The History of Marketing
Hey, brand folks we are back again!
This week we will deep dive into how marketing and advertising starts.
Tell me as per your thinking what will be the first marketing campaign in the world?
Any guesses? No? Let us tell you how it impacts the world after.
What is Marketing?
Marketing is a company’s process of promoting its products or services to consumers. The goal is to create a relationship with customers, increase brand awareness, and drive sales.
It can be done using various marketing practices like digital marketing, content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, affiliate marketing, SMS marketing, guerilla marketing, or even OOH marketing.
Your agency always suggests the best marketing way to promote your product to the target audience.
Marketing involves market research, SWOT analysis, customer behavioral study, and relationship building. It helps us create a loyal community for a brand.
World’s 1st Marketing Campaign-
As per the records world’s first marketing campaign was done by Thomas J. Barratt, who advertised Pears Soap in the late 19th century with slogans like “Good morning. Have you used Pears’ soap?” making him often referred to as the “father of modern advertising”
Here we can see they used the copy- “Good Morning Have you used Pears Soap?”
Here they tries to build a light connection with the consumer by wishing them Good Morning. And not directly try to sell the product. Then went to “Have you used Pears soap?” Just to put the thought in their mind that you can start your good morning with Pears.
Lesson- First try to build relationships with customers. You don’t always have to sell.
In the second advertisement-
Pears showcase the USP of their toilet soap.
A beautiful shot of a woman cleaning her hands with soap & USPs of it like, Healthful skin, Good complexion, Soft white beautiful hands, Purest and most durable are written around her.
Also how it prevents- Redness, roughness & chapping.
While working on a brand we need to keep in mind what we are selling, What’s its USP? Who is the target audience? What is the need for a product in the market? So according to that, we can curate ads which will be more appealing to them.
World’s 1st Written Ad-
The World’s oldest recorded ad, The Papyrus of Slave Shem, dates back to 3000 BC in Ancient Egypt. A fabric merchant called Hapu wrote an ad on papyrus and offered a reward to anyone who could find Shem (his slave) who ran away.
Around 3000 BC, a fabric merchant called Hapu released a papyrus. In it, he offered a reward for the capture and return of an escaped slave called Shem – if found, he was to be returned to Hapu’s shop where the reward could be claimed. However, proving that business owners with an eye for a fast capitalist opportunity have been around for quite a while, Hapu also goes on to describe his shop – so people could find it – as that awesome rug shop that sells the dopest carpets in all of Egypt.
So, that’s telling a dramatic story, delivering a call to action, offering an incentive, and dropping the brand story in at the end – familiar, much?
Future of marketing-
Marketing has evolved tremendously over the years. From the early days in ancient Egypt, where merchants would advertise their goods with painted hieroglyphs, to the pioneering campaigns like Pears Soap, which was one of the first brands to establish a clear Unique Selling Proposition (USP)—showcasing its pure, gentle nature through consistent messaging. Back then, even a simple giveaway or a call-to-action (CTA) was a way to build direct engagement with customers. This early interaction is similar to the relationship we now build through digital platforms today, just on a much larger scale.
AI-powered marketing is now transforming how brands connect with their audiences. From automated content creation to personalized email marketing, AI is making it easier for businesses to craft targeted campaigns that speak directly to individual customers’ needs. Storytelling, once an art of carefully crafting messages and slogans, is now enhanced through AI tools, allowing brands to predict customer behavior and tailor stories that resonate more deeply.
Just like the early days of marketing, where visual design and a clear, consistent message played a crucial role in shaping brand identity, today’s businesses still rely on perfect style guides and strong brand narratives to connect with their audiences. A well-crafted style guide ensures that every piece of content—whether it’s a post, video, or ad—reflects the brand’s essence and communicates effectively to the audience. This consistency builds trust, loyalty, and a strong community of customers.
As we reflect on how marketing has grown from its humble beginnings to today’s tech-driven world, one thing is clear: choosing the right agency to craft your marketing strategy is more important than ever. With the help of a professional agency, you can harness the power of AI, creative content strategies, and advanced analytics to scale your business, build stronger relationships, and reach customers globally. Start your journey today by partnering with an agency that understands how to blend creativity with technology to help your brand grow!
#marketing #advertising #AgeancyMedia
