Lessons from the past can help guide your e-commerce strategy today

At a time when the Western Allies were pillaging the intellectual property of the Germans, a couple of smart, and probably rather plucky British soldiers saw an opportunity to produce cars for the British Army. What does this have to do with e-commerce? Everything! When your customers have a need, your solution is just what they will choose.

When Ivan Hirst arrived to take over running Wolfsburg (a Captain at the time), he was tasked with dismantling the automobile factory there. When he found a Volkswagen Beetle in reasonably good shape, he decided to paint it camouflage and present it to his superiors as a solution to their transportation woes. The solution was approved, and an order of 20,000 units was placed. It was this moment that kick-started what is one of the largest automotive manufacturers in the world.

Within the first few months of production, the factory had produced approximately 1000 cars a month from repurposed parts from the Kübelwagen (the German Military vehicle used in WW2) that were heavily based on the Beetle’s platform. Within 12 months, the factory had produced some 10,000 cars and was working on an export deal for the following year. By the time Hirst had left in 1949, Volkswagen was the largest car manufacturer in Germany. Not bad for a few years of hard work.

During this time Hirst had struggled with malnutrition issues of the workers and convinced his superiors to release some 1,000 engineers from prisoners of war camps to bolster production. He also secured a shipment of fish from Hamburg to feed the workers. He was quoted saying “if I didn’t do it, someone else would have”, but he will go down in history as the many whom re-founded Volkswagen.

When the British arrived, the factory was called Kraft durch Freude (KdF) ‘Strength Through Joy’, and when the factory was returned to the Germans in 1947 it was named its original name, Volkswagen (People’s Car), a legacy that lives on strongly today.

What lessons can you apply in your business?

1. Make the most of the situation - Hirst saw an opportunity to solve a problem his superiors had. He presented the option to them, and they took it. Consider what opportunities are sitting right in front of you within your customer base.
2. Make use of what you have - Hirst used what resources he had available to him. He had poorly staff and old war vehicles to start Volkswagen. The chances are you can do much more with the resources you have, or leverage whatever you can lay your hands on.

It always amazes me how through history, you can find any great examples of company turnarounds, and strategies that work today, just as well (if not better) than they did in the past. Sometimes, the simplest problem can be solved with the simplest strategy - something to keep in mind when reviewing your company e-commerce marketing strategy.