Edwin Perkins: Kool-Aid Inventor
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Marketing



In Perkins' time, you not only had to invent great products, but you also had to market the products through individual salesmen. Perkins was very good at organizing and encouraging his staff. He hired sales representatives to sell his products all over the country. Those who sold the most products won prizes.



The silent salesman was a small, simple, cardboard case
in which Kool-Aid packages were displayed
in popular areas of the store.

 Click the image for a larger version.
Edwin Perkins Price List
Onor-Maid order sheet used by the salesmen.
Source — Hastings Museum.

These sales representatives or "jobbers" also did the distributing. They made use of the self-selling silent salesman to help them do their work.