The origins of marketing practice in Britain: from the ancient to the early twentieth century
Journal of Historical Research in Marketing
ISSN: 1755-750X
Article publication date: 20 November 2017
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the development of marketing practice in Britain from the ancient to the early twentieth century. It builds upon the author’s chapter in the 2016 Routledge Companion to the History of Marketing.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on a review of secondary history and archaeology literature supplemented by digitised historic newspaper and magazine advertising. The literature is frameworked using a modified version of Fullerton’s 1988 periodization which has been extended to include the medieval and Roman eras.
Findings
One of the significant findings of this paper is the key role the state has played in the development of marketing practice in Britain, the construction of pavements being a good example.
Originality/value
Apart from Nevett’s 1982 history of British advertising and the author’s Routledge Companion to the History of Marketing chapter, this is the first survey of the historical development of British marketing practice. It assembles and presents in a useful way important information. This paper will be of interest to marketing historians, especially students and researchers new to the subject.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper draws upon the existing work, Hawkins, R.A. (2016) “Marketing history in Britain: from the ancient to the internet era” in Jones, D.G.B. and Tadajewski, M. The Routledge Companion to Marketing History, Routledge, London and New York. Reprinted with permission.
Citation
Hawkins, R.A. (2017), "The origins of marketing practice in Britain: from the ancient to the early twentieth century", Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, Vol. 9 No. 4, pp. 467-487. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHRM-06-2017-0024
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, From: Routledge Companion to Marketing History, Hawkins/Jones & Tadajewski, (2016), Taylor Francis Ltd, reproduced by permission of Taylor & Francis Books UK