There’s a reason Kimberly-Clark made the cut in one of the greatest business books of all time: Good to Great by Jim Collins.
The book summarizes his research team’s findings. Basically, they analyzed companies who became leaders in their market to find out why that happened. Then they compared these to similar companies, who had equal opportunity to do so but faded into the background.
They started with 1,435 companies. And guess how many they ended up with? Just 11. Kimberly-Clark was one.
What makes Kimberly-Clark’s products so special? Take a minute to learn, and find out some of their leading products:
- Tissues are Now Known as “Kleenex”
It’s not often a brand name replaces the original name of a general product type. It’s only happened a few times. For example, not many people use the term “tablet PC.” They say “iPad” to mean the same thing.
Kleenex is one of those rare products that become so popular no one asks for a “tissue.” They ask for a “Kleenex.” Kleenex replaced handkerchiefs. Instead of carrying around a disgusting cloth, men could use a Kleenex and dispose of it. Women at the time (in the 1930s), used Kleenex to assist in makeup removal.
Kleenex was the first to do what it did, and its popularity hasn’t declined a bit since. 1 in 4 people across the globe today have used Kleenex.
- Besides Kleenex, Kimberly-Clark is Known for Its Indispensable Brands
The company has created a number of brands businesses and consumers alike can’t do without. On the consumer side, you have Kleenex, Huggies, Depends, and others.
On the business side, you again have Kleenex, but also Scott paper towels and dispensers. Wypall offers cloths and wipes. Smith & Wesson provides more than 60 different kinds of safety glasses. Kimberly-Clark Professional offers a wide range of dispensers.
- Kimberly-Clark is Simply Legendary
With all the paper towels, Kleenex, and other hygiene products it makes, the company could certainly cause its fair share of harm to the environment. But in 2013, it became the first major towel and tissue manufacturer in North America to make products that contain natural, non-tree fibre available to the market.
Their Kleenex and Scott brands use bamboo and wheat straw at times. When it comes to sustainable product manufacturing, they analyze every stage of the product life cycle to see how they can optimize the product for environmental friendliness. They’re clearly an industry leader in this regard.
That’s why we love Kimberly-Clark, and are excited to recommend their products when they make an appropriate fit with your company.