by Thu Nguyen

Created on: August 30, 2010

Around 1946, Earl Tupper took polyethylene, a brand spanking new plastic, and turned it into something giant. At that time, metal containers were still being carried so consumers in general were not used to the plastic products which desired to change the way they packaged their goods. Moreover, the 'burping seal' took on the market by storm and changed the way women across America lived as the 50's gave them a chance to revolutionize the way they were seen.

It was during this period that suburbanization became predominant and the woman's role of upholding the traditional standards through which they cooked, cleaned and care for their husbands were at the forefront. As the consumption of household supplies went on the rise, so did the responsibility of shopping for the household shift. With that, a woman name Brownie Wise who at the time worked for Stanley Home Products began selling Tupperware through organizing parties.

Brownie understood what women at that time were going through. She wanted to give them something to which they had importance in and so made 'Tupperware parties' where women coming together to talk about kitchen goods would open up outlets for them to expand their network. Not only that, they had the opportunity to own a business and make some money. This later pioneered into what many marketing systems have now coined 'direct marketing' today.

~ Globalization of Brand Awareness ~

Recently, Tupperware spread to India where the percentage of purchase in household goods were attributed to Tupperware’s global branding strategy. According to The Nielson Company for 2008, the Tupperware brand has become ‘top of the mind’ for India’s household. They even influenced the consumers there so that those who had previously used metal containers have converted to plastic. With that, the shifting in spending of household goods came upon the women who in turn were responsible for expenditures and family planning.

While the familiarity of this story dates back since inception, sticking to the market which have made Tupperware successful, they are reinventing themselves again and again in countries all across the world. Women, in particular, have taken upon this opportunity to really brand themselves. Thus, without seeing the importance of this need, the Tupperware parties would not be as popular as it is today.

~ Timeless Marketing ~

From the onset, Earl brought the mundane into a commonly used household item. He made sure that the Tupperware brand was on top when it comes to parties. Aware of the marketing and branding strategies available, he certainly didn’t see it coming as an opportunity for women. However, thanks to Brownie Wise, she has proved women everywhere should get together and discuss about business over some kitchen goods.

Her wonderful idea lead to a lifestyle which has brought upon itself the company's premiere structure which they based their sales on. In turn, capitalizing itself on the work at home movement, this is more of the definition which now defines a new generation for consultants. After all, it was word-of-mouth which made Tupperware successful, not plastic.

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