What’s more important to the success of an energy drink – the functionality and flavour of the beverage or the marketing strategy? Jonas Feliciano, Beverages Industry Analyst at Euromonitor, argues the two go hand in hand and Red Bull’s rise to prominence is a perfect example. The association of energy drinks with extreme sports and edgy lifestyle can be pinpointed to Red Bull’s marketing strategy including purchasing the Jaguar Formula 1 team and publishing the lifestyle magazine “Red Bulletin” with other energy drinks following suit. Monster’s sponsorship of extreme sports athletes and Rockstar’s rock festivals are reverberations of Red Bull’s campaigns. Red Bull, however, continues to pave new ground outside the young male demographic with events such as Flugtag and the Stratos space jump.