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Marketing first appeared in local marketplaces, where handmade goods were bartered or sold. The invention of Gutenberg's printing in the mid-1400s opened the door for flyers and posters to reach wider audiences, marking one of the earliest forms of promotion(Pickney Harmon, n.d).
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The Industrial Revolution made it possible to mass-produce goods. Companies focused on efficiency and low prices rather than customer needs.
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Production of cars that are faster and cheaper than ever before(FullScale, n.d.). -
Henry Ford introduces the assembly line, drastically, lowering car costs and changing marketing's focus to price and availability( FullScale, n.d.).
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With more production of products flooding the market, businesses began competing for consumer attention. Aggressive sales tactics, door-to-door pitches, newspaper ads, and eventually radio ads were used to push products, regardless of whether customers truly wanted them(FullScale, n.d.).
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By the 1940's television advertising was offering visuals alongside sound(FullScale, n.d.). -
Companies create structured marketing teams to understand consumers
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Gutenberg created his own version of the Bible -
Procter Gamble pioneers the use of focus groups to test consumer reaction to new products( Pickney Harmon, n.d.). -
Marketing becomes a key part of the company's identity
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Focus shifts towards building loyalty and long-term customer value.
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Hotwired sells the first banner ad online, kicking off internet advertising(Pickney Harmon, n.d.). -
Excedrin creates one of the first digital sample campaigns(Pickney Harmon, n.d.) -
Apple releases the iPhone, creating a new mobile-first marketing era. -
Instagram is released -
Social media platforms and mobile dominate the consumer's attention
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TikTok launches globally, introducing short-form viral marketing strategies(Pinckney Harmon, n.d.) -
AI-driven marketing and predictive analytics are expected to dominate campaigns(Venngage, n.d.).