25th of October 2024
The rise and the fall of Tupperware
Dr. Arry Tanusondjaja, senior marketing scientist at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, marks the rise and fall of the one-popular Tupperware and Avon brands, which relied on local entrepreneurs, neighbourhood parties, and door-to-door sales.
When Tupperware filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2024, there was a lot of shock and disbelief that a brand that is so familiar could fall that far.
After all, this was a brand that grew through circles of neighbourhood parties all over the world, where brand enthusiasts share their excitement to their friends and families through show-and-tell product demonstrations. After nearly 90 years, the brand had to cease trading.
Perhaps not many people also remember the downfall of Avon that also grew their brand of cosmetics through door-to-door visits for much of their growth strategy since 1886. They also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August 2024.
A parallel can be found in recent years, where some brands opt to divert their budget away from larger scale advertising into social media influencers who host their show-and-tell product demonstrations. The belief is that consumers will follow the purchase behaviours of those they trust – which will then eventually grow their brand.
There’s a romantic view within business circles that if their products are good, they would sell themselves, without needing much widespread marketing support and traditional distribution. The role of the brand is also often misunderstood to be something alluring and desirable, that it would compel buyers to chase the brand against any competitors. Some marketing professionals believe that some brands possess the superpower to command price and elicit deep affinity from their buyers.
This is the contrary to the discovery and the evidence presented in the ‘Laws of Growth’ framework, as introduced by the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute. Through decades of research across brands, product categories, and countries, we find the importance of having the brand being mentally and physically available for potential buyers. ‘Mental availability’ is the ease of retrieving the brand in mind at purchase occasions, whereas ‘physical availability’ is the ease of finding the brand in the shopping environment where we are ready to make a purchase.
Read the full article in Mumbrella.