Marketing Through The Ages

Marketing A Subject Older

Then Many Realize

Not many people actually realize just how long Marketing has been in existence. Now here is a subject that , should any one person or firm undertake or decide to take a poll on, could Never be completed. At least not in it's entirety. Marketing in one form or another has been a part of Civilization dating back thousands of years .

During the majority of the 20th century, archaeologists have uncovered evidence numerous civilizations that dealt very prosperously in trade. Civilizations such as Greece, Rome, Phoenicia, Egypt, Crete, Judea, were all major participants in what we now call Marketing. It was during the Crusades, that these practices were spread throughout Europe and eventually throughout the entire world. More information for this may be found in the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia published by Infoplease .

From the "Mega-Cities" around the world to the smallest remote village, you will see some form of Marketing being practiced . There is no one that has not engaged in marketing in one form or fashion. As civilization has grown, so has Marketing . What started as a simple exchange of goods between people has grown into a multi-faceted, Global reality.

How can you say that "everyone is in marketing" you are probably asking yourselves. The Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines Marketing as follows:

1. the act of buying or selling in a market

2. the total of activities involved in the transfer of goods from the producer or seller to the consumer or buyer, including advertising, shipping, storing, and selling.

By using this definition, here are a few examples of marketing:

* Yard sales

* Rummage Sales

* Flea Markets

* Bazaars

* Garage Sales

* Auctions

The above examples are things everyone has attended or hosted themselves at one point or another.

A logical progression could be:

1. Producer ( agricultural or industrial ) - Consumable or products designed for end user/ consumer

2. Broker - Initial sales contact for wholesale/retail

3. Distribution/Warehousing - Storage facilities.

4. Transportation- Services (Air, Ground, Rail, and Shipping providing delivery to Retail outlets

5. Retail - Final stage for sales

6. End User- Consumer

With the development of the computer and the Internet, Marketing took off in a totally new direction by leaps and bounds. As these two new industries continued to grow, so did Marketing. Computers and the Internet effectively increased improved communications between all parties, from the producer to the retailer helping to provide constantly improving service for the Consumer Public.

Marketing Services on line are also offering more and more services for the consumer every day. Thanks to some of these services, such as electronic confirmation , order tracking, and order updates, Marketing is turning into a Global Enterprise that is phenomenal .

Other articles I have written may be found here.

Steven G. Reid