Marketing is defined by the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) as: "A set of principles and practices that seek to increase trade, especially demand."
The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines it as follows: "It is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for buyers, customers, partners, and society at large."
The vast majority of people have at least a general idea of what this means, but no one knows for sure when the act of marketing anything became a subject of study and analysis, since people have been exchanging goods and services almost since the dawn of humanity itself.
To save you the search, here are six stages in the evolution of marketing, so you can get a better idea of when, how, and why this practice emerged.
- The Birth of Marketing: At the beginning of the 20th century, mass production and efficiency were paramount, and shipping products quickly and in large quantities was a priority, so marketing came into play to keep things moving.
- Sales Era: In the 1920s, the concepts of salesperson and sales pitch were created, as people sought to actively sell and convince consumers to buy anything, even if it was not something they needed.
- The Marketing Era: In the 1950s, the concept of market research was born (something that is still relevant today), a tool that allowed companies to offer and sell what customers really needed, rather than trying to convince them to buy useless things.
- The Era of Relationship Marketing: During the 1990s, salespeople took some valuable elements from the Sales Era and modified their pitch to achieve not only a sale, but an entire relationship between the company and the customer. This is when customer retention and recommendations began to have value.
- The Age of Social MarketingShortly after Relationship Marketing became a success, the strategy of placing the customer at the center of the company and its campaigns also gained widespread acceptance. Here, elements were combined.
We draw on valuable market research from the 1950s and commercial relationships from the 1990s to develop the best customer-focused strategies. - Digital Marketing Era: This is the era we currently find ourselves in, which arose due to society's dependence on technology and the internet. The use of this technology to reach markets has paved the way for small companies to grow, and although traditional marketing values should not be replaced, digital marketing is more valuable than ever for companies of any size aspiring to reach higher. With the proper use of techniques such as search engine optimization (SEO), Google Ads, or some other pay-per-click (PPC) method, companies can ensure a significant online presence, reach a wider market, and grow and develop.
At Anunciart, we specialize in creating successful marketing campaigns.
If your company needs to reach more customers, increase its market presence, or sell a specific product, we are at your service with the best options in billboards, screens, bus shelters, fixed and mobile billboards, advertising bridges, and advertising buses. Contact our Media Strategists.
