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Marketing can date back to antient times, as far as 400 BCE, with evidence of "seals on goods symbolized authenticity and quality, akin to modern logos" (A. Sharma, 2025). This carried into the Middle Ages (5th Century through the 16th Century) with the times of markets and merchantry. Bright colored tapestries and motifs were used to attract buyers. (youngurbanproject.com, 2025) -
Evolution of tools in marketing for ancient times, all the way through the 2010's
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From the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, around 1799, businesses were producing at a greater scale with higher demand, which created competition and companies had to create a presence and consumer base. In the 19th century, the idea of using traveling salesmen was created by Josiah Wedgwood. The evolution of the printing press becoming more widely used, businesses were able to use print advertising, catalogs and newspapers to reach consumers. (A. Sharma, 2025) -
Beginning in the early 1920's, radio broadcasting advertisements became a way businesses could reach consumers. This expanded to television advertising with the first TV Ad airing in 1941. The use of print advertising waned throughout the 1950's and early 60's with TV and radio become the more accessible way for businesses to reach people. -
Starting in the 1970's, Societal Orientation was integrated into modern marketing. Societal Orientation or Societal Marketing considers both the long-term interests of society and customer needs, along with the company's objectives. This concept suggests that businesses include ethical, social, and environmental factors in their marketing strategies, in addition to traditional financial goals. (eightception.com, 2025) -
In the early 1980's, IBM created the first personal computer, with Apple following up not far behind. In the 90's, personal mobile phones as well as personal computers were becoming more prevalent. This led to "text" advertisements and soon the technology superseded print advertising as the most successful form of advertising. (O. Smith, 2024) -
The mid - late 90's moved the marketing world quickly in a new direction. The introduction of the internet allowed for advertisers to utilize email contact for consumers. This also let to the use of search engines consumers could use to look up companies' websites, if they had one.
It was also during this time that cell phones became a household staple. -
In the 2000's, using marketing through the internet became more personalized for the consumer. Businesses were able to analyze search engine results to create "a greater emphasis on information sharing, user-centered design and collaboration". (O. Smith, 2024) It was also during this time that social media began to gain a following. Sites like MySpace and FaceBook. By 2012, social media sites offered high profile advertising opportunities that generated huge revenue. -
By 2010, around half of consumers had smart phones. This had a part in making online marketing increasingly popular and profitable, and led to a surge in e-commerce. Most recently, in the last few years, AI technology has been incorporated into marketing, offering a broader spectrum of the possibilities that could be used through advertisements. (O. Smith, 2024)