It can be argued that marketing has existed for hundreds, or even thousands, of years. For example, the Ancient Greeks demonstrated an early form of marketing when traders would hire ‘criers’ to advertise the goods that they were selling. Since then, marketing has evolved considerably with certain developments in history being particularly significant.
Gutenberg invented a printing press featuring moveable type in 1450. This press, along with future models based on his original, allowed pamphlets, books and handbills to be produced in large quantities and distributed to more people than ever before.
An American newspaper called The Boston News-Letter published what is regarded as the first paid newspaper advertisement in 1704. This was an announcement aimed at selling property in an area of Long Island known as Oyster Bay.
Benjamin Franklin’s ‘The Pennsylvania Gazette’ went into publication in 1729. Advertisers covered the cost of the paper’s production which meant that the purchase price was low. This allowed more people to buy the paper and be exposed to the advertising, allowing the market to grow.
People began using telegrams to send unsolicited commercial messages in 1864. This is often considered to be the first example of spam.
During the industrial revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries, there was a scarcity of goods which enabled manufacturers to sell almost all of their produce if it was affordable. The main marketing concerns of this period, therefore, were to produce and distribute goods for as little cost as possible.
Marketers first began to rent billboards for advertising purposes around 1867. However, the use of posters as a method of marketing can be traced back hundreds of years. Posters were even used to promote Shakespeare’s plays.
From the early 20th century to the period after World War 2, with the exception of wartimes, there was an increase in competition. As a result, marketing issues became focused on selling products through branding, communications and advertising. Manufacturers were still concerned with production but an increasing need to convince customers that their products were better than their rivals’ became their new focus.
The first paid radio advertisement is believed to have been broadcast in 1922. The Queensboro Corporation used this medium to advertise an apartment complex on a New York radio station.
The watchmaking company Bulova paid for the first television advertisement to be broadcast in 1941. It was shown on a New York television station before a baseball game.
Since the 1960s, marketing has had to become far more sophisticated in order to compete for customers in markets which have ceased to grow. Modern technology allows a company to use more methods of marketing than ever before and marketing experts are now employed to work with an organisation at many different levels.