...creativity shows up in the strangest of places...
In 1941 Germany was on the receiving end of Allied bombing, land campaigns and resistance sabotage. The second World War was beginning to turn against them.
Whilst it wouldn't be until the August of 1942 that the Russians would start the battle for Stalingrad and begin the long march to Berlin - for the Coca Cola Company, getting the ingredients to manufacture Coke was becoming increasingly difficult.
The Trade Embargo enforced by the Allies meant that supplies of the Syrup needed to make Coke was not available, so the German managers at Coca Cola had to be creative..
What could they make that used only ingredients available in Germany..?
I'm sure cabbage and sausage may have sprung to mind,but finally they decided to use Whey and Pomace - the leftovers from the leftovers...
When it came to naming this new "product" they decided to brainstorm the idea as a team. When instructed to get creative and "fantasize" about the potential name - Joe Knipp, one of the team responded "Fanta..."
And hey presto - Fanta was born...
Fanta is still owned by the Coca Cola Company and is now available globally in 90 flavours.
Lesson #1 - make do with what you have. You don't know what is available until you don't have what you need.Sometimes if you want to get your team to be really creative - starve them of resources and see what they do when their backs are against the wall...
As a side note - In the USA Fanta is marketed by "The Fanatanas..." - I'm pretty sure that they don't realize where the product originated - I can only imagine what the Coca Cola Managers in 1941 Nazi Germany would have thought...Interesting to note the differences between 1941 Fanta Marketing in Germany and 2012 Marketing in the USA...
In the late 1940's Europe was being rebuilt - and it fell to the Corona Soft Drinks Co to start introducing new products to an eager UK market...Not being convinced that Fanta - designed and distributed by their recently vanquished foes across the Channel - would be that popular with people; they did what all good businesses do...
They copied Fanta and called it Tango...
In 1950, Corona introduced Tango and under the current owners - Britvic continues to be the main rival to Fanta in the UK market.
Lesson #2 - let others be the Pioneers - it can be a really expensive position to be in and when it looks like it will work - copy it. We call it Market Research nowadays and while we don't need to breach copyrights and patents; we can learn a lot from those who have gone before us.
So there you have it - two lessons from the Nazis and Fanta...
David
is one of the most experienced Coaches in the world. Following a
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Manager, Director, CEO and Business Owner in the UK, David began his
International Business Coaching Career in 2003.
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