The company's R&D department created an adhesive that didn't stick, a product that should have died. A group of researchers led by Art Fry believed the adhesive could be used on a bookmark-like product similar to what would eventually become the Post-It note. He approached the company’s marketing department which told him, even during extensive market research, consumers had never asked for pieces of paper that didn’t quite stick.
To circumvent these short-sighted managers, Fry had a large number of Post-It-like prototypes made up and distributed to the secretary pool. Once the company’s administrative assistants had taken to the new tool, affixing them to documents circulating in front of vice-presidents and other upper-level executives, Fry cut off the supply and directed the complaints to the marketing department which had red-lighted the idea in the first place. The rest is history. (Full Artical at bw)
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