A model of periodization of radio and internet advertising history

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to describe the development of forms of advertising on radio and internet when they were new media and propose a model of periodization through which the two histories can be understood and appreciated.

Design/methodology/approach

Two narrative histories were constructed based on data collected from numerous public and private, historical and contemporary and primary and secondary materials. The methodology of New Historicism informed the research.

Findings

When the two histories are viewed through the model, many similarities in terms of milestones and markers become apparent.

Research limitations/implications

Perhaps when the next new electronic mass medium is invented, a future researcher may look back on this model and consider whether it applies.

Practical implications

For practitioners who consider history a relevant source of knowledge and inspiration, this research offers a way of organizing and understanding the history of internet advertising.

Social implications

Today’s consumers, especially Millennials, continue to seek to avoid advertising on the internet. The use of ad blockers poses a significant threat to the business models of online content providers. This research demonstrates that resistance to advertising is nothing new and that it may be, in the end, futile.

Originality/value

The model is an original creation, based on an original view of history, and offered as a lens through which to understand this history.

Citation

Buchwitz, L.A. (2018), "A model of periodization of radio and internet advertising history", Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 130-150. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHRM-09-2016-0020