According to its advertising slogan, the energy drink Red Bull has wings. But it has a magazine, too.
The magazine now has a total circulation of 4.6 million worldwide in 10 countries with last month’s launch of the U.S. version of the company’s Red Bulletin by Red Bull USA in Santa Monica. The local subsidiary of Fuschl am See, Austria-based energy drink manufacturer Red Bull GmbH said it will distribute 1.2 million copies in the United States.
The 100-page branded monthly is produced by Red Bull Media House North America. The company’s media division was founded in 2007 and operates separately from the energy drink business. The magazine offers plenty of pictures of and features on Red Bull’s 100 sponsored athletes, but also runs original articles designed to appeal to its core demographic audience of males 15-34. Subjects include travel tips, workout advice and even recipes. Nevertheless, the magazines are marketing vehicles designed to sell energy drinks. Its tagline is “An almost independent monthly magazine.”
But isn’t this the age of the print-killing Internet?
“Any magazine launching in this economy is tough,” said Carla Blanco, publisher and co-founder of Westlake Village-based 3Digit Media LLC. “It’s a difficult market from an advertising and circulation standpoint even if they have the capital. The sophisticated reader might dismiss branded content as purely advertising.”
The drink maker’s publishing division has a staff of hundreds of journalists and photographers worldwide who produce TV, film, print, mobile and digital products. For example, Media House will produce 30 hours of television for major networks in North America this year.
The American edition of Red Bulletin will be available on more than 20,000 newsstands nationwide for $4.99 or by subscription for $12 a year. It will also be inserted in Sunday editions of major newspapers such as the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News and Miami Herald.
“Like any media company, we seek to generate revenue from content in lifestyle, culture and sports,” said Werner Brell, managing director of Red Bull Media House North America. “We have a long-term commitment to grow the magazine business and aggressively build a subscriber base, strong single-copy sales and an iPad app.”
Red Bull, which ranks No. 13 on the Business Journal’s list of U.S. headquarters of foreign companies, is privately held and would not disclose the American magazine’s startup costs or whether it intends to make the magazine a standalone profitable venture.
Outside advertisers pay as much as $44,900 for a full-page color advertisement, according to the company’s rate sheet. Rates for the full international package are $119,000 for a full-color page. Other countries in the international package include Great Britain, Germany, Austria, South Africa and New Zealand.
