MARKETING LESSONS

world’s greatest invention

8+1to learn from the

@karlfiltness

Say hi to the Worlds Greatest Inventor

Otto Rohwedder@karlfiltness

You’ve probably never heard of him

@karlfiltness

But he’s the guy who is behind the invention that every other innovation is compared to

SLICED BREAD

But he’s the guy who is behind the invention that every other innovation is compared to

You’ve probably never heard of him

@karlfiltness

And what

MARKETERScan learn from it

This is the tale of

Sliced bread

@karlfiltness

Otto was born in 1880

He started his career as a successful

Jeweler

@karlfiltness

Otto started hearing constant complains from

about cutting numerous slices of bread every day

Housewives@karlfiltness

Stale bread needs sharp knives

injuriesBread was hard to slice, it was time-consuming and often ended up in

@karlfiltness

NO 1:Lesson

define a need. understand the

PROBLEMyou are solving

@karlfiltness

Bakeries?What if this was done by the

@karlfiltness

Rohwedder really thought he was on to something

His next step was

Data driven wasn’t a marketing

term yet but they still did it @karlfiltness

30 000He gathered

answers

about the optimal

Thicknessof a slice of bread

@karlfiltness (What was it? Look at your toaster for a clue)

NO 2:Lesson

Think about the end users, not the person who is giving you money

CUSTOMERSResearch and understand your

@karlfiltness

Machine

In 1916, he sold his jewellery business and wanted to build a

@karlfiltness

Slicing is easy

The realProblem

was preserving

Freshness(Yes, there was a time before additives)@karlfiltness

hatpins and rubber bands

The first solutions for keeping the loaf together were

(They didn’t work)

Photo: Per Lindberg, Länsmuseet Gävleborg@karlfiltness

NO 3:Lesson

You probably won’t get it right the first time. Test, fail, try again.

DELIVERThink how to

solution/message

@karlfiltness

Otto Rohwedder was a man on a

He sketched hundreds of blueprints

Mission

@karlfiltness

Then he encountered a

Of apocalypse magnitude

Tragedy

@karlfiltness

Fire

He lost all of his blueprints and his prototype in a warehouse

@karlfiltness

Perseverance

After the fire he slowly gathered new funds to support his family and slicing business

Otto had

@karlfiltness

10 yearsIt took him

But in 1927, he had a new prototype

In your face warehouse fire!

@karlfiltness

He wrapped loaves in to

Wax PaperIt kept the slices together and prolonged freshness

Everyone hates stale bread@karlfiltness

SuccessThe new machine was a

and it worked perfectly

@karlfiltness

ProblemThere was only one tiny

no bakery wanted the machine

it was too big, complex and

expensive

We have always done it this way!@karlfiltness

NO 4:Lesson

the product won’t sell itself Even if it is groundbreaking

BENEFITSsell the

And Market the possibilities

@karlfiltness

DispairRohwedder was in

He reached out to his friend Frank Bench

Pretty

please?

@karlfiltness

BankruptFrank’s bakery was almost

He reluctantly bought the first slicing machine in 1928

so he had nothing to lose

@karlfiltness

NO 5:Lesson

NETWORKUse your

Never underestimate its possibilities

@karlfiltness

7.7.1928 was a landmark day

The first commercially sliced bread was

Sold@karlfiltness

2 000 %His bread sales increased by

in 2 weeks

Frank Bench’s risk paid off

@karlfiltness

The invention was praised

The greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped

“

”@karlfiltness

Which was later coined in to the modern version:

The greatest thing since sliced bread

“

”@karlfiltness

80 %

By 1933, almost every bakery had a slicing machine

of bread produced in America was sliced

@karlfiltness Photo: DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

rohwedder disrupted the bakery industry

Photo: DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

5 yearsIn

“Slicerization” = The Original Uberization

@karlfiltness

NO 6:Lesson

Tweak the angles until you find the right way to deliver your message

VISIONBelieve in your

@karlfiltness

In 1943, sliced bread was

(The wrapping was thicker than unsliced bread)

Bannedbecause of wartime conservation

@karlfiltness

UproarIt lead to a social

“I should like to let you see how important sliced bread is to the morale and saneness of a household.”

@karlfiltness (when mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy)

NO 7:Lesson

CUSTOMERShave always had the power

this is not exclusive to social media, it is only easier now

@karlfiltness

Slice bread

Some bakers continued to

They were sanctioned by stern measures

@karlfiltness

Ban was liftedLess then three months later the

The official reason was “not so much savings as we expected”

@karlfiltness

NO 8:Lesson

be bold,do the things you believe in

PATH,tread your own

@karlfiltness

Grew

Bread became easier to eat and the consumption

This lead to the popularity of toasters, jam and peanut butter

@karlfiltness

TrailblazerThis is the path of a true

Rohwedder’s obsession lead to new unchartered possibilities

@karlfiltness

BONUSLESSONfor marketers

@karlfiltness

It inspires peopleAnd they will remember it

GREAT STORY!Utilise the power of a

@karlfiltness

TELL A STORY

DEFINE THE NEED UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMERS DELIVER YOUR MESSAGE SELL THE BENEFITS UTILISE YOUR NETWORK BELIEVE IN YOUR VISION CUSTOMERS HAVE THE POWER TREAD YOUR OWN PATH

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

RECAP

@karlfiltness

Press sharespread the word about Otto and slicerization

@karlfiltness

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