Red Bull and Coca-Cola are the two most famous drinks brands which are being used all around the globe. Both drinks have different ingredients and are being used for different purposes; moreover, a little tin of these drinks dramatically impacts our physical, social, and mental health.
The Red Bull is one of the best and most popular energy drinks that uplifts the energy and boosts your physical and mental performance. On the other hand, people drink Coca-Cola for enjoyment and to refresh their bodies and spirit.
Anyhow, these drinks have not only covered a massive place in the supermarket but in our homes, too. Though there are tons of similarities between these competitors, their differences are more; therefore, this article is about the 9 differences you might not know between Red Bull and Coca-Cola.
Without further ado, let’s get into the difference.
Coca-Cola & Red Bull – A General Overview
Our all-time favorite Coca-Cola Company is a non-alcoholic bottling company with one of the most well-known brand tags in the world. It is home to over 500 beverage brands – 20 billion-dollar brands, including Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Fanta, and Sprite.
The Coca-Cola Company’s Chairman and CEO are James Quincey. Quincey has had several senior positions at the organization since joining in 1996. In 2017, he was positioned as CEO, and in 2019, he became the Chairman of the Board.
Coca-Cola has a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 89.9 out of 100 and a matching AAA+ brand strength grade. These criteria make it the world’s strongest brand in the food and non-alcoholic drink industries.
On the other hand, Red Bull is an Austrian corporation founded by Dietrich Mateschitz in 1987 that only distributes one product: an energy drink containing taurine packaged in a slim, silver-colored, 8.3-ounce can. The drink has proven a massive hit with the company’s target audience of younger people worldwide.
Chaleo Yoovidhya introduced Krating Daeng, which means “Red Gaur” in English, to Thailand in 1976. It was well-liked among Thai truck drivers and laborers. Mateschitz and Yoovidhya co-founded Red Bull GmbH in 1984 and grew it into an established brand.
Caffeine, taurine, B vitamins, and sugar – all are primary constituents in Red Bull.
All of these ingredients provide an energy boost in the near term. Red Bull is an energy drink that can be used to combat mental or physical tiredness.
It mixes two natural chemicals that operate as critical metabolic transmitters; taurine and glucuronolactone. These two compounds mix up with energizing caffeine, other nutrients, and carbohydrates to offer the taste that we call a quick “power pack.”
Red Bull Vs. Coca-Cola: 9 Differences You Might Not Know
Although both energy drink brands claim to provide instant energy, refreshment, and power booster, they differ in numerous ways.
Their nutritional facts, ingredients, effects on human health, and advertising strategies differ in all ways. Also, the companies have different net worth and competitors. Let’s see how Red Bull and Coca-Cola differ from each other;
1) Nutrition Facts of Coca-Cola & Red Bull
There is a huge comparison between both of these brands as these are some dominating drinks worldwide.
Having a fresh and energizing day without any mental and physical tiredness is everyone’s dream. So, to attain this quantity, you would need to consume more than six cans of 12-ounce (355-ml) Coke or four of Diet Coke of 12-ounce (355-ml) every day.
For most adults, as researchers say, 400 mg of caffeine per day is considered safe; however, limiting your daily caffeine intake to 200 mg per day can help lower your chance of adverse side effects.
The nutrition facts of Coca-Cola are:
- Energy (Cal): 43 cal
- Energy (kJ): 180 kJ
- Total Fat: 0.0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.0 g
- Protein: 0.0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.6 g
- Sugars: 10.6 g
- Sodium 10.0 mg
Drink a couple of cans a day? According to Kelly Hogan, R.D., a clinical nutrition coordinator at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, “the calories in energy drinks (168 in a 12-ounce Red Bull can) are largely attributable to the sugar content and likely to lead to weight gain if drunk over time.”
It’s a lot better than ordinary Red Bull, which has the same amount of caffeine as this one. However, there are 27g of sugar in each serving. So if you’re a Red Bull lover, we recommend opting for the sugar-free version.
The nutrition facts of Red Bull are:
- Calories: 112
- Protein: 1.2 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Carbs: 27 grams
- Sugar: 27 grams
- Caffeine: 75 mg
Can you believe the caffeine of 1 can of Red Bull is equal to 15 cokes?
2) Ingredients Used In Coca-Cola & Red Bull
Like nutrition facts, there is also a massive difference in these ingredients between Coca-Cola and Red Bull. Moreover, Coca-Cola has a bit of a shortlist of components as compared to Red Bull.
Robinson and Asa Griggs Candler, the Coca-Cola Company’s first president, tweaked Pemberton’s original formulation somewhat. However, many of the original taste elements remained in the recipe, such as vanilla, nutmeg, cardamom, and citrus oils.
Artificial sweeteners, which may have addictive properties, are used to replace natural sugar in diet sodas. They activate taste receptors that sense sweetness and anticipate sugar, according to Msora-Kasago, thereby priming the brain for a reward that never arrives.
Ingredients in Coca-Cola are:
- Carbonated water
- Sugar
- Caffeine
- Phosphoric acid
- Caramel color (E150d)
- Natural flavorings
Ingredients, because of the additives, Red Bull is costly. Red Bull is created according to a precise formula; therefore, it isn’t as inexpensive to produce other soft drinks.
In addition, red Bull contains some ingredients claimed to make you feel more alert and active; however, these ingredients are more pricey.
Ingredients in Red Bull are:
- Original
- Sugarfree
- Total Zero (no calories)
- Red Edition Watermelon
- Ruby Edition Pink Grapefruit (UK-only)
- Blue Edition Blueberry
- Yellow Edition Tropical (tropical fruit/mango-papaya)
- Yellow Edition Sugar-Free Tropical Fruit
- Orange Edition Sugarfree Orange
- Green Edition Kiwi-Apple
- Green Edition Refreshing Splash (citrus lime) (Japan-only)
- Purple Edition Açai
- Purple Edition Sugarfree Açai Berry
- White Edition (“Coconut Edition” in the UK and US) Coconut & Berry
- White Edition Fresh Breeze (white peach) (Japan-only)
- Peach Edition Peach-Nectarine
- Lime Edition Lime
- Lime Edition Sugar-Free Limeade
- Simply Cola
- Ginger Ale
- Summer Edition Dragon Fruit (2021)
- Summer Edition Cactus Fruit (2021) (UK-only)
3) Net Worth and Employees of Coca-Cola & Red Bull
Coca-Cola is among one the biggest brands in the entire world. Therefore Coke has a considerable amount of net worth and employees.
According to the sources, in just 2019, the net worth of Coke was US$8.92 billion with Total Assets of US$86.38 billion and a Total Equity of US$18.98 billion. The employee’s list working for Coca Cola brand is enormous as in 2019, it was around 86,200.
On the other hand, Red Bull sells more than 5 billion cans in over 167 countries every year.
In February 2021, Red Bull company employed more than 10,410 workers and generated around 4 billion dollars in revenue with a total net worth of US$28.2 billion.
4) Coca-Cola & Red Bull: Effects on Human Health
The damage that a 330 milliliter (ml) can of Coca-Cola may inflict on the body during an hour of consumption is depicted in this infographics by British pharmaceutical Niraj Naik.
Coca-Cola’s intense sweetness, owing to its high sugar level, should make a person puke as it enters the body, according to Naik. But, on the other hand, the phosphoric acid in the beverage reduces the sweetness, making it easier to consume.
According to Naik, blood sugar levels rise rapidly within 20 minutes of consuming the cola, creating an insulin surge. The liver then converts the excess sugar to fat.
In the age range of 28, consuming more than one 8.4-ounce (260-ml) dose of Red Bull may raise the risk of caffeine overdose. Nausea, vomiting, hallucinations, anxiety, high heart rate, dizziness, problems sleeping, and seizures are all symptoms of caffeine intoxication.
Energy beverages such as Red Bull can produce anxiety, high blood pressure, heart palpitations, caffeine intoxication, and withdrawal in young people.
While teenagers’ energy drinks may be used to study, long-term mega-doses of caffeine are harmful to the brain. The addiction to energy drinks is genuine. Energy drinks contain caffeine and sugar, leading to a severe dependency on these items for people to feel like they are working normally.
5) Advertising Strategies of Coca-Cola & Red Bull
Having a marketing plan designed specifically for the company has helped it gain significant global brand awareness.
Coca-Cola’s marketing strategy is like that of other businesses based on the well-known marketing mix of the “4Ps”: Product, Price, Promotion, and Place. Coca-Cola Company: advertising spending from 2014 through 2020.
Coca-Cola has spent an average of $4 billion each year advertising worldwide over the past six years.
Over a quarter of that amount is spent in the United States, with 913 million dollars spent in 2018. Red Bull has been airing commercials with the catchphrase “Red Bull gives you wings” since 1997.
Commercials were frequently animated and featured characters who squinted constantly. The international marketing campaign for Red Bull focuses on young guys who enjoy extreme sports like Motorcycle speedway, mountain biking, BMX, or motocross.
That’s why all their commercials usually feature sports like windsurfing, snowboarding, skateboarding, wakeboarding, cliff-diving, parkour, skating, or others.
Red Bull has a very interesting marketing strategy by using music and video games and has sought the help of superstars like Eminem (sponsoring the Red Bull “EmSee Battle Rap championships”). It holds art exhibitions and the “Red Bull Flugtag” (German for “flight day” or “flying day”).
6) Competitors Of Coca-Cola & Red Bull
Keurig, DDrr. Pepper, Tropicana Products, PepsiCo, Britvic, Red Bull, Fever-Tree, and Monster Beverage are among the Coca-Cola Company’s major competitors.
Coca-Cola and its competitors use a combination of strategies to engage customers and foster loyalty, including marketing, a comprehensive product line, competitive pricing, beautiful packaging, as well as technology.
Red Bull stands out as a challenge to firms like “Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Monster” for various reasons. However, red Bull’s innovative communication techniques are the key reason they outperform their competitors.
Red Bull focuses primarily on event sponsorship and word-of-mouth marketing; still, sampling, point-of-purchase displays, celebrity endorsement, and traditional advertising and promotion methods (social media) are crucial.
Their communication strategies are particular because they elicit brand emotion and have a transformative effect. When people think of Red Bull, they think of rebelliousness, adventure, uniqueness, energy, and freedom; this appeal has aided in building a brand community.
The youth are drawn not only to the goods but also to the kinship and excitement and the brand’s acclaim. Furthermore, Red Bull’s brand image appeals to how young people see themselves and/or aspire to be seen.
7) Logo Designs of Coca-Cola & Red Bull
John Pemberton’s bookkeeper Frank Mason Robinson designed the Coca-Cola logo in 1885. Robinson invented the name and chose cursive writing for the design.
Dr. John Pemberton’s bookkeeper Frank Mason Robinson devised Coca-Cola’s flowing lettering, who realized the two curly ‘C’s would look wonderful in advertising.
The Red Bull logo has been around since 1987. Dietrich Mateschitz, the company’s owner, tried the Thai energy drink “Krating Daeng” (which translates to “red bull” in English).
He was so taken aback by it that the concept for the new product and its logotype came to him almost instantly. Two red bulls squabbling in front of a gold spot make up the symbol, defined as the sun.
8) Coca-Cola & Red Bull: Biggest Consumer by Country
Mexico had the most significant consumption of carbonated soft drinks in 2019, with approximately 630 8-ounce cups per year. The United States came in second with nearly the same amount, while Brazil came in third with less than half the amount of soft drinks eaten by Mexicans that year.
According to its most recent figures, the Fuschl, Austria-based company sold more than 20 million cans of its eponymous soda every day in 2019. That works out to around 850,000 cans each hour. The fastest-growing markets were India (up 37%), Brazil (30%), and Africa (up 30%). (up 25 percent).
9) Colors Of Coca-Cola & Red Bull
Beyond the taste and ingredients, the cans of Coca-Cola and Red Bull are also meaningful.
Coca-Cola is famous for its white script on the red background; this red color represents passion, energy, power, and excitement; swirling white text also portrays passion. The color scheme of this can also stimulate excitement, energy, and passion. This popping color also stimulates the appetite!
The red and blue color of Red Bull can also speak loud: the red color of Red Bull is the color of life, vitality, and passion, while the blue color indicates strength and confidence.
Our Takeaway:
If we think about any energy drink, the name that hits first our mind is Red Bull, and similarly, if we are craving a fizzy drink probably, we will rush for Coca-Cola.
These two famous and tasty drinks have many differences, from their ingredients to the color of a can. The users are always enthusiastic to know these drinks in detail and depth; thus, we have covered the 9 differences in this article.
You can read to come to unveil what wonders and surprises these little cans bring along.