DuPont External Affairs records
Creation: 1979-1989Abstract
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company is a chemical company more commonly referred to as the DuPont Company. The External Affairs Department of the DuPont Company was created on January 1, 1986 by the merger of the Marketing Communications and Public Affairs departments. The records of DuPont External Affairs are divided into two series that reflect the department's principal functions--advertising and public affairs. A large portion of the collection consists of retail sales profiles and trend reports that include background information, research proposals, cost estimates, survey questionnaires, and related correspondence.
Dates
- Creation: 1979-1989
Creator
Extent
19 Linear Feet
Historical Note
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company is a chemical company more commonly referred to as the DuPont Company. The External Affairs Department of the DuPont Company was created on January 1, 1986 by the merger of the Marketing Communications and Public Affairs departments. The term "External Affairs" had been used earlier between 1979 to 1984, when Charles E. Welch (1925-) had served as "Vice President--External Affairs & General Counsel," with general supervision of the Legal, Marketing Communications, Public Affairs, and General Services departments. The department was restyled DuPont External Affairs on November 1, 1990, when the company dropped the use of the term "department" and as DuPont External Affairs in 1992. The department is responsible for all company advertising and publicity.
The Marketing Communications Department was the successor to the Advertising Department, which was created from the Advertising Division of the Sales Department in the general reorganization of September 1921. The Advertising Department was responsible for all print and radio advertisements, market research, and working with outside advertising agencies.
The Public Affairs Department was the successor to the Publicity Department. It too had sprung from the Advertising Division of the Sales Department by way of the Publicity Bureau of 1916. It was renamed the Publicity Department in October 1935, the Public Relations Department on April 1, 1938, and the Public Affairs Department on January 1, 1973.
Scope and Contents
The records of DuPont External Affairs are divided into two series that reflect the department's principal functions--advertising and public affairs.
The Advertising series is further divided into nine subseries. The largest covers apparel and home fabrics, and includes the files of Richard T. Brigham, a senior market research analyst, and a set of general apparel studies. These studies evaluate sales performance and forecast market trends for clothing lines and household furnishings made from Antron, Dacron, Orlon, and Lycra, including swimsuits, robes, brassieres, pantyhose, infant and toddler clothing, men's underwear, uniforms, luggage, household furniture, and bedding. Also included are retail performance studies, department store sales analyses, and studies focusing on catalog shoppers, "working women," and the growth potential of minority markets.
Included are marketing studies for carpets, craft yarn, fibers, and fabricated products such as Corian and Silverstone. These studies track purchases and collect demographic data to develop consumer profiles and assess consumers' awareness of and attitudes toward DuPont's product lines, as well as retailers' willingness to recommend DuPont over competitive products. Studies by the Yankelovich organization analyze the relationship between product manufacturers and architects, building owners, and interior decorators to determine relative brand awareness in the writing of specifications.
The files of Roger T. Colberg contain research proposals and studies for the marketing of chemical products, including herbicides, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals. The Colberg files also include a major study that sought to redefine DuPont's corporate image in order to make it a leading supplier of goods and services to the health care industry.
The Marketing Communication files contain agreements and invoices covering monthly expenditures for manufacturers participating in the Lycra Cooperative Advertising Program, including advertising tear sheets and fabric samples of Antron, Dacron, Orlon, and Lycra.
The Public Affairs series contains press releases dating from 1979 to 1982 announcing major personnel and organizational changes, along with scattered issues of DuPont Context and DuPont Today.
Access Restrictions
No restrictions on access; this collection is open for research.
These records are located in remote storage. Please contact staff 48 hours in advance of research visit at askhagley@hagley.org
Language of Materials
English
Subjects
Finding Aid & Administrative Information
- Title:
- DuPont External Affairs records
- Description rules:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description:
- English
- Script of description:
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2021: Laurie Sather
Repository Details
Repository Details
Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository
