Huib van Bockel is a digital marketing and media thought leader, writer of The Social Brand and former Head of Marketing Red Bull.

 

From 2006-14, he was Head of Marketing for the Netherlands, UK and Europe at one of the most admired brands in the world: Red Bull. Here he played a key part in the transition from an energy drink business to the media business it is today. Van Bockel led many of Red Bull’s largest projects including Red Bull Revolutions in Sound, Red Bull Air Race Ascot and Danny Macaskill’s Imaginate. In the UK he helped pioneer the current set-up of the Red Bull Media House, launching a magazine, TV channel, and significantly helped grow the digital and social presence of the Red Bull brand.

He started career as a management trainee at Unilever where he received 6 years on the job expertise and training. He then moved to MTV Networks and gained invaluable experience in traditional and new (social) media, and was responsible for one of the worlds first social networks.

Because of his background in both FMCG and media, he is seen as one of the new marketing thought leaders in this new digital, social and content era; where brands should behave more like publishers then traditional marketers.

He had his first book, The Social Brand, published in 2014; a blue print on how to succeed in the new social era. "Van Bockel’s background, including leading roles at Unilever, MTV, and Red Bull, give him a unique, industry-leading perspective on marketing in the digital age.” Patrick Kalotis, Head of Marketing, Pepsico