Red Bull brand under pressure: Company heir on Interpol wanted list
In Austria, Red Bull’s co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz is currently being praised and courted by media for having advanced on Forbes world’s richest list to rank 87 and for being as wealthy as never before, with a total fortune of $14 billion, which also makes him the richest Austrian by far.
The company itself is estimated by Bloomberg to have reached a record corporate value of approximately $28 billion, making it one of the most valuable beverage makers in the world. The value is not just built upon the sweet caffeine-cum-taurine drink, but also on smart brand building through various sports and entertainment events which makes the brand image a sensitive one.
That said, there is a dark side of Red Bull, and this seems to be its Thai co-owners.
On September 12, Interpol finally put 35-year-old Red Bull heir Vorayuth Yoovidhya on its most wanted list, also known as red list, fulfilling long-delayed a request by Thai police.
Vorayuth is wanted in a deadly hit-and-run case when he ran and killed over a Bangkok police officer in 2012. He had since avoided meeting prosecutors ever since, and his case has raised questions about authorities being lenient in cases involving wealthy suspects like him, and possible involvement of tea money.
Vorayuth left Thailand in April 2017, only days before authorities finally issued an arrest warrant. His Thai passport was later revoked. While he was last spotted in London, his current whereabouts are unknown.
On social media, the owner family of Red Bull (or Kratin Daeng, as it is known in Thailand, has been slammed for how it helped covering the case and for its alleged tax avoidance exposed by the media. Many called for an outright boycott of the drink and all related brand activities.
Probably, Red Bull’s Austrian management should issue a statement on the as the Thai owners are seemingly not going to give an apology. After all, Vorayuth is in not in the best company on the Interpol wanted list, which is actually a massive marketing accident for Red Bull that hasn’t really unfolded yet.
In Austria, Red Bull's co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz is currently being praised and courted by media for having advanced on Forbes world's richest list to rank 87 and for being as wealthy as never before, with a total fortune of $14 billion, which also makes him the richest Austrian by far. The company itself is estimated by Bloomberg to have reached a record corporate value of approximately $28 billion, making it one of the most valuable beverage makers in the world. The value is not just built upon the sweet caffeine-cum-taurine drink, but also on smart brand building through various sports...
In Austria, Red Bull’s co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz is currently being praised and courted by media for having advanced on Forbes world’s richest list to rank 87 and for being as wealthy as never before, with a total fortune of $14 billion, which also makes him the richest Austrian by far.
The company itself is estimated by Bloomberg to have reached a record corporate value of approximately $28 billion, making it one of the most valuable beverage makers in the world. The value is not just built upon the sweet caffeine-cum-taurine drink, but also on smart brand building through various sports and entertainment events which makes the brand image a sensitive one.
That said, there is a dark side of Red Bull, and this seems to be its Thai co-owners.
On September 12, Interpol finally put 35-year-old Red Bull heir Vorayuth Yoovidhya on its most wanted list, also known as red list, fulfilling long-delayed a request by Thai police.
Vorayuth is wanted in a deadly hit-and-run case when he ran and killed over a Bangkok police officer in 2012. He had since avoided meeting prosecutors ever since, and his case has raised questions about authorities being lenient in cases involving wealthy suspects like him, and possible involvement of tea money.
Vorayuth left Thailand in April 2017, only days before authorities finally issued an arrest warrant. His Thai passport was later revoked. While he was last spotted in London, his current whereabouts are unknown.
On social media, the owner family of Red Bull (or Kratin Daeng, as it is known in Thailand, has been slammed for how it helped covering the case and for its alleged tax avoidance exposed by the media. Many called for an outright boycott of the drink and all related brand activities.
Probably, Red Bull’s Austrian management should issue a statement on the as the Thai owners are seemingly not going to give an apology. After all, Vorayuth is in not in the best company on the Interpol wanted list, which is actually a massive marketing accident for Red Bull that hasn’t really unfolded yet.
