An interactive guide to the origins of some of the world's best known brands
ACCORDING to Greek legend Athena sprang fully formed out of the head of Zeus. Business analysts have a preference for corporate Athenas. They admire ‘pure-plays’—companies that focus relentlessly on their core businesses—and apply a discount to diversified companies. But in the real world businesses are constantly evolving. This evolution is usually from low value-added—ie, making and selling stuff—to more high value-added. Sometimes the evolution makes sense: it is possible to see how you get from making playing cards to making video games, as Nintendo did. Sometimes it is more surprising: Wipro, an IT giant, started life making sunflower oil and soap (and indeed continues to produce them). The process of evolution takes many companies on to great things. But others retreat into shadows of their former selves. The East India Company, which once ruled India, has recently been reborn as a posh Mayfair shop. There may be more such shrinkages to come. Nokia has transformed itself from a humble manufacturer of cables, paper and rubber into a mobile-phone giant. But if the company continues to flounder in the smartphone market it might consider going back to making rubber boots. Roll over the company logos below to see the origins of some of the world's best known brands.