Phillips

Picture of Entrepreneur

Anton and Gerard Philips, 1891

ii.                  Picture of Product

iii.                Brief description

With main focus on Health and Well-being, Philips serve professional and consumer markets through three overlapping sectors: Healthcare, Lighting and Consumer Lifestyle. Throughout their portfolio, they demonstrate their innovation capacity by translating customer insights into meaningful technology and applications that improve the quality of people’s lives.

iv.                A brief introduction of how the business started

The foundations of Philips were laid in 1891 when Anton and Gerard Philips established Philips & Co. in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. The company begun manufacturing carbon-filament lamps and by the turn of the century, had become one of the largest producers in Europe. By 1910, with 2,000 employees, Philips was the largest single employer in The Netherlands.

v.                  Achievements attained

vi.               How the product got its name

Established in 1891 in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, Philips & Co. was founded to meet the growing demand for light bulbs following the commercialization of electricity.

In the early years of Philips & Co., the representation of the company name took many forms: one was an emblem formed by the initial letters of Philips & Co., and another was the word Philips printed on the glass of metal filament lamps.

One of the very first campaigns was launched in 1898 when Anton Philips used a range of postcards showing the Dutch national costumes as marketing tools. Each letter of the word Philips was printed in a row of light bulbs as at the top of every card. In the late 1920s, the Philips name began to take on the form that we recognize today.

vii.              Unique features about the product that makes it an outstanding product

In 1891, Frederik Philips and his son Gerard found Philips & Co in Eindhoven The Netherlands to create cost-effective, reliable light bulbs for everyone. Today, Philips lights world-famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids of Giza, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball. Philips is known for its energy-saving light bulbs.

viii.            Key Factors contributing to the success of the business


Philips is more than just a company name – it’s a brand that promises an experience to people. Whether it was lighting lives in 1891 when they introduced their first incandescent light bulb, to saving lives with the HeartStart defibrillator, people have always been at the heart of Philips.

Prior to the launch of “sense and simplicity,” they did not have a consistent way within their organization to deliver a one-Philips brand experience to customers. The launch of their brand promise - “sense and simplicity” - in 2004 was an important milestone in their brand journey. This step change guided the organization to deliver a consistent, differentiated brand experience; helping them to build their brand in the hearts and minds of people.

This brand promise encapsulates their commitment to deliver solutions that are advanced, easy to use, and designed around the needs of all their users and customers.