Tupper and Wise – Inventive and Innovative

Recently, I attended a course on petrochemicals that looked at various building blocks that are used to make different types of consumer products that we use in our daily lives. During the course, one of the uses of polyethylene was discussed: the production of plastic bowls and containers. More specifically, Tupperware was used as an example of a household brand making products for preparation, storage, and serving products for the kitchen and home.

The example itself brought back memories of my childhood when I followed my mother to Tupperware parties, held at homes of her friends. I remember the excitement I felt when my mother attended such parties as it was also a chance for kids’ playtime. After all these years, I made the connection between those parties and how Tupperware gained its market position worldwide.

Henry Ford, June 4, 1896 – A story of Passion and Perseverance

It was on a 4th of June – June 4, 1896 – that Henry Ford first drove his Quadricycle, an ethanol-powered proto-automobile. Ford was 32. He had left the family farm at 15. The quadricycle was the outcome of many years of passion for everything mechanical, from watches to industrial machines, and perseverance in experimenting with portable engines.

Privately-held v Publicly-held companies drive two different types of innovation

Camper, Lego, Nike, Bose, Ikea , Rolex, Sony, Swatch , Alessi.

From the list above, the reaction towards one brand over the other is subject to one’s experience of the product. It is influenced by the size, product range and marketing and advertising strategies of the companies. The list looks like a random choice of companies, but in fact I have chosen these companies to compare privately-held and publicly-held: does that make a difference in terms of innovation?

Bose: Passion Driven Innovation

A few years ago when I was living in France, my elder brother visited me. We both walked down to the small city centre in hope of finding a home theatre system for me. Back then, I was a novice to the audio world with very limited knowledge on available systems, whilst my brother had years of experience of assembling speakers, woofers, sub-woofers and amplifiers on his own to achieve the best sound effect and quality.

We entered a store that sold several systems. My eyes were immediately caught by popular brand names such as Sony and Yamaha, particularly with the display of large multi-component systems. The intricacies intrigued me and were compelling evidence for what I perceived to be high quality.

While I kept myself busy with the popular and catchy systems, I realized my brother was stationed in a corner looking at what appeared to be a black box akin a computer CPU.

The innovation gardener stands the test of time

McKinsey Quarterly publishes an interview of Alberto Alessi, CEO of a leading Italian design firm specialised in kitchen ustensil, that has been on the innovation front for decades.

Two of Alessi’s answers struck a cord:

1. In response to a question about the downturn Alessi says: “It does not change anything for myself, personally. My future is to continue to be a gardener.