Blendtec is a successful blender brand from Irvine, California. Founded in 1975 by Tom Dickson, it started as a company that produced powerful commercial blenders and eventually expanded to home appliances. With over 200 million organic views on YouTube and millions in sales, Blendtec has become a marketing marvel.
Tom Dickson, the inventor behind Blendtec, holds five patents for the company’s technology. Their product’s high-quality engineering and unmatched power caught the attention of Vitamix, their biggest competitor. In 2013, Blendtec sued and won $24 million in damages for patent infringement. In 2015, Blendtec replaced Vitamix as the blender supplier for Jamba Juice.
But how did Blendtec come up with such an iconic marketing strategy? George Wright, VP of Marketing at Blendtec since 1987, had the idea when he saw Tom conducting quality tests on unusual items like wooden boards during his workshop hours. The fascination of blending seemingly impossible things was absurd and made for excellent advertising content.
With a budget of $50, they bought lab coats, safety glasses, marbles, Diet Coke bottles, McDonald’s meals, rotisserie chickens, and even garden rakes. Their first viral video featuring the blending of marbles reached an astonishing 6 million views within five days! The internet was abuzz with curiosity as people wanted to know “Will it Blend?”
Blendtec “Will it Blend?”, blending iPad.
Realizing YouTube’s potential as a powerful marketing tool for reaching the masses, Blendtec invested more resources into producing these entertaining yet informative videos. Tom’s signature voice and the same catchy tagline became their trademark soundbites. The company even introduced an annual “Blender Battles” campaign where they pitted different blenders against each other to showcase Blendtec’s superiority!
These quirky ads were responsible for driving 300%+ yearly revenue growth, making them a phenomenon in the industry. They also led Blendtec into collaborations with big brands like Apple and Samsung – who sent their latest gadgets to be blended on camera as part of the campaign!
In 2015, Tom Dickson retired from his role as CEO but remained active within the company until its sale in 2021. That year, the Dickson family decided to sell a majority stake in Blendtec to Wasatch Group – marking the end of an era for “Will It Blend?” videos, with their last one posted in November 2020. However, Tom continues his legacy through continued product innovation and inspiring future generations to blend unconventional items.
Blendtec’s success story is a tale of invention, determination, and out-of-the-box thinking that captured imaginations across the globe.
