How the Nikon electric fan ‘sings’ Nanay to sleep

My first electrical appliance from Nikon was an electric fan. It was a 14-inch blue fan that my Nanay brought from Manila. It was a precious appliance for us that became the centerpiece of our sala at home in Samar. Cool, summery breeze spilled out from the electric fan. It was a luxury to us especially during summers because Nanay didn’t have to use the improvised fly swat (made of palm leaves) to ward off pesky mosquitoes and flies which would tirelessly flirt with me.

In the early afternoons, she would position the fan close to the abaca hammock tied between the two pillars that stood near the balconahe. Sometimes I would think that my Nanay just wanted the electric fan by her side. The blue fan would actually “sing” Nanay to sleep.

In my house, I have Nikon electric fans. Nikon fans have become part of our lives that even with air conditioners, we would still have the sturdy, reliable, comfortable and pretty Nikon fans.

Nikon started during the turbulent era of the ’80s. Ninoy Aquino had just been assassinated and the country was thrown into chaos. Amidst crisis, an idea was borne  out of two Yutingco siblings. Both saw an opportunity to fill a void in the local clock market that was then dependent on expensive Japan  imports. This paved the way and inspired the start of  the  local manufacture and distribution of affordable wall clocks under the  local  Nikon brand.

As the company grew, it acquired better machinery and expanded into manufacturing plastic parts to serve the local industry.  To maximize the capacity of the machineries invested, Nikon began expanding into the appliance market by launching the Nikon Electrofan, which was  the first one of a kind electronic soft touch fan in the market. The electrofan  was so widely accepted Nikon soon began creating a whole line of electric fans to serve the market demand. With market research, Nikon began to fortify its marketing and development team to include items like water jugs, toasters, sandwich makers, rice cookers, blenders and coffee makers. 

 With the steady support of its trade and financial partners, Nikon soon thrived to evolve into a household name known for its reliability and quality. Its rapport with the “masa” is  undeniable through the years because of its consistency in providing quality and affordable appliances to the Filipino consumer.

During the Asian crisis of the ’90s, Nikon plunged into challenges that threatened its market standing.  Nikon reassessed its position and quietly cleaned house to energize itself.  In a short while, the team was able to bounce back to where it left off — doing what it most loved to do — tinkering on the new line of appliances to serve the Philippine Market.

 Time has proven the dependability and acceptance of Nikon appliances in every Filipino home like a kapamilya.  While retired founder and past chairman Bobby Yutingco merely remains a mentor — quietly guiding  the second generation team to take over,  the second generation headed by its now president Carol Yao continues to pursue the vision and uphold the tradition set by the founders in constant collaboration with the management team.

Nikon is a brand of its own. “Nikon Home Appliances stands for reliability without the added price. Nikon is your appliance partner in your home business, it’s with you to soothe your baby’s heat during the day, it’s with you when you serve a loving meal to your family. It’s with you during life’s celebrations and momentous events, too,” says Carol Yao, Nikon’s president.

From making wall clocks, Nikon now manufactures almost all home appliances. But for Carol, the wall clocks remain close to her heart. “I think the wall clocks still remain the closest to our hearts mainly because the family started business with it and perhaps because it holds the most sentimental value to the founders. However, in business — hearts usually take second place. The sad situation of clock manufacturing is that many factories already closed due to the influx of cheap China goods and made our local clocks sadly uncompetitive. We hope to reinvent the market and change it soon. Our retailers will support the local industry and see it from a bigger future perspective.”       

Managing the family business has earned Carol a valuable lesson. “We learned the value of humility. The ’90s were a challenging time for the family and the company and with it came a lot of lessons in trust, friendship, and life in general. It was an MBA in life, my friend used to joke.  These lessons have served us well in management 101.  I’m constantly reminded that I too, am only human.”

Carol though says that Nikon electric fans remain to be the most exciting product for her. “For us, electric fans is still our baby.  There is no limit to the imagination for electric fans. You can play by color, by design, and by added aesthetics. Plus, we have an integrated line for manufacturing so it is easier than importing from China. Our artists continue to create designs for us to study; sometimes they’re not workable due to its complexity but we try to have a lot of fun with it anyway.”

Nikon is scheduled to launch a more modern line of appliances — coffee makers and new line of Panini press and grillers, industrial steam irons and a two-year warranty line of electric fans.

So how does Carol see Nikon in the next 10 years? “We see Nikon expanding into the bigger line appliances like washing machines and ovens and delving into the Asian market. Hopefully, we can also propagate our “hanap buhay” advocacy through realistic home business livelihood using the Nikon appliance.  This way, we can teach people how to maximize use of their appliances,” she adds.