Did you know that Thuringia is the only region in the world where neither Coca-Cola nor Pepsi are market leaders? It's like a kind of Asterix village on the globe. Since the turn of the millennium, a third brand has secured the highest market share for cola in the Free State: Vita Cola. And since 1997, the Schmalkalden-based company has been in second place in the market for caffeinated soft drinks in eastern Germany.
At the beginning of January, Felicitas Kotsch, lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, visited the Schmalkalden-based Thüringer Waldquell Mineralbrunnen GmbH, which belongs to the Hassia Group, with students from the fields of international business and economics, economics, and business psychology.
Before touring the bottling plant, where approximately 24,000 bottles from the entire product range are filled every hour, day and night, Petra Wolf, who has been with the company for 25 years, gave an introduction to its history and market situation. Vita Cola, registered with the GDR Office for Inventions and Patents in 1958 under the name “Caffeinated sparkling lemonade with fruit and herbal flavor and added vitamin C,” was offered by approximately 200 different beverage companies under a variety of labels before reunification. Since 1994, Vita Cola has been back on the market with a uniform brand image and is also available in the old federal states, which are now being targeted more intensively with a marketing campaign launched in 2024. Vita Cola is produced exclusively with mineral water from the company's own wells directly at the source, thus guaranteeing its first-class quality.
Visiting Viba is a tradition
In December 2025, students made their now traditional visit to Viba Sweets GmbH, where managing director Corinna Wartenberg personally welcomed the group and gave an introduction to the emotionalization of brands, including taste samples, of course. For 88 percent of consumers, trust is the main reason for brand loyalty. This finding is the basis for the new marketing campaign “Nougatliebe” (Nougat Love), which also stands for the company's values: courage, respect, team spirit, quality, and, of course, trust. Viba is the market leader in the German nougat bar market with over 60 percent market share and offers a wide variety of nougat products. Following the acquisition of Hussel, Arko, and Eilles in 2024, the Viba Group is also Germany's largest confectionery chain with around 188 stores. The long-established company from Thuringia has further strengthened its position as a leading supplier of high-quality confectionery and gourmet products through strategic acquisitions.