HISTORY OF MARKETING
Marketing is an activity that has been in practice for many years since ancient civiilzations. Many great empires such as Roman, Greek, British, Persian, Umaiyaad Caliphate, Han Dynasty of China, thrive due to marketing. Traders from these countries have known to travel thousand of kilometers by sea and land in order to market their products. For example, the Arab merchants are well known for their rubies and spices whereas the Chinese traders market their fine silks, tea and porcelain.
The concept of marketing that we now see has more to do with developments during the industrial revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries. This was a period of rapid social change driven by technological and scientific innovation. One result was that for the first time the production of goods was separated from their consumption. Mass production, developing transport infrastructure and growing mass media meant that producers needed to, and could develop more sophisticated ways of managing the distribution of goods.
FOUR ERAS OF MARKETING
The production orientation era
For much of the industrial revolution goods were generally scarce and producers could sell pretty much all that they could produce, as long as people could afford to buy them. Their focus was therefore on production and distribution at the lowest possible cost and what marketing management that there was considered these issues (for example, reducing distribution costs, opening new markets).
The sales orientation era
From the start of the twentieth century to the period following the Second World War (although the development was interrupted by the wars) competition grew and the focus of marketing turned to selling. Communications, advertising and branding started to become more important (see archive at the History of Advertising Trust website) as companies needed to sell the increasing outputs of production in an increasingly crowded market. Marketing was therefore still a 'slave' to production, but focussed on distribution, communication and persuading customers that one manufacturer�s goods were better than another�s.
The marketing orientation era
From the 1960s onwards most markets have become saturated (the size of the market remains the same). This means that there is now intense competition for customers. The sophistication of marketing management has therefore developed into what we now see in a modern marketing department. Marketers are involved at a strategic level within the organisation and therefore inform an organisation about what should be produced, where it should be sold, how much should be charged for it and how it should be communicated to consumers. Modern marketers research markets and consumers. They attempt to understand consumer needs (and potential needs) and allocate organisational resources appropriately to meet these needs. Modern marketers are particularly interested in brands. They are also increasingly interested in ensuring that employees understand marketing, i.e. that everyone within the organisation involves themselves with marketing activities.
The relationship era
The period from 1960 until the present has involved an increased focus on the customer, such as identifying needs, wants and buying behaviors. In the 1980s, what is known as "relationship marketing" became common marketing practice.
Reference
https://media3.bournemouth.ac.uk/marketing/02defining/01history.html
