TABLE OF CONTENTS

SITUATION ANALYSIS--------------------------------------------------------------------1-12 Brand History ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 Company Evaluation-----------------------------------------------------------------------12 Product Evaluation-------------------------------------------------------------------------24 Consumer Evaluation----------------------------------------------------------------------46 Competitive Evaluation--------------------------------------------------------------------68 Marketing Environment Evaluation----------------------------------------------------810 SWOT Analysis-----------------------------------------------------------------------------11 Research Questions-------------------------------------------------------------------------12

PRIMARY RESEARCH---------------------------------------------------------------------13-19 Introduction----------------------------------------------------------------------------------13 Survey-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13-

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16 A. Overview-----------------------------------------------------------------------13 B. Objectives----------------------------------------------------------------------13 C. Project Details--------------------------------------------------------------1314 D. Analysis---------------------------------------------------------------------1416 In Depth Interview-----------------------------------------------------------------------1618 A. Overview-----------------------------------------------------------------------16 B. Objectives----------------------------------------------------------------------16 C. Project Details-----------------------------------------------------------------16 D. Analysis---------------------------------------------------------------------1718 Summary----------------------------------------------------------------------------------1819 Conclusion--------------------------------------------------------------------------------1920

WORKS CITED APPENDIX

SITUATION ANALYSIS

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This Red Bull research analysis is meant to develop a marketing strategy for the Red Bull Company. Red Bull is an independently owned Austrian based company that produces energy drinks on a worldwide scale. They created the market for energy drinks and therefore have invited fervid competition. However, they have set the bar high among the energy drink industry and are still leading the way. Red Bull has a firm grasp on the energy drink market, controlling 70% of it, and is still paving the way for the future of energy drinks. The following is an overview of the Red Bull Company and its competition within the current energy drink market.

BRAND HISTORY
Dietrich Mateshitz was traveling to Thailand on business when he came across a drink called Krating Daeng, meaning red bull in Thai. The uniquely flavored aided his jet lag from long trips (The Economist). Mateshitz, originally a marketing director for the German toothpaste maker, Blendax, was an Austrian entrepreneur who recognized Krating Daengs potential to be a worldwide commodity (The Economist). Over the next three years Mateshitz, along with Krating Daeng owner Chaleo Yoovidhya each invested 500,000, the equivalent to $666,450 U.S., and introduced the carbonated version of Red Bull to the Austrian market (The Economist). Today the product is sold worldwide and is has become commonplace in modern society.

COMPANY EVALUATION
Red Bull Gmbh (Gesellschaft mit beschrnkter Haftung, similar to an American LLC) is a private Austrian company founded in 1984 by Dietrich Mateschitz and Chaleo Yoovidhya and is headquartered in Fuschi am See, Austria (Red Bull). With an annual operating revenue of 3.8 billion along with an astounding 4.204 billion cans sold worldwide in 2010, Red Bull dominates the energy drink industry with a remarkable 70% share in the global market (Funding Universe). Its products are sold in 161 countries across the globe, and their name has become to energy drinks what Kleenex is to facial tissues. Initially, the company distributed free cases to college students across the country in an attempt to get their product in the hands of its consumers. This campaign became very successful and rapid proliferation of sales became the norm. The company continued to tailor their advertising to appeal to their target audience by sponsoring extreme sports, events, teams, and athletes. They sponsor athletes in the BMX, skiing, rally car, MLS Soccer, and many other sports industries (Red Bull). By sponsoring athletes such as Travis Pastrana and Shaun White, their double bull logo is never out of the spotlight, and constantly seen by the consumer.

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CONCLUSION
Their slogans, Red Bull Gives You Wings and No Red Bull, No Wings have also proven to be a staple in their brand presentation for many years (Red Bull). While Red Bull is still dominating the industry, they may have some untapped resources in their marketing strategy and product presentation. While the brand is known throughout society they have the ability to reach a larger audience without losing the identity that the brand was built on. In the United States specifically, Red Bull could appeal to American athletes and consumers by sponsoring well-known athletes outside the extreme sports industry.

PRODUCT EVALUATION
Red Bull offers its product in four different can sizes, 8 oz., 12 oz., 16 oz., and 20 oz. cans (Red Bull). The product increases performance, increases concentration and reaction speed, increases vigilance, stimulates metabolism, makes you feel more energized and therefore improves your well being (Red Bull). Red Bull energy drink contains caffeine, B vitamins, taurine, and niacin. The product focuses on the stimulant factors, which improve performance, increase metabolism, improve blood flow, and increase your concentration, giving you longer lasting energy (DietSpotlight). Students and adults, who find they need a lift or increased level of endurance to remain focused or energized, consume the product. Red Bull is considered more costly than other energy drinks and sports drinks due its comparably smaller size. An 8 oz. Red Bull costs on average $1.99 per can, while Monster Energy drinks typically cost $1.99 for a 16 oz. can (Screaming Energy). The cost difference is one of the main reasons that Red Bull does not attract younger, or lower income consumers. The competition seems like a more economical alternative. As with any energy drinks containing high levels of caffeine, Red Bull gives a rush. One small can of this energized drink gives a burst equal to 80 milligrams of caffeine or one cup of coffee. This is more than a can of cola, which contains 40 milligrams of caffeine (Bumgardner). Because of the high sugar content Red Bull introduced a sugar free product. Some short-term health concerns with Red Bull are dehydration, insomnia, and mood swings. Long-term health problems include tooth decay, dependency, and heart problems (Stein). The company has taken steps to become more environmentally friendly and therefore has become more appealing to green consumers. Red Bull has been making efforts to reduce the environmental impact and reduce the process of distribution. In order to alleviate emissions, automobile distribution distances have been shortened while the transports by rail and sea are increasing. Even the packaging has become more environmentally cautious and eco coolers have been used to cut down green house gases. Red Bull has increased the recycling rate of their cans and reduced their weight and size (Red Bull). Red Bull has been a strong brand from the start. In 1997, ten years after its launch, Red

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Bull was sold in 25 markets globally. The sales volume increased from 1.1 million units to 200 million units. Although the company maintained an employee of base of 1,800, its annual sales reached 2 billion in 120 countries by 2004. Red Bull continued to remain a top seller even though the market became more competitive. The company even launched a sugar-free version in 2003 (Skribd). The company had started the trend of affiliating their brand with extreme sports. It has continued to be the most visible sponsor compared to other energy drink brands during extreme sport games. Red Bull has used a particular genre of extreme sports to set them apart. One of Red Bulls most unique promotional events is the Flugtag. The event challenges everyday people to create homemade, human powered, flying machines (Red Bull Flugtag USA). The contestants attempt to fly their creations off of a thirty-foot deck in hopes of flying. All of these machines typically splash into the water so they are judged on their creativity and showmanship.

One of Red Bulls strengths is their strong visual communication in advertisements that make their presence known. Their advertisements remain an effective means of reinforcing their brand and product. The advertisements set themselves apart by representing a unique lifestyle thats intriguing and appealing to younger consumer base (Sheiban). Red Bull is known for their mini coopers that resemble the packaging of the product. Through their unique events, sponsorships, endorsements, advertising, and packaging, Red Bull has become the one of the most recognized brand in the energy drink market. They have extremely loyal customers and the product has become a staple in their consumers nightlife. The consumers expect their Jager bombs to be made with Red Bull, and they dont order a Monster and vodka when theyre at the bar. Red Bull is essentially the name brand product in energy drinks, and customers are willing to pay a little more for a name brand product.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Red Bull is unique and despite stiff competition it continues to flourish.

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The company will need to take steps to ensure its future success. These steps may include product line expansion, advertising and endorsement variation, and competitive price changes. The decline of sales could be a future concern should health and safety restrictions be imposed by the government on energy drinks. Placing import/export charges on energy drinks could possibly lead to decline as well. Another would be inflation. There are many positive outlooks, such as, an increase in youth population, which may increase the demand. The company could use technology to improve advertising capability. The company now has the use of the Internet to market its product (UKessays).

CONSUMER EVALUATION RED BULL USERSInitial energy drink marketing targeted athletes. Strategies have changed to target adolescents and young adult males, and their on-the-go lifestyles (Heckman). About 50% of college students consume more than one energy drink per month to increase their energy level, compensate for lack of sleep, or mix with alcohol (Aeby). When an energy drink was consumed with alcohol or while partying, three or more drinks were consumed at one time (Aeby). The target market drinks alcohol in high volumes so therefore they consume more Red Bull. The consumption of alcohol and Red Bull during college years carries over to post graduate consumers. Red Bull is positioned as the cool, more effective, alternative to coffee and soda. While the companys traditional advertising is consistent and recognizable they focus their efforts on event promotions and word of mouth. They use unique tools such as vehicles with massive Red Bull cans on top that hand out free products on college campuses. This strategy brings the product directly target market. The product has also been positioned as the drink of nightclubs and bars. Red Bull is the main ingredient in some of the most popular drinks of college students and young professionals. Red Bulls target audience is male college students and young adult professionals who spend their days studying and in class, or at the office, and their nights at bars. The college demographic still depends on their parents for the majority of their expenses, but have a part time job to earn extra cash. They work to achieve decent grades but consider their social lives to be very important. They drive a used car, own an iPhone, and dress fashionably. They share a rented apartment with friends and consume alcohol 1-3 times a week (Mediamark). The young professionals are single and enjoying the freedom that comes with their salary and newly disposable income. Both groups watch extreme sports and are active themselves. They work out 2-4 times a week and consider themselves fit and attractive (Mediamark). They drink Red Bull during the day to stay focused on school and studying or to stay focused at work. They drink Red Bull when they go to bars because of its popularity and

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the way that the consumer feels they are perceived when they drink it. They are somewhat self-conscious and can come off cocky or arrogant in order to over compensate for their self-perception. Most of the young professionals are living in a new city so they are working hard to fit in with other people their age. This energy drink has many channels of distribution. It is accessible to consumers for purchase in gas stations, grocery stores, and convenient stores. Red Bull, in the slimmer, blue and silver easy to handle cans make them quite portable. Because the drink is offered through a variety of channels, the consumer has the ability to purchase the product when and where they need it. This availability makes it unnecessary for consumers to buy a large number of products at once.

RED BULL NON USERSWomen dont regularly drink Red Bull. They are drawn to the social status that accompanies coffee and tea drinks (Heckman). They will drink Red Bull when they are at the bar, but are more likely to buy drinks that seem more feminine. Women are the untapped market for Red Bull. They are more conscious of the health risks that high caffeine content drinks have. Another untapped market is that of people ages 30 and up. They are already in the habit of drinking coffee when they are tired or stressed and dont feel the need to drink Red Bull as a status symbol. This group tends to be more conscious of calorie intake and health risks. Another demographic that does not consume Red Bull is children. They dont have their own money to purchase the product and their parents are worried about the health risks that energy drinks pose.

CONSUMER HABITSRed Bull is consumed at work, at school, in bars, and at parties. The variation of uses that the product has offers a wide range of places that it is consumed. When purchased in a can the product is typically purchased in convenience stores and super markets. When individual drinks are bought it is in a bar setting. Because there are so many places that the product can be bought and consumed, the target audience has the potential to consume the product at any time.

CONCLUSIONRed Bull offers a unique product that can be beneficial to older adults who spend long hours in an office setting and need extra energy to get them through their day. This market is largely untapped by energy drinks, but has begun to be targeted by energy shots. From these observations, I can conclude that there is great opportunity for growth with some variation in strategy and product deviation. The market for women and adults ages 30-45 is untapped. There is also an untapped potential for consumers who are health

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conscious and who are weary of the health risks that come with highly caffeinated drinks. I foresee issues with targeting adolescents because of health risks. It is best to aim to attract adults who need a boost to get through the day, and college students who need something to help them party through the night and study through the day. Another potential increase in sales would be to turn their current product users into more frequent users. Red Bulls current market depends on the product at certain times, but does not use the product very frequently.

COMPETITIVE EVALUATION
Since its inception in 1987, Red Bull has risen to the top of the energy drink market, holding 39.7% of the current energy drink market. As with other products in a free trade market, both indirect and direct competition are factors. In the current energy drink market two other energy drink companies hold the other prominent percentage of the market share. While standard energy drink companies remain the main competition of Red Bull, other, more natural products promising the same energetic boost are enticing to consumers and thus threatening to Red Bulls control of the market. Both traditional energy drinks and those with a more holistic approach are Red Bulls biggest competition (Jacobson).

KEY COMPETITORS The company with the second largest share of the energy drink market is Monster Energy. Owned by Hensens Natural, Monster Energy takes in 20.8% of the market share and took in $1.2 billion in sales (Jacobson). One of Monster Energys greatest strengths is its can size. Monster Energy sells its product in 16oz cans, twice the size of Red Bull.

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Consumers get twice the product for the same price. Like Red Bull, Monster Energy sponsors NASCAR, BMX, and snowboarding events. Monster Energy also sponsors athletes, Danny Cass, Chris Cole, and Ken Block. Monster Energy sponsors musicians, Five Finger Death Punch, Jonathon Davis, and Yelawolf as well. One of Monster Energys main promotional tactics is giving away items like hats, t-shirts, and BMX bike to consumers and potential consumers (www.monsterenrgy.com). While Monster takes up a decent percentage of the market share, it still takes up significantly less than Red Bull. Monster Energy has also faced uncertainty from consumers due to the FDA ruling it contained addictive ingredients (Jacobson). Rockstar takes up the third largest portion of the energy drink market. Rockstar took in roughly $442 thousand and made up 12.7% of the market share as of July 2011 (Jacobson). Like Monster Energy, Rockstar comes in a 16oz can, giving consumers twice as much product as Red Bull. A unique asset to Rockstar is the option of having different flavors. Rockstar offers consumers 19 different flavors to choose from. Like its competitors, Rockstar sponsors surfing, snowboarding, and BMX events. Rockstar is also a major sponsor of the Mayhem Festival, a music festival consisting of heavy metal artists. A major advertising point is the Rockstar Models that pose for ads and attend Rockstar sponsored events (Rockstar Energy Drink). However inventive, Rockstars advertising has not allowed it to reach revenues in the billions. Rockstar was also the only of the top five energy drink companies to show a decline in sales for the year, losing .1% of its previous market share. Rockstar also contains the most calories, sugar, and added ingredients of all its competition (Jacobson).

SECONDARY COMPETITORS As natural products gain popularity in other sections of the beverage industry, the energy drink industry is following suit. According to surveys done by senior analyst with Mintel Chicago, Garima Goel Lal consumers want natural energy products. They say they would like an all-natural aspect in energy drinks, says Geol Lal. Natural alternatives to traditional energy drinks are rapidly growing in popularity. In 2010 Nestle USA partnered with Jamba Juice Co. and developed three Jamba All Natural Energy Drinks. The drinks, which contained 80 mg. of natural caffeine and only 90 calories, were also made with 70% fruit juice. The Campbell Soup Co. also produced a line of natural energy drinks as part of their V8 vegetable and fruit juice line called V8 V Fusion + Energy. Like Red Bull the V8 drinks come in 8oz cans, however the V8 drink contains 80mg of caffeine and only 80 calories. According to Goel Lal, a lot of energy drink users show interest in hybrid products like juice-based energy drinks or tea based energy drinks (Jacobson).

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While energy drinks remain the prominent product for consumers looking for an extra energy boost, energy shots are gaining popularity, with 5-Hour Energy leading that category. Taking notice of the trend, 64% of all energy shots claim to be all-natural. Along with its energy drink V8 released the V8 Energy Shots, which contain 100 vegetable and fruit juices with green tea extract (Jacobson).

COMPETITIVE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSESOne of Red Bull's greatest strength is its brand identity. A study done in 2010 showed that people associate Red Bull with characteristics such as speed, power, and risk taking (Brasel). When one's target consumer is males in the teenage and early adulthood stages of life, the brand identity Red Bull currently has is one it can take to the bank. Red bulls current major weakness is its inability to attempt to reach other target demographics left open by its competitors.

COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITIES Though there are many competitors in the energy drink market, there are still many opportunities left for Red Bull to distinguish itself from the competition. One such opportunity is the rising trend of natural products. While Red Bull does have a sugar free form of its product available, the sugar free version is merely less sugar and three calories per 100 ml, but not natural" (www.redbullusa.com). Adding a line of natural products would allow Red Bull to set itself apart from its direct competition, as none of them are currently producing natural products. A line of natural products could extend Red Bulls reach and open up a market to women. Another possible opportunity left for Red Bull is the sponsorship of other activities enjoyed by its target demographic. Since young adult males are the target demographic of energy drinks, a sponsorship of a music festival might give the brand further visibility. Music festivals like the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival would put the product in front of the initial target consumer as well as put Red Bull in front of many potential secondary targets.

CONCLUSION

Red Bull began as the first energy drink, and has managed to remain at the top of the market. Its strong brand recognition and consumer loyalty are major factors in why Red Bull has maintained it's top position. As long as Red Bull seizes the opportunities that others in the energy drink market have not, it should have no major trouble stay on top.

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MARKETING ENVIRONMENT EVALUATION

Red Bull is extremely successful in the United States and international markets, selling approximately 3 billion cans annually (Boome). It is evident that Red Bull's marketing reaches their target but the emergence of similar products, government regulations, and the economy threaten their hold on the current market. Though many marketing strategies have been implemented, the possibility exists for new marketing opportunities.

MARKET TRENDS While Red Bull has a unique and successful way of advertising and reaching the public, other energy drink brands have taken notice and implemented some of the same marketing techniques. Upon analyzing the marketing strategies of the three major energy drink brands, one finds a few common and exhausted marketing strategies. One trend in energy drink marketing is sponsoring extreme sports. Both Monster Energy and Rockstar sponsor extreme sports events, teams, or athletes (Rockstar Energy Drink, Monster Energy). Another marketing trend is the use of free product distribution. Red bull was the first to give free samples of the product to the public, however Monster Energy and Rockstar have followed suit with "street teams" that take the product to the public (Monster Energy).

ECONOMIC IMPACTThe downturn of the economy in the U.S. over the past decade has been a major factor for the industry as a whole. While Red Bull still controlled the market share, energy drinks have become an unnecessary expense to many consumers. Traditional Red Bull users are prompted to buy the less expensive brand, such as Monster or Rockstar, especially when they are placed on a shelf side by side. At a quick glance in the grocery store or convenience store the consumer isnt investigating the unique qualities of each product. They see that they all provide the consumer with a rush of energy. The larger cans and lower price of the competition seems like the more economical choice to the consumer.

LEGAL FACTORSThere is one organization that enforces regulations that affect the products marketing strategy in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration regulates the amount of guarana, taurine, and ginseng in these types of energy drinks. There are regulations in the United States administered by the FDA that state caffeine must be listed on the product label if used as an ingredient (Van Dusen). Additionally, the high volume of sugar is something that may concern some consumers. This is why an energy drink such as Red Bull can be regulated against young children. Red Bull has been successful by promoting responsible consumption and adhering to these regulatory factors.

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OPPORTUNITIESRed Bull showed consistency in its marketing approaches, however in order to keep the message interesting and relevant to the times, new marketing strategies should be employed. As part of a UK marketing campaign, Red Bull positioned a massive aerial view logo outside of Heathrow Airport. Air passengers witnessed the world's first three-dimensional cinema advertisement (Hosea). An innovative campaign like this exactly the kind that is missing in the global energy drink landscape. Should Red Bull seize the opportunity to initiate a campaign like this in other countries, they could expect major publicity and exposure to new demographics.

CONCLUSIONThough Red Bull's marketing was initially seen as specific to the brand, their competition entered the market, used the same techniques and exhausted them. If Red Bull revamped their marketing into a more unique strategy for the market, they would gain more brand recognition and the consumer would see their product differently. Red Bull created the market for energy drinks, so at its origination, the marketing was new and different. By differentiating their strategy from that of other energy drink producers today, they will again be the first to stand out. By standing out, they will become more recognizable and this will set them apart from the competition when they are compared side by side. Consumers will go back to the mindset they had when Red Bull first came to market; while there are other energy drink options, Red Bull is the unique and modern choice.

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SWOT ANALYSIS:
STRENGTHS:
Loyal customer base Red Bull contains 70% of the market share, making it the number one energy drink in the world. Red Bull fans are loyal which increases the revenue year after year and allows for Red Bull to be sold in 161 countries across the globe. Strong brand equity- Red Bull reached strong brand equity through unconventional marketing tactics. Their loyal customer base knows what to expect from Red Bull and are never disappointed. Innovative- Red Bull is an innovative brand that has set multiple trends for its competitors to follow, such as sponsoring extreme sports events as a form of marketing.

OPPORTUNITIES:
Expansion abroad- Red Bull is in 161 countries, however they dont carry the same marketing intensity within those other countries as they do within the USA. Product expansion (energy mints etc)- Red Bull has only one true product. The Red Bull energy drink. This leaves an opportunity to create and market other Red Bull products. Increase recognition through extreme sports sponsorships- Extreme sports are becoming more and more popular around the world. This holds opportunity for them to increase their recognition abroad as well as within the USA.

WEAKNESSES:
Price- Red Bull is more expensive than competing brands. Small product base- Red Bulls competitors offer multiple choices for customers, whether it being different flavors of their energy drink to different products. Red Bull doesnt offer these choices. No patent on product - Red Bull doesnt have a patent on their product. This allows for other companies to create similar products to Red Bull without any

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consequences.

THREATS:
Competition- While Red Bull has been the world leader and brings in an annual $5 billion. Competitors have been close behind, but are gaining. Economy- With the fluctuation within the economy people have been spending less and looking for more for their money. Health concerns- The FDA has warnings posted against the consumption of energy drinks, related to health issues.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Would publicity of Red Bulls environmentally friendly efforts affect sales in the U.S.? Would this strategy be beneficial globally? If Red Bull increased their traditional advertising presence, would their brand become more recognizable? If Red Bull sponsored more mainstream American athletic events, would their sales in the United States increase? Would the sale of Red Bulls original product decrease if new flavors were introduced to the market? *** Does the price of Red Bull, compared to the competition, affect consumer purchase decisions when placed side by side? Would it be efficient to further expand distribution globally? *** If the U.S. government places higher restrictions on energy drinks will consumers more strongly consider long-term health risks.

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PRIMARY RESEARCH
Kinetic ideas used two forms of analysis to conduct our research on the West Virginia University college students views on Red Bull. The first form was an in-depth individual interview that lasted 25 to 30 minutes. All group members had the same set of questions printed out, and each member chose two people for convenient sampling while on campus to get their feelings on the Red Bull product and its competitors. The second form was an online survey conducted via Survey Monkey that contained questions pertaining to peoples thoughts and feelings on Red Bull and its competitors. This information was gathered via snowball sampling. Kinetic Ideas shared the survey on each of their individual Facebook pages, and asked everyone who took it to continue sharing it out. This method resulted in 132 submitted surveys.

ONLINE SURVEY
OVERVIEW:
The survey was performed via a survey hosting website, Survey Monkey, and was distributed to our people who fit our sample restrictions on Facebook. This allowed for participants to pass the survey along to others that fit the sample and provided a snowball effect for recruitment. Our aim was to get between 100 and 150 respondents between April 1st and 19th. When the survey was closed there were 132 responses. The survey took less than ten minutes to complete and contained 15 open and close-ended questions.

OBJECTIVES:
The survey was executed to gain qualitative and quantitative data from consumers about the price of Red Bull compared to the competition and the effects of publicized health risks on consumer purchase behavior. The objective was to gather between 100 and 150 surveys from West Virginia University students, age 18 and older.

PROJECT DETAILS:
An online survey was conducted to gain insight into the research questions stated in the first phase of the project. The surveys allowed us to collect a large amount of data in a relatively short amount of time through a network of respondents contacted through social media, such as Facebook. Convenient and snowball recruitment was used to gather recipients. After completion of the survey, respondents were encouraged to pass the link along to friends who fit the sample. The survey was distributed primarily on Facebook, this made it easy to share with West Virginia University Students. The survey allowed us

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to ask open and closed-ended questions to get some disparity in answers from each of the respondents. To complete the survey users had be at least 18 years old and currently attend WVU. From April 1st-19th, we collected 132 surveys, 129 of which were completed in entirety. This gave the survey a 92.5% completion rate over the set time. Questions were asked to gain insight that would help to answer the research questions we previously proposed.

ANALYSIS:
Our survey yielded 132 respondents during the time of April 1-19. After performing our survey we were able to view and analyze the results thus giving us insight into our Red Bulls consumers and possible future consumers. In relation to the consumption by our target, we found that a small percentage of our sample (6%) drink Red Bull everyday. The largest portion of the participants (32.6%) responded that they never drink Red Bull. We also considered whether the respondents were buying energy drinks per consumption or in a pack. 79.7% of respondents said they purchase single drinks, while 20.3% responded they buy energy drinks as part of a pack. Concerning the cost of an energy drink, the largest number of respondents (28.6%) said they would typically pay $2.50 for an energy drink. The smallest number of respondents (5.9%) said they typically pay $4.00 or more for energy drinks. A substantial number of respondents (a combined 83.2%) said they pay between $2.00 $3.00 for an energy drink. Price, however, was only a major purchasing factor to half of our respondents with 50% saying price effects their purchase and 50% saying price doesn't effect their purchase. A small majority (53.7%) said the size vs. the price of the drink effected their purchasing decision. An interesting find when respondents were asked if they typically consumed energy drinks with alcohol. While we initially thought a predominant percentage would consume energy drinks with alcohol, the largest portion of respondents (68%) responded they did not consume energy drinks with alcohol, while only 36% of respondents claimed they did. Regarding Red Bull's image our results found that of the top four energy drink brands, 47.8% of respondents said they preferred Red Bull. Though our respondents preferred Red Bull, 70.8% said they don't think people who drink Red Bull portray a certain image or lifestyle. Health seemed to be an issue for our respondents, 86.9% said they were aware of the health risks involved in energy drinks and 58.7% responding that they would buy the same amount of energy drinks if the negative health effects were publicized more.

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Although people would still buy the same amount of the product, 79.4% of respondents said they would choose a healthier option. Being that a majority of the respondents (68.7%) were ages 18-25 and the second most respondents (19.1%) were ages 25-30, we can draw important conclusions about our target.

Our findings found though most people don't drink energy drinks daily, when they do drink energy drinks Red Bull is the preferred choice. The price of the drink did not appear to matter as much as we initially though it might, however the cost of the drink in relation to its can size is a factor when deciding which drink to purchase. This information helps to explain why the percent change between respondents that preferred Red Bull and theses that preferred the next leading brand was only 1.3%. The image of Red Bull is not a major factor among our respondents. Our respondents seemed to consider health risks as a minor issue in choosing energy drinks, however they would choose the healthier option if it were available. The respondents valued the positive affects of the product more than they feared the negative ones. While some results supported some of our initial ideas out our target, our survey gave us clearer insight into

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the realities of our target.

IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW
OVERVIEW:
Between April 2nd and April 6th six interviewers conducted twelve in-depth interviews. The interviews took place in the West Virginia University Downtown Campus Library between 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm. The interviews were approximately twenty-five to thirtyfive minutes each.

OBJECTIVES:
In-depth interviews were conducted to gain detailed consumer insight about the price of Red Bull compared to competitors and the effects of publicized health risks on purchase behavior. The objective was to acquire information from the target audience that could lead to definite answers to the decided upon research questions.

PROJECT DETAILS:
Each group member interviewed two WVU students ages 18 an older. There were 12 interviews held at the West Virginia University Downtown Library April 2nd through April 6th. Interviewees werent chosen based on the amount of energy drinks they consume. We wanted to get opinions of both consumers and non-consumers. We chose a convenient recruiting method and chose to interview one male and one female or interviewed two students of the same gender. The main issues that were addressed during the in-depth interviews were prices, health risks, and the influence of brand popularity on purchase decisions. We discussed the influence of price compared to size and how it effects the consumers decision. The data was analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The questions were analyzed quantitatively by examining the simple yes/no response to questions. The data was also look at qualitatively by examining the interviewees reasons and opinions for their responses.

ANALYSIS:
The students who were interviewed believed that drinking Red Bull was accompanied by

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a presumed life style of being a stressed out, over worked, college student. All of the interviewees said that they drank energy drinks to accomplish a task, such as stay up late to study or just to have some energy to pay attention in class. Even though the people that were interviewed were all college students who more than likely dont have an expendable income, 83.33% said that their first choice in energy drink was either Red Bull or Sugar Free Red Bull, which is slightly more expensive than other brands. Most chose Red Bull because its the brand that theyve always drank, some even because it was more expensive because they perceived it as being of higher quality. Most said that they chose Red Bull because they liked the taste compared to the competition. When the interviewees were asked how much they typically paid for an energy drink the average minimum price was $3, compared to the actual price of a Red Bull (8.4 oz can), which is $1.99. This means that there is a +$1.01 gap between actual price and perceived price. Of the females that were interviewed, 100% said that Red Bull was the brand of energy drink that they typically purchased, while only 78.8% or the males that were interviewed chose Red Bull. The people interviewed consumed energy drinks an average of 1.25 1.68 times a week. Those that drink Red Bull had a higher average weekly consumption of 1.31 1.75 times a week. Of the Red Bull drinkers interviewed, females had a higher average weekly consumption, of 1.25 2.3 times a week, than men who on average consumed 1.13 1.46 times a week.
Frequency of Consumption Average Average RB Female RB Male RB 1.25 -1.68 a week 1.31 - 1.75 a week 1.25 - 2.3 a week 1.13 - 1.46 a week

Out of all of the interviewees, 58.33% were not affected by the price versus the size of the can when choosing which energy drink product to purchase. None of the female interviewees were affected by the size of the can compared to price, some even said that they chose Red Bull because of the smaller can size. 55.56% of males, however, were looking at the price per ounce and wanted to get the most product for the lowest price. This mindset contradicted with the number of male interviewees that typically purchased at a single time. The men we interviewed were more inclined to purchase single drinks versus packs even though the price per ounce in a pack of energy drinks is typically lower than that of a single drink.

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When asked if the interviewees were aware of the health risks that are associated with drinking energy drinks in excess 58.33% said yes, and 16.67% said somewhat. When asked if they would consume less energy drinks if the health risks of high consumption were publicized more, 41.67% of the interviewees said no. Most that said no said they still needed a way to get energy and they hadnt suffered any adverse effects yet so they werent that concerned. 75% of those interviewed said they would be willing to try a healthier version of Red Bull if it offered the same energy boost and had a similar taste. Some said that they would even being willing to switch if the price was slightly increased for the healthier product. Those who said they wouldnt try the healthier product were those typically choose to drink other brands of energy drinks. Interviewees willingness to try a new healthier Red Bull Product

Total Male Female

Would Try It 75.00% 77.78% 66.67%

Maybe 8.33% 11.11% 0%

Wouldn't Try It 16.67% 11.11% 33.33%

CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, this project helped our teams understand our client, business, and industry as thoroughly as possible. For the first phase of the project, we conducted extensive research and recorded and analyzed our findings. For the second phase of the project, we used our information from phase 1 to come up with recommendations for strategically marketing the product to a designated consumer segment using a variety of marketing communications. There are many things that weve learned about advertising research while conducting this research project. First, our group attained a general knowledge about secondary and primary research techniques. Second, our group learned the role and importance of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Third, our team gained a hands-on experience by developing hypothesis and research questions, collecting, primary and secondary data, and analyzing and reporting research findings. Additionally, our group learned the fundamentals of validity and reliability.

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Phase 2 of the project was a very valuable part of the assignment, in which we conducted several research methods to gain in-depth knowledge. While conducting focus groups, our team was able to gain group synergy and record valuable information regarding the buying habits of different Red Bull consumers. Our team members also conducted indepth, individual interviews to get detailed information about how the consumer thinks and feels about Red Bull. Additionally, our team conducted an online survey that was used to collect specific pieces of information from respondents, which were often quantitative. There were many steps in this project that were followed in order to obtain results from our research. Our team followed the steps of defining the advertising and research problems, designing a study, planning the data analysis, collecting and analyzing the data. All of these steps worked systematically to interpret the results and present conclusions.

SUGGESTIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF RESEARCH

The findings from our primary research gave us valuable insight into customers purchase habits and helped us to better understand their needs and concerns about energy drinks. From our findings we have compiled suggestions for Red Bull in reaction to our research. From the data that was gathered from the in-depth interviews, Kinetic Ideas suggests that Red Bull should develop a healthier product in order to appeal to females. While males are the major target audience of all energy drinks, our research shows that women actually drank Red Bull more times per week than males. While females wouldnt decrease the amount of energy drinks they consume now if the health risks were more publicized, they are likely to switch to a healthier product if it offered similar outcomes. A healthier product would also appeal to the already established male consumers. Most of the people interviewed said that they chose not to drink energy drinks everyday because they are aware of the long-term health risks. By providing a healthier product it would not only attract new consumers, but also encourage those who already consume energy drinks to drink them more often. It is obvious that providing a healthier product will mean finding higher quality ingredients and possibly a price increase. From our research we found that consumers already think that they are paying more than the actual price of an 8.4 oz. can of Red Bull. Specifically, from the in-depth interview, consumers perceived price is $1.01 more than the actual price. This means that Red Bull could increase prices the necessary amount to cover the cost of producing a higher quality, and healthier product.

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Our research also focused on how consumers felt about the price of Red Bull compared to the competition. In addition to finding that consumers think they pay more than they really do for the product, we also found that the size of the can compared to the price is more important to males than females. 100% of the females interviewed said that the price compared to the size of the can didnt matter at the time of purchase. Some respondents said that they preferred the smaller can size that Red Bull offered. In reaction to all of our findings we suggest that Red Bull expands their product line to include a healthier product that can expand their brands appeal to females. They can increase the price of the product to cover the costs of production and turn a product as long as it is within the perceived price that consumers have. This plan will increase recurrent and consistent consumption of a Red Bull product, appeal to a new target audience, women, and not discourage current consumers from trying a slightly more expensive product.

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Works Cited
Aeby, V, Barber-Heidal, K., Carpenter-Aeby, T, Malinauskas, B., & Overton, R.. (2007). A survey of energy drink consumption patterns among college students. Nutrition Journal,(6), p35-41, doi:10.1186/1475-2891-6-35 Brasel, S. A., & Gips, J. (2011). Red bull gives you wings for better or worse: A double-edged impact of brand exposure on consumer performance. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 21(1), 57-64. Bumgardner,W. (2012). About.com. Dangers of Energy Drinks. Retrieved February 24, 2012. From http://www.walking.about.com/od/fluids/a/caffeineenergy.htm. Day, S., (2004, April 4). Business; Energy Drinks Charm the Young and Caffeinated. The New York Times, retrieved 2/19/2012 retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/04/business/ business-energy-drinks-charm-theyoung-and-caffeinated.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm Diet Spotlight. (2012). Red Bull Energy Drink Review. Retrieved Feb18, 2012. From http://www.dietspotlight.com/red-bull-energy-drink-review/. Van Dusen, A. (2008). Know Whats in Your Energy Drink. Retrieved Feb. 28, 2012, from http://www.forbes.com/2008/09/23/energy-caffeine-drink-forbeslifecx_avd_0924health.html The Economist. (2002, May 9). Face value: Selling energy. The Economist, Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/node/1120373?story_id=1120373 Funding Universe. (3, 3 2011). Red bull gmbh. Retrieved from http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Red-Bull-GmbH-CompanyHistory.html Heckman, M.A., Sherry K. K., & Mejia E., (2010). Energy Drinks: An Assessment of Their Market Size, Consumer Demographics, Ingredient Profile, Functionality, and Regulations in the United States. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, (9), p303-317, doi: 10.1111/j.1541-4337.2010.00111.x Hosea, M. (2007, Sept). Running with the bulls. Brand Strategy, 20-23. Jacobson, J. (2011). Drinks and shots see energized sales. Beverage industry, 102(8), 1218. Mediamark Internet Reporter, Mediamark Research Inc., (Fall 2010). Energy Drinks

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Drank in Last 6 Months Total. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from MRI Plus database: http://www.mriplus.com Monster Energy (2012). Retrieved February 20, 2012. From http://www.monsterenergy.com/ Red Bull Flugtag USA. (2012) What is Flug? Rich in History. Sort of. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from http://www.redbullflugtagusa.com/what-is-flug Red Bull.(2010).Can Life Cycle. Retrieved February 16, 2012. From http://www.redbullusa.com/cs/Satellite/en_US/can-lifecycle/001242989766773. Red Bull.(2010). Who Makes Red Bull. Retrieved February 23, 2012. From http://www. Redbull.com/cs/Satellite/en_INT/company/001242939605518. Red Bull. (2010). Products. Retrieved February 20, 2012. From http://www.redbullusa.com/cs/Satellite/en_US/red-bull-energydrink/001242989766321 Rockstar Energy Drink (2012). Retrieved February 20, 2012. From http://www.rockstar69.com/ Screaming Energy. Red Bull Ratings. Retrieved February 23, 2012. From http://www.screamingenergy.com/energy_drink_9.php Skribd. (2012). Red Bull Building Brand Equity in Non Traditional Ways. Retrieved February 27, 2012. From http://www.skribd.com/doc/46876450/Red-BullBuilding-Brand-Equity-in-Non-Traditional-Ways. Shakeri, S. (2008). Bleacher Report. Red Bull Influence in Sports: What Makes It Unique? Retrieved February 20, 2012. From http://m.bleacherreprt.com/articles/34513-red-bull-influence-in-sports-whatmakes-it-unique Stein, N. (2011). LiveStrong.Com. Side Effects of Red Bull Energy Drink. Retrieved February 24. From http://www. livestrong.com/article/288122sideeffectsofRedBull. UKessays. (2003-2012). Red Bull. Retrieved February 27, 2012. From http://www.ukessays.com/essays/marketing/red-bull.php.

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APPENDIX:
RESEARCH PLAN:
The goal of this project is to determine how the consumer market feels about the Red Bull brand compared to other energy drink brands, what affects their purchase decisions when it comes to the energy drink market, and how sales may be affected. The research questions to be addressed are: 1. Does the price of Red Bull compared to the competition, affect consumer purchase decisions when placed side by side? 2. If the U.S. government places higher restrictions on energy drinks will consumers more strongly consider long-term health risks? Two research methods will be used to conduct the research, one qualitative and one quantitative. Kinetic Ideas will be conducting ten in-depth individual interviews that will last 25-30 minutes for each participant. This method has been chosen over a focus group as we, Kinetic Ideas, believe that the longer one on one interviews will allow for a more in depth idea of the consumers thoughts and feelings towards Red Bull. The second research method, the quantitative, shall be an in-depth survey conducted online. It will consist of 100 to 150 respondents. This method will be used as it allows for anonymity and is inexpensive, and we can quantify the data. The survey will also be able to reach a wide variety of people by being easily shared out on multiple media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. The research sample will consist of West Virginia University students, because they fit the target audience, and are an easily accessed resource. The sample size will consist of a minimum of 110 participants and a maximum of 160 participants, dependent on the number of survey answers. Recruitment will be done by random sampling around the campus to get a larger variety of samples and opinions. The data will be collected in two different ways. Each in-depth personal interview will be conducted in a quiet setting, using predetermined questions that will generate thought before response. Their answers will be recorded an

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IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW REFLECTIONS

JAKE STERN
This research project has been great way to help prepare me for my future, learn valuable tools while conducting interviews. I have gained a lot of knowledge regarding consumers buying habits and trends. There are many things that I learned when conducting these interviews. First, I learned that an interview could be conducted more efficiently when having prepared questions and notes. Second, I learned that it is important to include good follow up questions when conducting an interview. It is important for the person being interviewed to elaborate on their responses so the researcher can have a greater understanding and have more detailed information. Another thing that I learned from this interview is that use of a recorded for future interviews would be a more concrete and easier way to record responses. There are a few things that went poorly during this interview. First, it was somewhat difficult to find two people to interview during the times we set to meet in the library with the two different interviewees to conduct this interview. Additionally, while conducting this interview, there were other people talking in the library. In the future, I would try to conduct these interviews in a study room in the library so the atmosphere would be more private with fewer distractions. In conclusion, I learned several things from conducting this interview. I now know how to better prepare for an interview, which will be valuable to me in the future. This assignment was great preparation for me for my summer internship, as I will be working with various focus groups and conducting

ALEX MURTHA
Before the interview process began I thought I had an idea of how the respondents would answer some of the questions. During the Phase 1 research process, I learned just how dominating of a hold RedBull has on the global energy drink market (~80%). It easily is the most widely distributed energy drink in the world at 161 nations across the globe. Using those facts alone I foolishly inferred the respondents answers would reflect the gathered data; that the answers would be overwhelmingly in favor of RedBull. Needless to say, I got an interesting surprise. At first the respondents answers were mostly in favor of Red Bull. Interestingly, those who said they preferred Red Bull drank it much more frequently during the week (~2-3 more) compared to those who favored a competitors brand. Additionally, those of whom

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who favored Red Bull all similarly responded that they liked the size of the can compared to competitors brand. I found this intriguing considering the regular size can of Red Bull (8.4oz) is considerably smaller compared to standard sized Monster and Rock Star (both 16oz). Furthermore, those in favor of Red Bull seem to not let the high price of Red Bull (~$3) affect their purchasing decisions. From these findings alone I can infer a couple things about the surveyed consumers. First, that consumers of Red Bull may come from more affluent economic backgrounds, given the smaller amount compared to its high price. Secondly, those who choose competitors may choose them because of the value of twice the amount for 2/3 the price (~$2.21 +/10). Those two inferences, and yet that wasnt what I found most intriguing about the collected responses. About half the respondents chose competitors brands over Red Bull for a variety of reasons; most notably, the size of the can compared to the price. Also, those who favored the competitors frequently responded they enjoyed the wide variety of flavors instead of sugar-free or regular. Another thing I noticed throughout the interview process was that Red Bull drinkers seemed more susceptible to the advertising and lifestyle that Red Bull portrays in its media. Nearly all responded yes that Red Bull does give off a sense of ahead-of-thepack type vibe in its campaigns. But the contrast ends once we got around the health-related questions. About half of the respondents said they would drink less Red Bull if the related health warnings were more readily available/visible. The consumers choice in energy drinks didnt seem to affect the answers. Additionally, those who were worried about the health related risks of energy drinks were also the ones who previously answered they drank them less frequently on a weekly basis. I feel that the near even number of preferences can be attributed to the demographic I interviewed and the wide selection most convenience stores carry around college campuses. In short, wide variety equals more and more chances for consumers to pick competitors brands. It seems the price is the most undesirable trait of Red Bull, but with such a dominating hold on the global market, it seems much change isnt needed.

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KYLE HAYES
Advertising research encompasses many things. Formulating and conducting a survey as well as in person interviews are the fundamental parts of researching for the purpose of gaining information on a product. Through composing and conducting my survey I discovered how to accurately formulate and analyze a working advertising survey. The in person interviews taught me many things as well. I learned how to interact and get people talking about a topic they normally don't think about as well as share their opinions. The first step in developing our survey was to develop good survey questions. I found this to be the hardest part of the process. We learned in class how to properly formulate a good survey question. I remember trying to write them in class and feeling as if I was never quite hitting the mark. I felt a rush of anxiety when the mere thought of having to write more than one crossed my mind. Eventually I recovered from my brief moment of shock and took to writing. It was easier than I thought! Soon open ended questions and closed needed questions were flowing from me freely. After we selected the questions the task came of how to get them to the people we needed to answer them. That proved to be another challenge. Through the magic and wonder of Facebook and a little help from my friends, we were able to acquire the above and beyond the amount of respondents needed. The experience taught me that while gaining the right information is key, there is more than one way to ask the right questions. In person interviews are an area of advertising research I really enjoyed. I pride myself on my pout going personality. The in person interviews is an area where my outgoing personality proved to be my strongest asset. The key to an in person interview is to make the respondent feel as comfortable as possible. One of my respondents was young female about my age. She seemed to have a very staunch opinion about energy drinks, it was almost cynical. The problem I found with her was unwillingness to elaborate on her answers due to her initial dislike of the interview topic. Though that interview I continued to keep the mood light. I found that by keeping the mood light, I was able to elicit more elaborate responses from my subject. she even seemed to begin to enjoy being interviewed. This made the interview more enjoyable for the both of us. Another of my interview subjects was a young man also about 22 years old. He was not put off by the topic as much as he was kind of indifferent about the whole matter. Getting elaborate answers from him required the finesse of a car salesman and the wit of Sherlock Holmes. I had to think like him, in order to understand him, in order to get results. I got results. Soon we were laughing and talking about another topics than energy drinks. Making him feel comfortable allowed me to get responses from my respondents.

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Overall my first experience of conducting research first hand a was success. I formulated questions that effectively obtained important information. I was also able to put my personality to use and talk to some consumers in my target age. Advertising research is integral to the field of advertising and now I have the tools to perform research accurately.

CARLY MCELROY
I havent had much experience with personal interviews, having only done it once before in a previous class. One of the tougher parts of the in-depth personal interviews was finding two unbiased people to interview on Red Bull. I didnt decide that I would interview one boy and one girl, but decided that it would be better if I kept these interviews completely random and unbiased. So I approached whoever happened to be nearby and asked if they would be willing to sit down for an interview. I ended up interviewing two boys at random in different locations on the West Virginia University campus to hopefully get two different feelings towards the product. I was rejected by a few people for an interview, stating that they didnt drink energy drinks or just didnt feel comfortable being interviewed before finding two willing to sit down and participate. However, the overall hardest part of the in-depth personal interviews was generating talk with my interviewees beyond just the surface of the questions asked. I was able to see there, where a focus group may have been superior, because the participants can generate talk among themselves, while the in-depth interview relied on me guiding them and pressing for more complex and in-depth answers. The toughest questions for them to expand on and for me to help guide them toward an answer were: 1. Do you think that people who drink Red Bull portray a certain image or lifestyle? 2. Do you typically drink energy drinks in combination with alcohol? 3. Does the popularity of Red Bull influence your purchase? Why or why not? I feel like this is mainly due to the fact that these are yes or no questions for the most part, and people often just decide yes or no on a subject and then dont put much thought into the reasonings behind it after their initial decision. So these questions were asking them to not only just state how they felt, but to give an in-depth answer as to what makes them think this way. However the boys were both cooperative and willing to let me pick at them to get lengthier answers. I am glad that my group chose to do the in-depth personal interview though. I feel that I got more personal answers because it was one on one session and I got to know who I was interviewing, the target, better than if I was observing a focus group. I also think that the answers given to me were more personal

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because they were willing to open up, and werent being influenced by their peers own opinions.

Overall though I do think the interviews went well because we generated a lot of insightful answers and got honest opinions on Red Bull and its competitors. I wouldnt change the way we did our interviews, or the option we chose. Itd be nice to do a focus group sometime just to get the experience of it. However, I believe that I got quality honest answers doing the in-depth interviews, and the information will be very useful towards the overall research project

DREW BARNHART
I was happy that the group decided to conduct an in-depth interview because I have experience conducting one-on-one interviews as part of my job. The in-depth interview turned out to be much different than the traditional interviews that I am accustomed to organizing. Conducting two in-depth interviews was a learning experience. Gaining experience with this research technique made the pros and cons of this type of research much more apparent. This being the first time I conducted such an interview, I have many things that I would do differently in the future, but I am not unhappy with the groups decision to utilize the in-depth interview for our research project. When choosing to conduct in-depth interviews versus a focus group we thought about the pros and cons of each. The in-depth interview guarantees that each interviewee will have the opportunity to answer each questions completely and no one personality will dominate the conversation. The in-depth interview gave us the opportunity to provide a more personal setting so that the interviewee felt comfortable responding and giving detailed answers to our questions. This setting also offered an opportunity for me, the interviewer, to expand on questions and drift slightly from the interviewers guide in order to get more information. While the focus group setting offers a chance for open discussion between consumers, the in-depth interview gives the interviewer to dig deeper when certain responses peek their interest. Even though we chose to conduct the in-depth interview instead of the focus group, the in-depth interview had flaws that the focus group didnt. For example, in a focus group one response may trigger a response from one of the interviewees that they wouldnt have come up with on their own in an in-depth interview. There is also the aspect of time, you get far more opinions during the length of a focus group compared to an interview with one person. The in-depth interviews also give the interviewer the possibility to coach the

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interviewee, whether its intended or not. This can distort the research and have a major effect on the overall data collected. With both types of research, there is the trouble of interpreting the data effectively because it is qualitative research not quantitative. There are certain parts of the in-depth interview that went well, and parts that went poorly. The in-depth interview style offered a lot of detailed information from the interviewee and provided more extensive answers than we could collect from an Internet survey. I conduct interviews for articles frequently so I know how to coax answers out of the interviewee and how to make the interview more conversational. This was a great advantage even though the situations werent the same. In traditional interviews for articles I try to get the interviewee to relax and say certain things that I can quote. In the in-depth interview I wasnt searching for a quote, I simply wanted their opinions and feelings about the product. Because the in-depth interview was a one-on-one discussion, if the interviewee wasnt very outgoing it was difficult to get them talking. This would most likely be an issue in a focus group setting too. There was also difficulty transcribing everything that the interviewee said because they were talking at a fast pace. I encountered both of these problems in the two interviews I conducted. The female I interviewed was very talkative and outgoing. She had the tendency to get off topic and I had to reel her back in to the topic. This made it difficult to write down her answers and also led to omission of parts of her interview because it was off topic. The male I interview was very shy and was uncomfortable with the situation. He was also clearly uncomfortable with me taking notes while trying to carryon a somewhat casual conversation. With both interviews I had to adjust my personality and interviewing style to conduct the most effective interview and to make the interviewee feel comfortable. In the future there will be many things that I do differently in order to increase the effectiveness of the in-depth interview. I would record the interview so that instead of concentrating on writing everything down, I would have more opportunity to talk to the interviewee and encourage them to expand on specific responses. Also, when we were creating the interviewers guide I would suggest more open ended questions rather than ones that required only short responses. The questions we came up with made it vital for the interviewer to create situations that encouraged explanation so that the interview didnt feel like a face-to-face survey. In conclusion I believe that the two interviews that I conducted went well and the group gained valuable information about our research questions.

MEREDITH PETRASEK

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Meeting with two WVU students, I spoke with a 21-year-old male and 22 year old female. As I interviewed these two students some of their answers were similar but most were very different. I chose one boy and one girl to reduce a bias. The objective for these interviews was to gather information about energy drinks straight from the consumers. I learned about which energy drinks they preferred, costs, and their knowledge concerning health risks. It was interesting to see that for some, Red Bull doesnt appeal to everyone as much as I thought, while others have strong consumer loyalty. The one student was a huge fan of Red Bull, while the other actually preferred Monster. Getting feedback from two different points of view really added great variety to my research. I found it very helpful that I wasnt getting the same answers and their interviews werent repetitive. When it came to prices of energy drinks one student preferred to get more and pay less while the other didnt mind spending more money for a smaller can. Most consumers want to spend less and get more in return, but as I learned from my interviews not everyone minds spending a few extra dollars on a brand they love. With Red Bull being one of the most common energy drinks around campus, I had asked if they were aware of the health risks. Both students recognized that energy drinks arent the healthiest, but couldnt identify any actual health risks. The fact that Red Bull and other energy drinks dont advertise the risks and health effects might end up hurting consumers in the long run. If the risks were advertised more, surprisingly only one of the students would stop purchasing the product while the other didnt mind. Maybe if there were advertisements similar to health risk products such as cigarettes and alcohol, it would affect consumers. Since Red Bull is constantly being advertised and making its presence known, I was interested to see if Red Bulls advertisements and popularity influenced consumers to purchase their product over competitors. The one student admitted they were highly influenced to try Red Bull from its reputation around campus. This student is very brand conscious and likes to purchase products that have a sophisticated reputation. My interviews were difficult to compare, but seemed the most similar when it came to recognizing Red Bull as representing a certain lifestyle. This goes to show that Red Bulls advertisements have been effective in efficiently demonstrating this appealing lifestyle. Red Bull has done their job as a brand to become recognized and withhold strong brand equity. I have interviewed students before but never for this type of research. I enjoyed getting to learn straight from the consumers and how they respond to different brands, prices, etc. In

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my opinion I feel that the interviews overall were successful. The students were great at being genuine and saying exactly what was on their mind. Something I would change for a future interview is to have more time. This would allow me to gain more feedback, which would be more beneficial to my research.