Kirks started making vinegar, cordials, rum and aerated water products in 1845, and Owen Gardner named the new drinks company after his manager T Kirkpatrick. Strange idea perhaps, but one that hasn't harmed the brand's exponential growth. Today, Kirks produces a line of budget-priced softdrinks, all aimed at the cost-conscious consumer.
In 1960, the brand was acquired by Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA), but as Alec Wagstaff, director of corporate affairs at CCA, explains, it wasn't until 2002 that all Australians were introduced to the Kirks brand. "Up until that time it was still a state-based drink, until we decided to restructure our state brands, and part of that saw us introduce the Kirks name nationally," he says. Six months after the national roll-out, Kirks found itself at number 63 on ACNielsen's Top 100 Australian Brands list. In the 12 months from July 2004, the brand, which has released drinks in seven varieties, jumped to 48th position by accruing retail sales of approximately $90 million. The carbonated beverages market is undoubtedly one of the largest and most competitive markets in the retail sector, with Kirks pitted against Schweppes for lemonade varieties, and P&N Beverages for other flavoured drinks. Despite the increased competition, CCA does not use media to advertise the Kirks brand, instead relying on a promotional schedule of catalogues and special pricing periods. Wagstaff links the success of the brand to its ability to target the middle consumer who is after a budget-priced drink that compliments the bigger drink portfolios such as the CCA-owned products of Coke, Diet Coke, Fanta, Lift and Sprite. "The secret to Kirks' success is that it offers consumers excellent value for money in the non-cola sector. We've been doing innovative packaging, too, and from our point of view it compliments our premium range," Wagstaff says.
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