrian business sciences students’ preferred future employers. Almost one in four interviewed students named the globally operating energy drink company. Internet services enterprise Google made second place, with the Austrian National Bank (OeNB) in third.
Red Bull is the most powerful Austrian brand on the planet, according to the latest Eurobrand Austria. The European Brand Institute (EBI) announced Red Bull managed to increase its brand value by nearly 12 per cent from 2009 to 2010 to 13.4 billion Euros. Tyrolean crystals producer Swarovski came second in the survey – which was presented in July 2011 – with 3.8 billion Euros. Telecommunications company Telekom Austria (TA) reached third place. EBI checked the strength of all enterprises in which Austrian businesspeople or investment groups held a stake of at least 45 per cent.