What is wrong with introducing an innovative product to a market that was not demanding it (cold roofs in the U.K.)?

Tyvek Background In 1955 DuPont engineer Jim White noticed white polyethylene fluff coming out of a pipe in a company lab. By flash spinning the fluff fibers in a randomly distributed, nondirectional manner, engineers produced a new, exceptionally strong material. The flash spinning process was protected by trade secret since the resultant material had unique propertiesit was vapor permeable, yet was water, chemical, and tear-resistant. DuPont branded the new fabric as Tyvek.

Tyveks permeability made it extremely useful in the construction market. It was used as a building envelope, wrapped around the frame of a building to allow moisture to escape while preventing water/rain from penetrating. This helped mitigate the growth of mold and mildew caused by condensation, thereby protecting homes and buildings from expensive water damage.

Tyvek and the U.S. Construction Market In the early 1980s Tyvek was introduced into the U.S. market as an energy-efficient building paper. The initial market response was excellent. Over time the Tyvek team recognized an opportunity to expand Tyveks potential by reframing the addressable market space. According to Schuler: In the mid-1990s Tyvek was primarily positioned as an energy-efficient product in North America. When we went out and spoke to the market, we realized people were buying Tyvek for water management. So we reframed our definition of the U.S. market and went from 70 percent share of the energy-efficient market to 25 percent of the larger water-management market. We realized we had tremendous room to grow, and the water-management platform drove our messaging and penetration in the U.S. market. The teams next move was to drive the water-management message to market. To reach out and connect with end-users, the Tyvek team worked with distributor partners to put together a team of specialists (ex-builders, ex-roofers, etc.) who could translate Tyveks features into benefits and outcomes that mattered to the target audience. the strong Tyvek growth resulting from continually refining the products addressable market space and the growing use of industry specialists. The Tyvek team learned how to work with the industry trades to deliver a product that met market needs in the United States. Now they wanted to translate these experiences to grow Tyvek rapidly in the United Kingdom.

Tyvek and Cold Roofs in the United Kingdom DuPonts initial success in Europe was in the roof, not the wall. Stone or block walls precluded the use of Tyvek in most systems, but most European houses included insulated attics to extend living space. Tyvek was included in this warm roofing system for the same water management and energy-efficient purposes that it served in U.S. wall systems. That trend applied to most countries, but not the United Kingdom. Most UK walls were stone, like those in the rest of Europe. However, UK roofing systems were similar to U.S. systems in that the roofs were not insulated (or cold). In the cold roof design, insulation is placed in the ceiling between the joists (as in a U.S. home) to retain heat in the house. Bitumen felt is layered under the shingles (usually clay or slate) to keep water out. Water vapor generated inside the home through normal use would be trapped in the cold roof since the vapor could not permeate the bitumen felt roof liner. Cold temperatures in the roof would condense the vapor to water, producing the potential for mold and other damage. To avoid condensation and mold accumulation in buildings, construction firms crafted cold roofs with vents on the ridge and sides of the roof that allowed for cross-ventilation and helped moisture escape. Construction using cross-ventilation had become the norm in the UK construction market. With the vents in place, there was no reason for builders to switch from bitumen felt to Tyvek, especially when Tyvek was priced significantly higher than felt. Despite being two to five times better at water holdout than felt, Tyvek was an unnecessary expense in addressing the traditional cold roof. The marketplace did not need, nor was it demanding, a more effective solution. As a result, Tyvek sales stagnated.