How Monster Energy Drove 8.4M Views with F1-Related Content

Purpose of This Research

‍Uncover Monster Energy's content and marketing approach for engaging the F1 audience online:

• ‍Evaluate key partnerships and sponsorships
• Analyze high-performing F1-related content
• Examine product collaboration and launch strategies

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Activation Breakdown™ — Key Trends

Partnership Overview

• Monster Energy has been a team partner of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One since 2010, prominently featuring their logo on team wear, fan wear, driver's uniform, and gear.

Search Interest

• While search interest for "Monster F1" and "Monster Formula 1" has been increasing, it remains significantly lower compared to the much higher search volume generated by "Red Bull Racing," which received 17 times more searches.

Social Content

• Post Cadence: Monster has shared a total of 114 F1-related posts on its main social accounts in the past three years. There was a significant decline in Monster's F1-related content sharing, with a drop of -70% year-over-year from May 2022 to April 2023.
• Video Views: Monster's F1-related content garnered a total of 8.4M views across all platforms in the past three years, with Instagram accounting for 56% of the total views.
• Engagements: Monster received 1.1M engagements across all platforms, with Instagram driving 7.6x more engagement than all the other platforms combined. However, F1-related engagements accounted for just 1.1% of Monster's total engagements.

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Monster Energy has been a team partner of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team since 2010.

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Their sponsorship features the Monster logo on the following: 

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In the past three years, search interest for “Monster F1” and “Monster Formula 1” has been trending upwards. 

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However, this interest surge remains relatively insignificant compared to the interest in "Red Bull Racing".

“Red Bull Racing” generated 17x more search volume than “Monster F1” and “Monster Formula 1” combined. 

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Monster has shared a total of 114 F1-related posts on its main social accounts in the past three years. 

*Total monthly uploads from Monster’s Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter & TikTok F1-related posts from May 2020 - April 2023.

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Monster's F1-related content sharing dropped -70% YoY from May 2022 to April 2023.

With just 14 posts shared between May 2022 and April 2023.

*Total monthly uploads from Monster’s Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter & TikTok F1-related posts from May 2020 - April 2023.

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Monster has garnered a total of 8.4M views on its F1-related content across all platforms over the past three years*.

With Instagram making up 56% of the total views. 

*May 2020-April 2023.

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During this time, Monster garnered 1.1M engagements on its F1-related content across all of its platforms.

Instagram drove 7.6x more engagement than all the other platforms combined.

*May 2020-April 2023.

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However, these 1.1M F1-related engagements only made up 1.1% of Monster’s total engagements.

*Total Engagements from all Monster Energy related social channels Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter & TikTok) from May 2020 - April 2023.

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Monster experienced a spike in F1-related viewership in November 2020, December 2021 and April 2023. 

*Total monthly video views  from Monster’s Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter & TikTok F1-related posts  from May 2020 - April 2023.

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The spike in viewership in November 2020 was due to the following video celebrating Lewis’ 7th World Championship. 

*Total monthly video views from Monster’s Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter & TikTok F1-related posts  from May 2020 - April 2023.

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Monster's release of the LH44xVR46: Behind the Scenes video was responsible for the surge in views in December 2021.

The video was launched to celebrate the anniversary of the original video.

*Total monthly video views from Monster’s Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter & TikTok F1-related posts  from May 2020 - April 2023.

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Monster's latest collaboration with Lewis Hamilton on the #LH44 Zero Sugar drink led to a surge in viewership in April 2023.

*Total monthly video views from Monster’s Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter & TikTok F1-related posts  from May 2020 - April 2023.

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Under its "Unleashed → News" section on the website, Monster shares F1-related blog posts. Users can filter for F1 content by selecting the "Motor" category. 

However, since December 2019, Monster has shared only three F1-related blog posts including: 

• An interview (1) with Toto Wolff
• “In Focus (2)” post after the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix
• 2023 Team Launch.

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Monster’s F1-related pages generate limited traffic, with only 7.7K desktop visits from May 2021 to April 2023. 

Making up only 0.12% of Monster’s total desktop traffic.

*Worldwide total monthly F1-page related desktop websites. Only past 24 months available. 

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Applying Trends & Tactics

‍Social Trends & Tactics:

Monster's F1-related content focuses on 7 content themes, with Race Moments and Race Wins driving the highest engagement on average.

• Application:
  ‍Experiment with various content formats like carousels and video montages to keep content fresh. Share posts celebrating wins and memorable race moments to captivate and engage fans.

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Forging emotional connections with the audience, such as showcasing Hamilton's heartfelt tributes or his inspiring journey from childhood to a 7-time world champion, effectively boosts engagement.

• Application:
  ‍Utilize emotionally-driven content that showcases drivers' personal stories and the passion behind their racing careers. This will help create a deeper connection with fans and increase engagement.

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Monster capitalizes on rivalries, such as the one between Hamilton and Verstappen, which reflects the underlying competition between Monster and Red Bull.

• Application:
  ‍Capitalize on existing rivalries in the F1 space to create engaging and exciting content that keeps fans on the edge of their seats. This will also reinforce the competitive spirit of F1 racing.

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Monster successfully repurposes content, such as the LH44xVR46 video, to maintain interest and engagement.

• Application:
  ‍Identify opportunities to repurpose popular content, such as behind-the-scenes footage or anniversary celebrations.

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Driver challenge videos, showcasing unique activities and cross-disciplinary collaborations, successfully attract views and engagement for Monster.

• Application:‍
  Explore collaborations between F1 drivers and athletes from other disciplines. This will help to broaden your appeal and showcase the versatility of your drivers.

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Monster's F1-related content focused on the following 7 content themes:

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Race Moments, LH44 and Race Win posts drove the highest engagement on average… 

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…While Monster’s video content was focused on LH44 Zero Sugar, Celebration Reels and Driver Challenge videos.

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Race Moments

The posts showcase distinctive race moments like Hamilton dedicating his pole to Chadwick Boseman and the crash between Hamilton and Verstappen.

• ‍Channel Rivalries: The collision between Hamilton and Verstappen carries a symbolic importance for Monster, due to Max's sponsorship rivalry with Red Bull. The post was intentionally shared to accentuate the intense rivalries between the two teams, both on and off the track.
• Through showcasing Lewis Hamilton's heartfelt dedication of his pole position to the late Chadwick Boseman, this post forges a strong emotional bond with viewers, enabling them to see Hamilton not only as a successful racer but also as a compassionate individual with a deep sense of purpose. 

Engagements: 52K

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Engagements: 41K

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Race Wins

These posts celebrate race wins and the accomplishments of Monster athletes.

• These posts offer current updates on F1 events and achievements, keeping followers informed and engaged, thereby maintaining the F1 audience's interest.
• These posts highlight victories and achievements, showcasing Monster’s ties with successful motorsport teams and athletes, fostering a positive brand image.
• Out of Monster's "Race Win" posts, the majority, 88%, consisted of carousels. Additionally, 33% of these carousels showcased victories by other Monster athletes from motorsports apart from F1.

Engagements: 51K

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Engagements: 49K

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Celebration Reel

These celebration reel videos highlight Lewis Hamilton's F1 achievements, featuring clips from his career and record-breaking moments.

• ‍This video, garnering 1.8M views, showcases illustrations of Lewis Hamilton's journey from go-karting to his 7th world championship, incorporating Monster's green branding and logo, as well as Lewis' logo.
• This video showcases a "scrapbook-style" photo montage, displaying an assortment of photos from Lewis's career journey. The video is further enriched by the addition of on-screen text and lively electronic music accompaniment.

Engagements: 17K | Views: 1.8M

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Engagements: 14K | Views: 239K

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Driver Challenge

These videos highlight F1 drivers and other Monster-sponsored athletes participating in distinctive cross-disciplinary challenges.

Driver challenge videos included:

• Lewis Hamilton and Valentino Rossi trading vehicles
• Valtteri Bottas delving into the world of drift cars
• Hamilton teaming up with renowned surfer Makua Rothman and Pro Motocross Champion Dylan Ferrandis for a wave-riding session.

Repurpose Content: Monster initially released the LH44xVR46 video in 2019 and later, to commemorate the video's anniversary, unveiled a behind-the-scenes version for fans to enjoy.

Engagements: 15K | Views 2.0M

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Engagements: 48K | Views 349K

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Applying Trends & Tactics

Partnership Trends & Tactics: 

Monster's global partnership with Lewis Hamilton led to the successful launches of "44 Unleashed" in 2017 and "LEWIS HAMILTON ZERO SUGAR” in November 2022.

• Application:
  ‍Capitalize on driver partnerships to introduce collaborative products, leveraging the fan base of these drivers to expand Red Bull's reach and attract new consumers.

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"LEWIS HAMILTON ZERO SUGAR" was specifically developed in the UK for a direct introduction to European markets, highlighting Hamilton's origins.

• Application:
  ‍Develop collaborative products in athletes' home countries and prioritize F1-related launches in Europe to engage passionate fans and capitalize on pride and loyalty.

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Monster aligns with Lewis Hamilton's vegan beliefs by incorporating vegan ingredients in their product. The campaign combines Hamilton's philosophy of creativity and dedication, creating an emotionally charged narrative that resonates with the audience.

• Application:
  ‍Integrate shared values and beliefs with influential partners into product development and marketing strategies to create emotionally resonant narratives that connect with the target audience.

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Monster worked with digital artist, Mad Dog Jones, to create a visually striking can design featuring Hamilton's racing helmet, name, signature, and driver number.

• Application:
  ‍Collaborate with talented artists to develop visually captivating can designs that incorporate iconic elements associated with influential figures.

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Monster's "Lewis Hamilton - Desert Adventure 2023" sweepstake campaign offered fans an exclusive chance to have a desert adventure with Lewis Hamilton, generating interest around the new product launch.

• Application:
  ‍Create unique experiential marketing campaigns tied to influential partners, leveraging relevant seasons or events to go beyond traditional meet and greet activities.

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In 2017, Monster and Lewis Hamilton announced (3)their global partnership.

The partnership includes the launch of 44 Unleashed in December 2017 and the recent launch of “LEWIS HAMILTON ZERO SUGAR” (LH44) in November 2022.

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LEWIS HAMILTON ZERO SUGAR

Monster launched its new collaborative drink with Lewis Hamilton, "LEWIS HAMILTON ZERO SUGAR," in November 2022. 

The new edition features a refreshing peach nectarine flavour and an entirely new formula.

• In November 2022, Monster introduced the product as a single can in the European market, followed by a four-pack variant joining the range in January 2023. 
• Although Monster usually launches products in the US before expanding to Europe, this particular product was developed in the UK for the direct introduction to European markets due to Hamilton's origins. Presently, the product is not available in the US.
• The product features vegan ingredients, reflecting Hamilton's strong vegan beliefs.

Launch Tactics

• The launch coincided with Monster's 20th Anniversary — with Coca-Cola's VP drawing parallels (4) between Hamilton's career and Monster's achievements.
• ‍Digital Artist Partnership: Monster teamed up with Mad Dog Jones, a digital artist renowned for crafting NFTs and art that fuses cyberpunk visuals with elements of nature and technology.
• The striking can design showcases original icons, such as Hamilton's racing helmet. Hamilton's name is prominently positioned at the top of the can for easy visibility to customers. Additionally, the can includes his signature and his driver number: 44.

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LH44 ZERO SUGAR — Social Launch 

On April 11, 2023, Monster launched #LH44 Zero Sugar on its social channels.

• Monster shared the 1:00 campaign video on its Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter accounts, generating 2.3M views.
• The video blends Lewis Hamilton's philosophy of creativity, dedication, and inspiration with the product launch, creating an emotionally charged narrative. By captivating and inspiring the audience, Monster Energy seeks to strengthen their emotional connection to the brand beyond the product itself.
• The video briefly displays the LH44 Zero Sugar can, showcasing its sleek design and incorporating Lewis’ signature purple colour, providing viewers with a recognizable visual for in-store purchases.

*Ad spend in the UK is currently unavailable 

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LH44 ZERO SUGAR — Sweepstake

To promote the launch of the new edition, Monster implemented its "Lewis Hamilton - Desert Adventure 2023" campaign in various European countries.

• The campaign aimed to generate more interest and participation by offering fans the chance to meet and have a desert adventure with Lewis Hamilton, creating a sense of exclusivity. ‍
• Launched in conjunction with the F1 season, the campaign tapped into the enthusiasm and anticipation of fans.
• By incorporating a "desert adventure" into the campaign, Monster showcased its rebellious brand personality and added a unique element to the typical meet and greet format.

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“Lewis Hamilton - Desert Adventure 2023” campaign web pages have generated limited web traffic.

Amassing only 6.7K desktop visits from January to April 2023. 

*Worldwide desktop web visits to “Lewis Hamilton - Desert Adventure 2023” campaign web pages.

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References:

1. The Wolff Of F1: Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team Boss On 2023

‍2. In Focus: 2023 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix

3. Monster Energy And Lewis Hamilton Announce Global Partnership

4. CANPACK COLLABORATES WITH MONSTER ON A NEW LEWIS HAMILTON ZERO SUGAR ENERGY DRINK