Not strictly a digital mess-up but we feel this is worth sharing. A document leaked to Marketing Magazine this week has revealed that Red Bull had planned to carry out some decidedly dodgy field marketing techniques in Wetherspoons pubs this month, following the loss of their contract to supply the chain to US rival Monster Energy.
The idea was as follows:
“Action. To go into JDW sites that are now stocking Monster and 'smuggle' some cans of Red Bull into consume on site.”
If these top secret Red Bull consumers are caught in the act they are instructed that it is “vital that they DO NOT say they work for Red Bull and simply say they don't like the taste of Monster so brought in their own supply of Red Bull”.
And the reason for doing all this? “for staff and managers to see and feedback that their customers are not happy about Monster being stocked and are even bringing in their own supply [of Red Bull] to consume”.
Needless to say, JD Wetherspoon and Monster Energy are less than impressed. As for us, we didn’t even realise this type of skullduggery went on in this day and age. Whether or not the activity was actually carried out is unclear. Has anybody noticed suspicious-looking yet highly energetic Red Bull drinkers in their local Wetherspoons of late?
Read the full article here.