Marketing Professionals – Innovators of the Past – Trendsetters of the Future

Historical figures of our past show us the magnitude of being trendsetters, so we might put our own stamp on marketing today.

The inventions of the past revolutionized the marketing world as we know it today. Johannes Gutenberg was a key inventor in 1450 who is most well known for inventing the printing press. Why is this relevant today in marketing? His replaceable wooden or medal letters allowed for the first time mass production of printed texts and books. This changed education on many different levels, and allowed for the masses to read the works of writers and educators everywhere. This idea of mass producing materials to market a product initiated basic principles of marketing before marketing actually existed to the known world.

Another milestone in history that changed the way we market our business was the placement of the first magazine ads by Benjamin Franklin’s General Magazine. He recognized the need to make your business product or name known. Benjamin Franklin is also known for publishing the Pennsylvania Gazette in Philadelphia in 1729, which he placed pages of ‘new advertisements.’ His success was based on his knowledge of current technology in his time to reach the audiences he desired. One of the brightest minds of his time, he knew the importance of trendsetting and set his place in the history books for eternity.

Fast forward, and today the market is moving away from the traditional media that started centuries ago. We now use the Internet and social media marketing to reach potential target markets. Marketing careers are essential for businesses, and the more we evolve the more innovative we must be. Marketing professionals today have to know the past to succeed in the future.

Pearl Buck said it best, ‘If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.’ It can’t be said in simpler words than that. To have a true understanding of your craft, you must first understand its history and how it plays a key role in the present.