Dyson Vacuums
James Dyson loves to invent. He looks for simple problems and comes up with even simpler answers. There was the boat truck, a two-person boat that had a nice big bed for transporting things. Then came the ball barrow, a wheel barrow with the wheel exchanged for a ball. It never sinks into soft ground. Then in 1978 while vacuuming his home, Dyson realized his bag vacuum cleaner was constantly losing suction power. Hard to believe but vacuum salesmen were actually selling vacuums that they knew lost suction power every time you used them. In fact, one of the vice presidents of a major vacuum manufacturer actually bragged that the company was selling a defective product.
The cause of the defect: every time a bagged vacuum sucks in dust and dirt (the purpose of a vacuum) the dust clogs the pores of the bag, blocking airflow. Vacuum twice and you've cut your sucking power tremendously. After five years, over five thousand prototypes, and when he was almost bankrupt, Dyson launched the first cyclonic bagless vacuum cleaner.
James Dyson offered his invention to major manufacturers who turned him down. In fact, Hoover's Vice President for Europe, Mike Rutter, said on UK national TV: "I do regret that Hoover as a company did not take the product technology off Dyson; it would have lain on the shelf and not been used." Bags are a $500 million business. So he did it himself. In 1993 Dyson started a research center and a manufacturing plant. The product took off. By 2002, Dyson had captured 38% of the U.K. market and over the last few years he's turned his sights on the American and Asian markets. Today, James Dyson is one of the top 40 richest men in the U.K. His company, of which he's the sole stock owner, is valued at $10 billion.
Everything about the Dyson vacuums suggests empathy and intent. From the way that you empty the dirt to the 800 number you can call to get parts and replacements, the cues that say, "We care" and "We get it" are everywhere. Dyson is an example of a disruptive innovation. They are fast gaining market share in the U.S. primarily because the vacuums make people feel good about vacuuming. Their competitors now offer cyclonic vacuum cleaners and all kinds of new features to impress. But it's the compelling, beautiful, original design of a Dyson vacuum that commands the attention of today's mass market consumer.
http://www.dyson.com