1 At the end of World War I, the Kimberly-Clark paper company went looking for a commercial use for their cotton-like material being used as filters for gas masks. At first, Kleenex tissue was marketed as a way to remove makeup and cold cream. To reinforce a glamorous image, the company sought and received endorsements from Hollywood movie stars. 2 At a price of 50 to 65 cents for a 100-sheet carton, Kleenex tissue sold only moderately well in spite of the celebrity plugs. But it did prompt an occasional letter from a blunt consumer. “Why don’t you ever say it’s good for blowing your nose?” read a typical query.

3 After hearing this comment many times over the years, the company conducted a survey in 1930 to find out how its customers were using Kleenex tissue. They found that the attempt to see the product as a facial-cleansing tissue had missed the mark. Kleenex tissue was selling only because most consumers had found their own use for it. More than 60 percent of those surveyed reported that they were using the tissue as a disposable handkerchief.

4 Following the customers’ lead, Kimberly-Clark revamped its advertising. It was as if a switch had been turned on. Sales of Kleenex tissue doubled within one year of its being sold as a throwaway hanky and then doubled again the following year. Within six years, the success of Kleenex tissue had helped boost Kimberly-Clark’s work force from about 2,800 employees to more than 4,000. Not only did Kleenex tissue become a household necessity, it also helped pioneer a generation of disposable paper products, including napkins, plates, towels, and diapers. It had been Kimberly-Clark’s good fortune to miss its target, only to hit a much more profitable one accidentally.
Question6
Marks: 1
Kleenex sales eventually doubled due mainly to –
Choose one answer.
A. word-of-mouth advertising
B. Hollywood celebrity endorsements
C. the popularity of facial-cleansing tissues
D. new advertising techniques