Red Bull Amaphiko

Overview

Yulu PR’s partnership with Red Bull dates back to 2017, when the brand called on our team to help launch Amaphiko: a social entrepreneurship program that would grow into a North American movement amplifying grassroots changemakers.

Originally piloted in South Africa and Brazil, Red Bull Amaphiko supports entrepreneurs using creativity to drive community impact. Yulu was tasked with authentically introducing the program to the U.S., attracting high-calibre applicants for the Baltimore Academy, and building a storytelling framework that would help the initiative take flight across North America.

The Challenge

How could a global brand known for extreme sports build authentic credibility in the social innovation space?

Yulu’s goal was to help Red Bull:

• Earn trust within grassroots entrepreneurial communities
  
• Position Amaphiko as a platform for social innovation, not a branded campaign
  
• Attract diverse applicants for the Academy launch
• Sustain momentum and storytelling through subsequent programs and community events

The Strategy

Authenticity first. Yulu embedded with local communities to ensure that Amaphiko’s North American launch was inclusive, credible, and community-led.

• Community Immersion: Partnered with Impact Hub Baltimore and Ashoka to identify and recruit changemakers through trusted networks.
  
• Storytelling Strategy: Crafted the message that “Red Bull isn’t bringing innovation – it’s giving wings to the innovation that already exists.”
  
• Media Partnerships: Secured endemic and mainstream coverage (Fast Company, GOOD, Forbes, VICE Impact) to elevate participant stories.
  
• Capacity Building: Conducted on-site Kraal storytelling workshops and developed media toolkits for participants to continue telling their own stories.
  
• Long-Tail Narrative Planning: Extended media momentum through mentorship phases and regional community events under the Amaphiko Connect banner.

Amaphiko Detroit

Following the success of the inaugural Baltimore Academy, Amaphiko Detroit marked the next evolution of the program: a gathering designed to sustain momentum and deepen impact.

• Served as both a reunion and accelerator, bringing together the original cohort one year later to track progress, share lessons, and continue scaling their enterprises through workshops and presentations.
  
• Featured a pitch contest where Red Bull and Yulu collaborated to identify and scout the next generation of social entrepreneurs to give wings to.
• Highlighted measurable community outcomes from the first cohort and set the stage for future Amaphiko programs across North America.

FAQ

What is Red Bull Amaphiko?

A global program that supports grassroots social entrepreneurs through training, mentorship, and storytelling.

How did Yulu contribute?

Yulu led communications and impact strategy across North America, helping position Red Bull as a credible ally to social innovators.

What was achieved?

100 + media stories, 500 + applicants, 500 K + social impressions, and lasting brand equity for Red Bull in the impact sector.

How did Amaphiko expand regionally?

Through Connect events in Baltimore, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Oakland, which bridged local creativity with national storytelling.

How did the work evolve?

The success of Amaphiko inspired future Red Bull impact initiatives, including Basement University and other innovation-for-good programs.