Jérôme Bouchat, director of Nielsen Sport, revealed to Eurosport how the giant Red Bull usually makes its investments in sport, following the leak of information that the company is planning to make a significant investment in the BORA-hansgrohe team.
Company has big ambitions
“When the group uses such means, it is not to make simple appearances,” Bouchat told Eurosport, explaining how, as Red Bull has shown in the past and in different sports, its objectives go far beyond simple sponsorship. “In this specific case, there is also, above all, a certain logic, but also a continuity”.
Red Bull actually has interests that span across the sporting world. “They have a strategy that they have already applied in Formula 1, as well as in football with Leipzig, Salzburg or New York,” explains Bouchat.
Initial investment must be in the structure
“They first invest in the structure before implementing their know-how. Red Bull is a sponsor unlike any other. It is at the same time a brand, a content creator, a competition creator, an advertising agency, a media agency as well. They employ great means.”
“The objective will clearly be to compete with teams with bigger budgets,” continues Bouchat. “Cycling is perhaps at a fundamental point of change. And even though the Austrian company’s ultimate goal is to sell the drink, it has also proven that it is capable of generating money and profit by investing differently,” he concluded.