ABSTRACT
The reality was that the founders of Auckland-based Phoenix Organic made a series of strategic decisions that, coupled with some good luck and more hard work, allowed them to claim a niche in New Zealand's beverage industry. Phoenix decided to take advantage of the significant market shift represented by the new interest in organics. The company had been tracking world media for a long time and believed that organics was a global trend that would eventually hit New Zealand. Despite the challenges, Phoenix's directors clearly saw its social and environmental sustainability image as a winning combination and the company had collected a number of awards for its sustainable business practices. In 2004, Phoenix's beverages were in all the national supermarket chains and accounted for about 20% of its business. The wider non-alcoholic beverage industry whose players were arguably less environmentally and socially concerned made for a very competitive landscape.
