Gasteiner Mineralwasser GmbH Vienna, in May 2010
Gasteiner mineral water: The crystalclear water from the Hohe Tauern National Park Gasteiner mineral water is one of the bestknown and most popular Austrian mineral water brands. The naturally pure spring water has its source in Hohe Tauern, one of the largest European natural parks, in the state of Salzburg. Already since 1929, the mineral water has been bottled by Gasteiner Mineralwasser GmbH at the Bad Gastein spring one of the best-known Austrian skiing and spa resorts. The premium mineral water is particularly light and flavour-neutral and is therefore the ideal accompaniment to wine, coffee and high-quality food. Austrian brand with a long tradition The Elizabeth Spring, formerly owned by the Habsburgs and the Municipality of Bad Gastein, has been used by Gasteiner Mineralwasser since 1929. Already two years later, 130,000 bottles of the water were sold per annum. At the end of the 1970s, the company relocated from the centre of Gastein to a state-of-the-art filling operation at Erlengrund, thereby laying the foundation for later growth. In 1990, Gasteiner set another milestone in its corporate history: The green crystal bottle was introduced. At that time, Gasteiner also included crystal, as the embodiment of purity and elegance, in its company logo. In 2003, the annual output already grew to 55 million bottles per annum and one year later, the launch of the Gasteiner Elements near-water line Page 2 of 7
took place. In 2008, Gasteiner developed the brand presence further and undertook a full relaunch. Gasteiner strong player in the Austrian mineral water market The annual output in 2009 amounted to 36.2 million litres. In contrast to the general trend, Gasteiner grew by 2% on the Austrian mineral water market in 2009. And the popularity of the brand also speaks a clear language: With a degree of awareness of nearly 95% 1, Gasteiner is among the mineral water brands with the strongest image in Austria. A wide product portfolio for catering and food retail industries The product range is very wide and diversified. This guarantees the coverage of different requirements by the catering and food retail industry. The water from Gastein is available in the Austrian catering industry in the sparkling and natural types in the 0.25 litre, 0.33 litre, 0.75 litre and 1.0 litre returnable bottle and in the mild type in the 0.33 litre and 0.75 litre returnable bottle. The PET disposable bottle for the food industry and consumption on-the-go is available in the 0.5 litre bottle in the sparkling and "natural types, in the 1.0 litre size in the sparkling and mild types and in the 1.5 litre size it is available in all three types. Furthermore, since May 2004, Gasteiner has also been offering the Gasteiner Elements near-water range in cranberry, gooseberry and lemon balm flavours (since April 2010). All of the flavours are 1 Source: Spektra Page 3 of 7
distinguished by a low carbon dioxide content. They are particularly low in calories and artificial flavourings and preservatives are entirely avoided. Gasteiner Elements is available in the 0.33 litre size in the returnable glass bottle in the catering industry, and from retailers it is available in the 0.5 litre and 1.0 litre sizes in the practical PET bottle. Award-winning design: Gasteiner as a forerunner with the design of the market presence In autumn 2008, Gasteiner created the preconditions for another positive development of the company with the new design for the brand presence. Together with the design company KISKA, a complete rebranding was carried out from the homepage, over the bottles and glasses, right up to the advertising and promotional material. Particularly the catering bottles and glasses, reminiscent of crystalline, provide new impulses and reflect the quality of the product the crystal-clear spring water from Hohe Tauern. Furthermore, high-quality tentfolded cards and modern mirrors and glass panes have been produced in the Gasteiner design. The fact that the new design is outstanding is also proven by the numerous awards that Gasteiner has already received for it. After the HGV Practice Prize, the "Austrian State Prize for Exemplary Packaging and the Salzburg State Prize for Corporate Design, the new Gasteiner design was also Page 4 of 7
honoured with the well-known German if product Design Award. Gasteiner is a strong partner of the catering industry Gasteiner is traditionally a strong partner of the upscale catering industry in Austria. For example, together with the sales team, a specific advisory programme was developed, which was individually adapted to the restaurateurs. This is intended to assist in achieving a measurable economic success with sales of mineral water products. Furthermore, a new service for restaurateurs has also been available at the www.gasteiner.at homepage for some time now: Under the Catering menu item, food and beverage menus can be created and printed using simple navigation. Another service: In exchange for a contribution toward expenses, Gasteiner Mineralwasser also takes on the organisation of printing for the restaurateur. Due to its low and balanced mineralisation, Gasteiner mineral water is the ideal accompaniment to wine, coffee and highquality food. The online tool also enables the restaurateur to create combined offers, i.e. wine and water or coffee and water. All innovations that the year brings at Gasteiner are traditionally presented in autumn at the Alles für den Gast catering trade fair in Salzburg. Page 5 of 7
Gasteiner in the food retail industry Gasteiner is an established name in the Austrian food retail industry. In order to ensure further impulses, the PET bottle was adapted to the newly designed appearance in catering in May 2010. It is now transparent and the labelling also corresponds to the crystalline shapes. The consumer can choose between various packaging sizes when buying. Gasteiner is committed to sustainable filling and in sport promotion As an Austrian company, Gasteiner attaches importance to careful handling of the environment and its natural resources. Therefore, the filling of the spring water from Bad Gastein takes place carefully and using state-of-the-art filling methods. Another emphasis for Gasteiner is on sport matters, particularly in the area of youth sport. For this reason, Gasteiner is also making a contribution to youth and school sport events, particularly in the home state of Salzburg. Outlook 2010 The positive development of the year 2009 is also being continued in 2010 during the first months, Gasteiner experienced growth in the double-digit percentage range, while the market grew by approx. 2%. This year, we will continue to expand our market share. For this, the new PET bottle, which will be on the shelves as of May, will make a significant contribution", says Marketing Manager Mag. Jutta Mittermair, with a positive outlook toward 2010. Page 6 of 7
Gasteiner at a glance Company name Gasteiner Mineralwasser Gesellschaft m.b.h. Address Erlengrundstr. 14, 5640 Bad Gastein, Austria Homepage www.gasteiner.at Year founded 1929 Ownership structure S. Spitz GmbH (51%) Brau Union Österreich AG (49%). Employees Gasteiner employs 36 staff (as of 31 December 2009) Production Glass line: 1-shift operation PET line: 2 to 3-shift operation Annual output 2009 Queries / Press Office 36.2 million litres PLEON Publico Public Relations & Lobbying Mag. Michael Slamanig Neulinggasse 37 A-1030 Vienna Telephone: +43 (1) 717 86 312 Fax: +43 (1) 717 86 60 michael.slamanig@pleon-publico.at Image material http://kalender.publico.co.at/gasteiner/gas teiner_mineralwasser_gmbh/index.html Gasteiner Publication permitted free-of-charge for press purposes Page 7 of 7