Saturday, August 28, 2021
“Coca-Cola is not afraid”
How unadjusted is Fritz Kola?
If you want to drink Cola, you don’t necessarily have to use Coke. There are now many alternatives. In an interview with ntv.de, Fritz-Kola founder Wiegert tells how much is left of the initial fight “David against Goliath” and how the image as a rebel can be maintained.
ntv.de: 18 years ago you and a friend scraped together 7,000 euros and founded Fritz Kola. What was your biggest aha moment when you founded the company?
Mirco Wolf Wiegert: Our biggest aha moment was actually when we noticed that what we were doing also worked. When we realized that restaurateurs are happy to be able to offer a different cola and have a choice.
The idea for Fritz Kola came up while studying. Why did you want to start your own company so badly?
Before my studies, I had already completed vocational training as a freight forwarder and was able to gain work experience. I then made a conscious decision to study. I wanted to get myself a tool kit so that I can start my own business. For me, the question of a permanent position never actually arose.
Why not?
The advantage of founding a company right after graduation is that your own cost of living and demands are not that high. At that time I only paid 180 euros for my student residence and was insured for 80 euros. That makes it easier. At the same time, it takes the pressure off of having to make a living from the beginning.
Fritz Kola stands for a rebellious, left-wing alternative attitude. How important is this image to you?
Since we competed against the giant Coca-Cola, we basically have a more alternative approach. The competition is omnipresent and that is why we will always have the image of the challenger who thinks things differently. We have to be bolder because of course we are not as broadly positioned as the market leader.
What do your customers like about Fritz Kola?
Mirco Wolf Wiegert has also written a book about his experience as a founder.
Many appreciate our consistent approach and that we produce and pack sustainably. Another point that should not be neglected is: We are not a corporation, but an owner-managed, independent Kola brand.
How big do you think Coca-Cola is afraid of your company?
Coca Cola is not afraid of us.
Nonetheless, the market leader contacted you at the time after a confrontational poster campaign. The posters showed a hand pouring Coca-Cola while lips sipped with relish a Fritz-Kola.
Yes, we were surprised by that too. Back then we only hung up a few posters in a few pubs in Hamburg. That was a harmless story that ended up with the lawyers.
Wasn’t that the intention behind the action at the time?
No, we really just wanted to get our customers’ attention. That worked well too.
Your company now has almost 300 employees. How much is left of the initial David versus Goliath fight?
This fight is far from over. On the contrary, it is only yet to become relevant. The number of employees does not change that. At the global level, we will remain the Coca-Cola challenger for a long time to come. This is not only exciting, but also an extremely comfortable position for us.
How does the company manage to maintain the image of the unadjusted, even though it does not operate very differently from the competition?
I think our image still suits us well. Of course, we too have to be successful as a company. But that also allows us to take a different approach. We have a focus on glass and reusable and do not sell our products in plastic – even if that is more complex and expensive in one place or another. We can afford it. Many of our production partners have invested in very modern production facilities, which also have to work profitably. With us as partners, we can only manage this together in the first place.
Have there already been offers to buy?
Yes, we already had a lot of offers for our company. But it is important to me that we remain independent. If you want to be a real indie brand, you have to organize the owner structure accordingly. I am the majority shareholder and it should stay that way.
The beverage market is highly competitive. The offer continues to grow. Will that be a problem for Fritz Kola?
We have many years of experience ahead of us. Our advantage at the time was that we broke into an almost monopoly market. It is only logical that many other suppliers now want to sell cola, lemonades and spritzers. Sometimes one or the other brand is also slavishly copied here. This is often not well received by customers. The companies then notice this relatively quickly.
What effects did the exceptional year 2020 have on your company?
Something more serious than the slump in sales burdened us even more: the internal culture has suffered. Many months in the home office and little informal exchange among colleagues have left their mark. So we are now trying to get as many employees as possible back into the office.
Juliane Kipper spoke to Mirco Wolf Wiegert
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