Why Did Red Bull Send a Man Into Space?

On October 14, 2012, millions of people were staring at their screens, watching a man prepare to jump from nearly 24 miles above Earth.

His name was Felix Baumgartner.

He stepped out of a capsule, looked down at the planet, and jumped.

At its peak, more than 8 million people were watching live on YouTube at the same time.

And the company behind the whole thing?

Red Bull.

Yes, the energy drink.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve never needed to jump from space to enjoy an energy drink. Honestly, I don’t even know how those two things ended up in the same conversation.

But that’s exactly what makes this interesting.

Nobody was sitting around waiting for an energy drink commercial that day.

They wanted to see whether this man could actually pull off something that seemed impossible.

And Red Bull gave them that experience.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting.

We could look at that moment and say Red Bull created one of the greatest marketing campaigns ever.

And maybe we’d be right.

But I think we’d miss something much bigger.

Five years before that jump, Red Bull established its own media company, Red Bull Media House.

Not just a department responsible for posting on social media.

An actual operation built to produce and distribute entertainment.

Films. Documentaries. Sporting events. Music. Dance competitions. Stories about people doing extraordinary things.

Today, Red Bull Media House works with more than 1,000 distribution partners worldwide.

Think about that for a second.

Red Bull sells a product you can finish in a few minutes.

But it creates experiences people can watch, share, talk about, and come back to long after the can is empty.

They’ve given people reasons to experience the company that have nothing to do with being thirsty or needing energy.

And that got me thinking about how the rest of us approach business.

Why do we keep separating entertainment from business?

Look at what’s happening around us.

Celebrities are launching podcasts. Conversations that once required a television network are now happening on YouTube. People are spending hours watching personalities, listening to stories, and following shows they genuinely enjoy.

Meanwhile, many businesses are still approaching content the same way.

Here’s our product.

Here’s our service.

Here’s why you should buy.

Here’s another reason you should buy.

And don’t forget, we’re running a special!

I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with promoting what you sell.

You have a business to run.

But what if people could experience your business without always being asked to purchase something?

What if you created something they actually looked forward to?

Entertainment gives people another way in.

This is the part I really want you to think about.

Not everybody discovers a business because they’re searching for its product.

Some people discover it through a conversation. Some through an experience. Others through a story that reminds them of themselves or introduces them to something completely different.

And that’s the beauty of entertainment.

People get to decide for themselves what they connect with.

Take Red Bull.

Someone might love the extreme sports. Someone else enjoys watching people race homemade cars down a hill. Another person connects with the music or dance competitions.

They all have different interests, but each has found a reason to engage with the same company.

And here’s the opportunity I think more businesses should recognize.

Entertainment can introduce your company to people who might never have considered becoming customers.

At the same time, it gives people who already buy from you another reason to stay connected.

Those are two different opportunities happening through the same experience.

You’re expanding the number of ways people can discover you while strengthening the relationships you’ve already established.

You don’t have to start by trying to build some massive community.

You can start by creating something people enjoy.

Let them connect with what speaks to them.

And no, you don’t need Red Bull’s budget.

I know what you might be thinking.

“Touré, that’s great. But Red Bull has money. I have invoices.”

Fair point.

But I’m not suggesting you send somebody to the edge of space.

I’m suggesting you rethink what your company is capable of creating.

Imagine a real estate company producing a show about the people, neighborhoods, and experiences that make a city interesting.

Someone could watch it for years before ever considering buying a home.

Or imagine a nonprofit creating a recurring conversation series about life, family, culture, and the experiences of the people it serves.

The audience wouldn’t have to show up because they were interested in making a donation.

They could simply enjoy the conversation.

A construction company could create a show around the personalities, challenges, and unexpected stories that happen on job sites.

People might tune in because the stories are funny, surprising, or genuinely interesting.

And somewhere along the way, they’re getting to know the people behind the work.

Your business doesn’t always have to be the subject of the entertainment. It can be the reason the entertainment exists.

That’s a very different way to think about creating content.

But here’s the part we can’t overlook.

Red Bull didn’t build its entertainment operation by treating every experience as another advertisement.

It built the capability to create, produce, and distribute stories people wanted to experience.

That required more than creativity.

It required people, decisions, resources, partnerships, and a way to keep the work moving.

And that’s where the system comes in.

Because having a great idea for a show is one thing.

Building a business that can consistently create that show, reach an audience, and maintain the quality of the experience is something else.

So before running out to buy microphones and cameras, I’d ask a different question.

What could your company create that people would genuinely enjoy, even if they never bought anything from you?

Then ask yourself what it would take to make that experience happen consistently.

Maybe it’s a monthly conversation.

Maybe it’s a short weekly show.

Maybe it’s documenting interesting stories already happening around your business.

It doesn’t have to be complicated.

But it does need to be intentional.

And remember, entertainment doesn’t replace delivering a great product or service.

You still have to do what you promised.

The entertainment simply creates more opportunities for people to get to know you, spend time with you, and decide whether they want a deeper relationship with your business.

The move most people miss.

Most businesses are focused on getting more people to see what they sell.

Red Bull gives us a reason to consider something else.

What if you gave people more reasons to experience who you are?

Because someone doesn’t have to be your customer to enjoy something you’ve created.

And someone who is already your customer doesn’t have to stop interacting with you after the transaction.

We spend so much time thinking about how to get people into our businesses that we sometimes overlook all the different reasons they might want to be there.

Maybe the next opportunity isn’t another advertisement.

Maybe it’s creating something worth coming back for.

And maybe, just maybe, your business has a lot more to offer people than the thing on your invoice.

Until next time,

— Touré

P.S. You don't need Red Bull's budget to start creating something people want to watch.

If you host conversations, create content, or want to turn your ideas into more opportunities, why not give it a try? See what you can build from

If you've been thinking about launching a show for your business, LOOP gives you a place to start. Host live conversations, bring on guests, and use its content tools to turn those conversations into clips and posts that reach beyond the original broadcast.

​Explore Loop and start creating your show→​

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