Business Staying Power: History of SodaStream
Posted by: Vip / Category: UncategorizedSomeone has well said that the two most important rules of business are: 1) Stay in business; and, 2) Don’t forget rule number one. You cannot meet the needs of your public if your business fails. Obviously, we can learn lessons about staying in business from those who have done it.
SodaStream was born in 1903. Giles Gilby invented a carbonation system; it made fizzy water from standard water, and was originally intended for the upper classes. In the 1920s, flavours were introduced. These choices included sarsaparilla and cherry ciderette. In countries such as Germany, Australia, and the UK it enjoyed vast success In the 1970s and 80s.
SodaStream underwent numerous changes in ownership, at one stage even being part of the Cadbury Schweppes empire. 1998 saw the company change hands for the final time when purchased by Soda Club, which at that time was the biggest supplier of SodaStream to Israel. After Soda Club’s unsuccessful bid to change the brand from SodaStream to Soda-Club, SodaStream remained the name of the brand.
More recently Soda Club sought to rename the SodaStream brand. Focusing on the health and diet issues that are so prevalent in this day and age, SodaStream was relaunched with a new machine and many new flavours, concentrating on offering a healthy alternative to fizzy, sugar-rich drinks such as Coca Cola and Pepsi.
Fundamentally, the SodaStream product is a home carbonation kit, which allows you to change water into sparkling water, as well as allowing you to add low-calorie flavours such as cola and orange. A large assortment of calorie-free flavours to flavour sparkling water to great taste is sold at allfreightfree.com.
The SodaStream machine works by forcing co2 into a water-filled bottle suitable for pressurising. The water is turned into carbonated water by the co2. This process (dissolving co2) is referred to as carbonation. The carbonated water can then be drunk on its own as sparkling water, or mixed with flavours to create tasty, healthy treats. Once the co2 canisters have been used up they can be sent back to Soda-Club who recycle the canisters by refilling them with co2 then sending them back out.
As far as the actual health and diet benefits gained from drinking SodaStream, it is claimed that all their flavours are completely sugar-free and contain a maximum of 2 calories per 100ml, surely good news for parents concerned about their children’s diet.
The SodaStream machine adds only co2 to the water, meaning it does not have the added sugar that some bottled sparkling water contains; consequently, there is little, if any, difference from normal water.
SodaStream have made much of their environmental and health credentials, going so far as to claim that every litre bottle of SodaStream made saves three aluminum cans. The result is that over a 3 year span, a family of four could slash their soft-drink-related packaging usage by over 90%. This is a significant claim, one that in this environmentally conscious age will stand them in good stead. It is clear that Sodastream has developed into a realistic alternative to the big players in the soft drink world.
Each and every year thousands of new businesses are born, and thousands of others are buried. By studying businesses like SodaStream, perhaps we can identify qualities and strategies that might help our own businesses survive.
Tags: 1920s, 80s, Assortment, business longevity, business success, Cadbury Schweppes, Change Hands, Co2, Coca Cola, Diet Issues, Drinks, Flavours, Gilby, Giles, Great Taste, Pepsi, Power History, Sarsaparilla, Soda Club, Soda Club history, Sodastream, SodaStream history, Sparkling Water, Staying Power