She Was The One Who Started Tupperware Parties, And Then She Became An Executive At A Time When Few Women Held This Role
If you have a relative who is old enough to remember living in America during the 1950s, they might have a story about the famous Tupperware parties that revolutionized marketing during that time.
The woman who started it all was Brownie Wise, an innovative saleswoman whose tactics and impact on marketing are long-lasting.
Brownie was born in Georgia in 1913. Her parents divorced when she was younger, and she lived with her mom, a prominent advocate, and organizer for the hat makers’ union. Because her mother was very busy, she was often left in the care of her aunt.
Brownie dropped out of school as a teenager and began working with her mother for the hat makers’ union. When she was only 14, she gave motivational speeches at their rallies.
She met her husband, Robert W. Wise, at the Texas Centennial Exposition in 1936 and married him later that year. Brownie moved to Detroit with Robert, where he worked as a machinist and gave birth to their son Jerry in 1938.
Unfortunately, Robert was very violent toward Brownie, so she divorced him in 1941 and moved to Michigan with their son to live with her mother.
Brownie was a talented writer and wrote columns for The Detroit News under the name Hibiscus. During World War II, she became an executive secretary at Bendix Aviation, an aircraft manufacturer.
When the war ended, Brownie and her mother wanted to make more money, so they began hosting parties to sell for Stanley Home Products. During their fun parties, they demonstrated how each product worked to housewives, making for a more effective sales pitch.
Brownie eventually rose to the top as one of Stanley Home Products’ best salespeople, but the company refused to promote her because she was a woman. That’s when she came across Tupperware.
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Tupperware was being sold in stores where no product demonstration was allowed. Since the products were unfamiliar to most housewives, many wouldn’t buy them without a proper demonstration.
Brownie saw a lot of potential in the Tupperware products and quickly became a salesperson with the brand to sell the products at her and her mother’s parties. They started calling their sales events Patio Parties and, by the late 1940s, found great success and made a lot of sales for Tupperware.
Before long, Brownie made up local sales teams comprised of other housewives who could host their own Tupperware sales parties. In 1951, Earl Tupper, Tupperware’s founder, saw great promise in Brownie’s parties and wanted to give her a chance to develop her strategy further. He made her Vice President of Marketing, and she was one of the few female executives during this time.
The brand took off once Brownie had proper control over Tupperware’s marketing with her home party tactic. Tupperware made millions in sales during the early 1950s, and finding its products in stores soon became impossible.
It got to the point where Tupperware was exclusively sold through parties. By 1954, a diverse network of around 20,000 people distributed and sold Tupperware products, thanks to Brownie.
Not only were the Tupperware parties an excellent chance for people to socialize and promote the product, but they also inspired women to work and make names for themselves as salespeople.
During the mid-1950s, Brownie became the face of Tupperware, making talk show appearances, speaking at conferences, and being the first woman on the cover of Business Week magazine.
Unfortunately, her success made the founder jealous. She was suddenly fired in 1958, so she filed a lawsuit against Tupperware for conspiracy and breach of contract. She settled for a year’s salary in court and didn’t receive any money when the company was sold shortly after.
Brownie dabbled in a few more business ventures after her journey with Tupperware came to a sudden halt, including working as an executive for Viviane Woodard Cosmetics. She also did work as a ceramist and made art of clay and textiles.
In September 1992, Brownie died at the age of 79. Tupperware finally started recognizing her talents and crediting her for their success after her passing. In 2016, the company donated $200,000 to establish Brownie Wise Park in Florida.
Although she may have had a rough ending with the company she made famous, Brownie is still acknowledged for her tremendous work ethic and savvy mind.
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