Year 12 IB Extended Essays 2018

brainless way of responding to the external technological and social environment, stating "If

any marketer comes to me with a social media marketing budget I know they are an

idiot.” (AANA, 2016) (SMH, 2016). Considering his background in marketing, Ritson’s

perspective regarding social media marketing is valuable. There is a degree of logicality

regarding marketing in general, businesses should consider all of the areas of the marketing

mix, the likely outcomes of different options, as well as possible changes in the external

environment. However, the apparent contempt towards those in favor of social media

marketing indicates potential bias against social media marketing. Nonetheless, Ritson’s

beliefs may be factual if the vast majority of companies who rely on social media marketing

do not experience any market share or revenue increases, with Red Bull simply being one of

few exceptions. ! Conclusion

Ultimately, promotion through social media has contributed a healthy amount to the increase

in sales of Red Bull GmbH’s products since 2014, proving their marketing strategy to be a

success for them amongst other factors. Through repeatedly sharing and spreading

information about the product and how it improves quality of life, Red Bull has been able to

increase their brand awareness and build an enhanced brand image for themselves. This in

turn leads to more sales, as consumers generally feel the need to be associated with a more

well-known company. However, these conclusions are based on statistics that do not show an

exact correlation between increase in social media marketing and sales, as well as

assumptions regarding Red Bull, their products, and their consumers. Red Bull could have

high level of sales simply because of consumer need for energy drink products. The qualities

within Red Bull’s energy drinks complements a lot of the busy and enduring lifestyles of Red

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