Thomas Johnstone Lipton / "Lipton"

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The founder of one of the most well-known trade marks in the world has opened the first shop with the capital in 180 pounds sterling. By the life end its status has grown to several millions, and the name became almost a word-combination synonym «tea in bags». What has served as the reason of such deafening success? A combination of an improbable market scent and intricate experiments in carrying out of advertising actions.

Thomas Dzhonstoun Lipton was born on May, 10th, 1850 in Scotland, in a city of Glasgow. In a cellar of their house the tiny grocery store in which 8-year-old Thomas, helping parents, simultaneously comprehended business lessons settled down. When to it it was executed ten years, it has started to work as the assistant in shop and simultaneously the cutter of shirts at small factory.

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The following turn in its destiny, appear, withdrew far from business: Lipton it was arranged with the ship's boy on the ship going between Glasgow and Belfast. But actually, it was a turning point for it. The young man has started to dream of distant wanderings. In the winter of 1865, having in a pocket only eight dollars, 14-year-old Thomas the free rider of villages on a steamship sailing to coast of America.

In USA Lipton first could not find to itself suitable employment. It has gone on tobacco plantations of Virginia, then on rice plantations of South Carolina, travelled about on all country, being accepted for any black and low-paid job. Has carried to it only after four years when it became the clerk in one of succeeding groceries of New York. At this particular time Lipton has passed school which has allowed it to formulate main principles of the business further: competent system of sales and the non-standard advertising receptions which have provided success to its groceries and the well-known tea brand. Has especially involved Liptona the motto of the American businessmen: «In God we trust, all others pay cash» («In the God we believe, and for all the rest we pay in cash»).

In the spring of 1869 21-year-old Thomas Lipton comes back home. In two years with the capital in 180 pounds the newly made businessman opens the first grocery store in Glasgow. Right at the beginning it had to combine duties of the purchaser, the cashier, the messenger, the managing director and the seller. It bought production directly from manufacturers to pass intermediaries. Itself brought in the cart the goods from a mooring, itself delivered purchases to clients, personally paid visits to suppliers. But in parallel with all these affairs he constantly thought of how to involve buyers that, once having visited its shop, they became its constant clients.

Trade development has led to that in 25 years Lipton already owned twenty shops in the west of Scotland. It has counted on attraction of the mass buyer, persistently searched for farmers and the wholesalers, ready to release the cheapest goods. And all this time dreamt of spending a scale advertising campaign, means on which at firm were not. Lipton has been compelled to rely on the imagination and an ingenuity entirely. Show-windows of its shops have been ornamented by amusing pictures, products have been spread out in the form of intricate compositions. For an unusual ornament of shop caricaturist Uilli Lokhart has specially been employed. He drew amusing posters which varied every week, involving in shop curious crowd. Such multilateral approach could not remain not noticed - as a result day and night at shops Liptona people crowded. Gradually advertising actions of firm began to mention more and more wide public. Specially to Christmas of 1881 Lipton has reserved in America the biggest in the world a cheese circle. Inhabitants of Glasgow were built in turn to try a slice, and all cheese has been sold for two hours.

Thomas Liptona's advertising actions were always extremely original. He did not create occasions to advertising, and tried to see them in any possibility. Somehow time Liptonu was necessary to accompany tea cargo across Red sea. The overloaded ship suddenly has started to sink. To rescue a vessel, sailors began to throw out bales with the goods for a board. «Wait!» - the owner of the company has shouted, has seized a red paint and has started quickly something to write on bales. In some minutes of a wave have beaten to coast bales with bright red inscriptions: «Drink tea Lipton!».

In 1901 Lipton has constructed a yacht which throughout many years participated in races on the Cup of America and so has never won. Lipton even has won a title «the most honourable outsider». But already from aspiration to a victory there was a certain success - commercial. Battles for the Cup of America were, first of all, the action directed on advancement of trade mark Lipton in America.

In 35 years Thomas Lipton has bought food warehouses in Chicago and factory on packing of products. By this time its branched out trading network, covered not only the Great Britain, but also other countries of Europe. Hardly later to them has increased also some shops in different states of America.

One million pounds sterling incomes of the enterprising businessman have reached by 1890. It would Seem, at last it is possible to have a rest, having realised children's dream - distant voyages. But Lipton has refused sea wanderings and has started to master tea business. Time for start has been chosen not so casually. For that moment of coffee (the unique drink, capable to make a competition to tea) was in the big deficiency. The reason for that is the pernicious illness which has amazed coffee trees on Ceylon. Their big part has gone from a hammer, has been cut down and replaced by tea bushes. Sharp-witted Lipton has used unprecedented cheapness of agricultural grounds on island. Not to devote in the affairs of competitors, he has declared, that goes to open shops in Australia, and itself has secretly arrived to Ceylon where has got 5500 acres of tea plantations.

Thomas Lipton won the tea market duly marketing and logistics: has adjusted uninterrupted deliveries of the goods to England, a lot of attention gave to warehouse and packing services. Its plantations have turned to range for test of technical innovations. For example, to facilitate delivery of a tea leaf from a plantation to a processing place, Lipton has thought up rope lines on which baskets were transported.

But the greatest contribution Liptona to development of grocery trade was that he the first has decided to sell tea not on weight, and in small boxes. This decision has allowed to sell the goods small retail under reasonable prices. And steel tea drinking in Europe and the USA are even more popular, than before. Main buyer Liptona - middle class is a public with whom he was able to communicate. It had even own fleet: at first the sailing vessels, capable to develop huge on those times speed (clippers), and then both steamships more capacious and less dependent on weather with advanced cars. By the way, races of the clippers loaded with tea, promoted scientific and technical progress much. Aspiring to deliver tea to Europe faster, Lipton and its assistants paid considerable money to engineers and designers. Those have created ideal with aero-and the hydrodynamic point of view of a proportion of a vessel, have thought up new constructional materials of the case.

«Directly from a plantation - in a cup» - one of the first slogans which have been thought up Liptonom said. It flaunted on the posters stuck in all British trains and buses, and proved to be true that tea unloading in the British harbours turned to the present show. Boxes with the goods accompanied singalezsky an orchestra which picturesque participants danced and played exotic tools.

The purpose which has put before itself Lipton, was such: tea should be accessible under the price and thus high quality. For this purpose he had to struggle not only with the costs raising the cost price of the goods, but also with some prejudices. At that time in a society hearings went, that dealers increase weight and reduce the price for tea, adding … the sheep dung. To change public opinion, it was necessary to employ the best blenders - the experts making a tea mix. They should consider all nuances, even such, as rigidity of water which is used for tea leaves.

Among achievements Liptona - creation for packages with its tea of recognised packing. He was not mistaken: the tea packed into accurate packs with the image singalezskoj of the beauty with a basket on a head, became an original symbol of an epoch, and itself Lipton has turned to indispensable attribute of mass culture of time. It was the hero of caricatures, sketches and mjuzik-hollnyh enterprises. In a risovanno-comical kind got and on covers of newspapers, and even more often, than in the present shape.

What liptonovsky tea began to be on sale for the first time in the world in disposable bags was important innovation Liptona. Idea of single tea leaves in a paper bag the American has thought up Volume Sullivan, but Lipton in the beginning of 20 centuries has introduced it in manufacture.

Among fans of excellent taste of tea Lipton were not only mere mortals, but also the queen Victoria. She has considered, that Thomas Lipton promoted formation of "English style of a life» and that its contribution is worthy a title of the sir. In 1897 Thomas Lipton has been devoted in knights.

In 1898 firm aktsionirovalas. The chairman of board became itself Lipton. The Great demand on actions has brought to it more than 2 million pounds sterling.

From the very beginning of sales on the market three grades of tea Lipton have been offered. Best of them was called Quality-1 - it was on sale in yellow packing with red emblem Lipton. Now this grade is world renowned as Lipton Yellow Label.

In 1972, long before after death Liptona, English-Dutch concern Unilever has bought all companies, making there is Thomas Liptona's tea empire. And several years ago the concern has enclosed in campaign for updating of image of brand Lipton about $100 million having set as the purpose successfully to compete to other manufacturers of soft drinks (for example, such as Coca-Cola), Unilever has counted on useful properties of tea. However on it reforming of trade mark Lipton has not ended: tea division Unilever has changed design of packing. For the first time for 100 years from boxes and bags the mention of sir Thomas Liptone has disappeared. It spoke obsolescence of a brand to which danger to become a drink of grandmothers in the conditions of a powerful competition from modern trade marks threatened. But it has not occurred. Brand Lipton has resisted, and now tea in traditional yellow boxes remains to one of the most recognised products.

Sir Thomas Dzhonstoun Lipton has died on October, 2nd, 1931 in London. To the admirers and fans of the well-known tea it has left huge tea empire with divisions in the different countries. Known chaetorgovets has not left successors - its personal status estimated in 1931 in some millions of pounds sterling, has gone on the charitable purposes. The immortal trade mark created by it not simply exists, and prospers and till our days.