The Success Story Of Tupperware And How It Became A Household Name

If there is food which needs to be carried for a potluck, or leftover food which needs to be refrigerated, there is always a handy plastic Tupperware box which can be used.  The name Tupperware is synonymous with storage boxes for food and which moms all over the world use it daily.  Millennials will remember the days when moms used to be furious if a Tupperware box is not back home from school or from relatives places.  So how did a simple plastic storage box brand like Tupperware gain the trust of mothers in over a hundred countries?  Read further to find the interesting story of how Tupperware found its success.

Beginnings:

Tupperware was designed and developed by a Chemical Engineer named Earl Silas Tupper in 1946.  The plastic containers were non toxic, durable, flexible and odourless and were used to store food at home.  The Tupperware containers came with the patented Tupper seal or ‘burp’ seal which was named after the sound the containers made when the lid was closed.  These plastic products were designed for home use in the then new era of refrigerators.  But the patented Tupper seal would face hiccups as the products were not picked off the shelves by customers as they had trouble understanding the ‘burp’ seal.  It was then a lady named Brownie Wise created a revolutionary sales model which catapulted Tupperware to international fame. 

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Growth and Popularity:

Much of Tupperware’s growth and popularity across the globe is credited to a marketing pioneer named Brownie Wise.  When she joined Tupperware in the early 1950s, she quickly realised Tupperware could be marketed to the American housewives who have just been asked to return back home after working, during the Second World War while the men were out on the frontlines.   Brownie Wise created a sales model which is now called the ‘Party Plan.’  In this plan, women host parties which are attended by other women and these parties contained Tupperware products for sale.  This also provided an alternative work option for women who wanted to stay at home but at the same time make money.

This party plan went on to become a great success and Brownie Wise incentivised the women in the plan by organising grand Jubilee Celebrations which were themed events aimed at recognising and rewarding top selling and top recruiting individuals.  Tupperware’s only mode of sales was via the party plan for a very long time.

In recent years, Tupperware in North America has moved to a new business model which includes more emphasis on direct marketing channels and eliminated its dependency on authorized distributorships.  This transition included selling through Target stores in the United States and Superstores in Canada with disappointing results.   However, the party model still exists and Tupperware is promoted by approximately 1.9 million people who are associated on a contractual basis with the company.

Today Tupperware still continues to rule the world in terms of home storage for food and the company has even come up with a new line of products which cater to professional chefs.  However, without the out of the box thinking and success of Brownie Wise and her phenomenal Tupperware home parties, Earl Tupper and Tupperware might not have seen the fame they enjoy in the world currently.