XXVIIe Conférence Internationale de Management Stratégique Gibson vs. Fender: Innovation paths in the early Electric Guitar Industry (1945–1984) Rayna, Thierry École Polytechnique, i3-CRG (UMR CNRS 9217)
[email protected] Striukova, Ludmila Skema Business School, Université Côte d’Azur
[email protected] Résumé : This article investigates the two radically different innovation paths chosen by Gibson and Fender, the two major electric guitar manufacturers, during the period 1945–1984. The beginning of this period corresponds both to the entrance of Fender in a market then dominated by Gibson and to the birth of the electric guitar. The article shows that the period 1945–1958 is one of intensive innovation, albeit of a different type, from both manufacturers. Fender’s innovation was inspired by engineering and electronics, while Gibson’s was rooted in craftsmanship and tradition. These very few years, which defined what electric guitar is, were then followed by a period of innovation deadlock (1958–1984). This article demonstrates that this was not due to a lack of innovative activities, but, instead, to a growing misunderstanding of consumer needs and to sterile attempts to capture each other’s market share. Mots-clés : radical innovation, market entry, engineering, craftsmanship, trajectories 1 Montpelier, 6-8 juin 2018 XXVIIe Conférence Internationale de Management Stratégique INTRODUCTION Although electric guitar has, arguably, been for more than half a century the most famous icon of popular music and companies manufacturing them have demonstrated a rather unusual longevity and leadership (Gibson, one of the two market leaders was founded in 1894), little attention (if any) has been given in the literature to this industry.