Philips started in 1891 in Eindhoven, Netherlands manufacturing carbon filament lamps. It faced competition in 1970-1995 from Japanese electronics companies, forcing it to close less profitable factories. To reduce costs, Philips began sharing R&D with other companies. A new branding campaign in the 1990s emphasized improving lives through technology solutions. Market research found consumers saw Philips as reliable and preferred simplicity. The rebranding focused on benefits of technology without complexity. This increased Philips' brand value to $10.9 billion in 2015.