The Evolution of Marketing: A Timeline of Key Milestones

By cailey7410@gmail.com
  • The rise of Trade and Barter (ca. 3000 B.C.)
    3000 BCE

    The rise of Trade and Barter (ca. 3000 B.C.)

    Trade Those first civilizations exchanged commodities, bartering the goods for other goods. This introduced "marketing" by showing the exchange of value. It demonstrated that communicative utility-value was necessary for exchange.
  • The Printing Press (1440)
    1440

    The Printing Press (1440)

    Mass communication became a reality with the invention of Johannes Gutenberg. Enterprising merchants started to create printed flyers and poster to advertise goods. It was one of first examples of mass marketing (Kotler Keller, 2016).
  • First Newspaper Advertisements

    First Newspaper Advertisements

    And with newspapers proliferating, businesses bought space in them to advertise to wider audiences. This was a watershed moment when marketing grew beyond ‘word of mouth’ (Smith Zook, 2016).
  • Industrial Revolution (18th–19th Century)

    Industrial Revolution (18th–19th Century)

    Mass production triggered an explosion of consumer products. Product differentiation changes controls by companies, which have moderated branding and competitive advertising (Kotler Keller, 2016).
  • The Rise of Branding (Late 1800s)

    The Rise of Branding (Late 1800s)

    Companies like Coca-Cola and Kellogg’s began creating logos, packaging and advertising jingles. Branding has been the cornerstone of marketing, allowing companies to establish loyalty and identity in saturated markets.
  • Television Marketing 1920s

    Television Marketing 1920s

    Mass media enabled companies to push messages to millions. This is what produced the current advertising industry., and demonstrated the strength of emotional appeal to stimulate consumer behaviors (Smith Zook, 2016).
  • Radio's Marketing 1950s

    Radio's Marketing 1950s

    Radio 1950
    Mass media enabled companies to push messages to millions. This is what produced the current advertising industry., and demonstrated the strength of emotional appeal to stimulate consumer behaviors (Smith Zook, 2016).
  • The Marketing Mix – 4 Ps (1960)

    The Marketing Mix – 4 Ps (1960)

    According to McCarthy, marketing can only be compared with an "engineering problem." It encouraged firms to look at the bigger picture in terms of product marketing (American Marketing Association, n.d.).
  • The Digital Revolution (1990s

    The Digital Revolution (1990s

    The Digital Revolution (1990s
    The internet changed marketing forever. Businesses embraced websites, email campaigns and online ads. The development also transformed marketing from analog form into the digital stage (Kotler Keller, 2016).
  • The Digital Revolution 2000s

    The Digital Revolution 2000s

    The internet changed marketing forever. Businesses embraced websites, email campaigns and online ads. The development also transformed marketing from analog form into the digital stage (Kotler Keller, 2016).
  • Social Media & Data-Driven Marketing (2005–Present)

    Social Media & Data-Driven Marketing (2005–Present)

    Marketing changed when social platforms turned it into a two-way conversation. Through data analytics and targeted ads, firms can tailor ads to increase both engagement and ROI (Smith Zook, 2016).