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Marketing is a modern obsession. Although "advertisements" in some form can be traced as far back as ancient Rome, the study of forces that combine to create a sale is a 20th century invention. In his book, The History of Marketing Thought, Robert Bartels notes that the earliest market specialists were trained as economists. These pioneers, however, soon began to notice that simple desire could outweigh strictly economic factors.
For the first time, businesses began to consider the high-level economic and social settings that influenced their customers. Business executives began to research how their environments influenced what people purchased and how they could use that information to maximize their chances in the marketplace. By the 1920s, the emerging field of marketing was well established in several American corporations and universities.
Today, traditional marketing—from its theories to its manifestations—has become so ubiquitous that consumers have learned to ignore print ads, tune out electronic commercials, use TiVo to skip television commercials, and route spam, unread, to a convenient folder. Marketing, it seems, is in a transitional state between the classic forms and the new forms that will dominate the 21st century.
Word of mouth has long been recognized as a powerful, yet subtle marketing tool, and, as user-generated content on the Internet grows in popularity, will continue to be effective in new, exciting ways. The Internet's role in both direct and word-of-mouth-based "guerilla marketing" is bringing both the message and the product to the customer. The networking power of the Internet has barely been tapped. AC Neilson reports that the great challenge of marketing will be reaching the "connectors," those people who learn of a new product and spread the word to their social network.
A decidedly low tech approach adopted by some marketing managers is to use people on the street to spread the message. The typical scenario sends attractive men and women into a social setting armed with the product being marketed. It is a marketing fact: people tend to emulate the behavior of those perceived as successful or attractive. By capitalizing on the social needs of the consumer, these products can be marketed effectively at a much lower cost.
The field of marketing is poised on the cusp of change, using a combination of new and old techniques and theories to understand and appeal to the mind of consumers, who are themselves constantly evolving. The more marketing channels that come into play—from social networking to flyers posted at local Starbucks—the more the field itself grows and the more creative, analytical, go-getters the marketing world needs.
Northeastern University - College of Business Administration
Northeastern offers its AACSB-accredited MBA program in a 100% online format. They are a world leader in practice-based education focused on expanding students' managerial skills and knowledge base.
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University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix makes quality higher education highly accessible for working students through convenient campus locations and flexible online classes. Get a real-world education with real value.
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