Case Studies
Lessons LearnedTupperware Brands has adapted with the times, especially after a downturn in sales and recruitment hit the company hard in the 1980s. In many countries, consultants are now akin to franchisees, with their own websites, shopping mall kiosks, and creative event planning businesses. Online training from "Tupperware University" is also available to them, offering information and tips in many areas of interest, such as food safety, environmental issues and sustainable living, community involvement, health and nutrition, and of course, business tips and management techniques. The key lesson over decades is that women's economic empowerment is a core brand element that is good for business. It is a differentiating factor for Tupperware Brands in both developed and developing markets. It is also a flexible concept that can adjust to different cultural situations given the localized nature of the company's business model and corporate management. "Corporate mandates are adapted to the cultural nuances and traditions in each community," notes Yolanda Londoño, vice president of global social responsibility for Tupperware Brands. In many countries, for example, women are encouraged to work as consultants so that they, and their customers, can feel comfortable. In China, where home-based sales are not allowed, store-front facilities work well.
Finally, the company has learned that its very business model and the fact of women's interest in their own communities mean that corporate social responsibility and community engagement cannot be an afterthought. They are an integral part of Tupperware Brands' motivational strategy for consultants and consumers alike. The recent Chain of Confidence campaign embodies this effort. It is a global movement that celebrates women helping other women, their strong bonds of friendship and the confidence they gain through these connections. As part of Chain of Confidence, Tupperware Brands made a $1.5 million donation to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to support their SMART Girls program--a program dedicated to teaching girls important life skills and ensuring a confident next generation of women. Chain of Confidence also has a rich online community where women in many countries are sharing stories, learning, motivating each other, and encouraging both personal and community action. Through its foundation, Tupperware Brands also encourages locally driven efforts that focus on the health and welfare of women and their families – ranging from literacy programs in South Asia to the support of organic community gardens in Uruguayan schools. The company even bestows awards on teams that embrace community engagement and social investment as an integral part of their business plans. To Yolanda, these efforts are part of the business and are in essence what the company stands for. "We are all potential change agents," she says. "I believe we are all embedded with extraordinary skills that, more often than not, flourish when times are tough. We have seen this time and time again." Indeed, that is the Tupperware story. And that is good for business, women, and development, everywhere. |
Relying on, and listening to, local teams is a second important lesson. Women remain the main consumers of the company's products and the female sales consultants know what will make their clients happy. Each market has a corporate managing director, a marketing person, and a regional factory that is connected culturally. In this way, the company can easily anticipate, develop, and adapt products to different tastes and needs. In Japan, Kimono Keepers are part of the product line-up. In Latin America, empanada makers are very popular, in addition to the standard container bowls that keep both dry and liquid foods in a safe, leak-proof manner.
