Marketing

Marketing and advertising can be said to represent the first formal, "scientific" attempts at communication on a universal level. Early marketers, in the age of mass production, aimed to reach the widest possible audience for their products, and advertising was the first and most spectacular tool they employed. Although desparate elements of marketing practice have been around for a long time, it was only in the early 20th century that marketing began to emerge as a coherent business discipline. The consequences of that emergence were to be profound, for business and consumers alike. Early texts on marketing focused on areas such as the organization of marketing and its place within the business, effective communication with consumers, and stimulation of consumer demand. All of these concerns for marketers today. This collection provides some of the most significant early writings which illustrate the ways in which marketers approached these issues. Marketing theory in the early 20th century drew heavily on prevalent theories of sociology and psychology, and the collection incorporates relevant material from these fields.
The eight volumes comprise six complete works and two new compilations of articles and shorter extracts. Included are an overview of the subject, a textbook, and works in the specialist areas of sales management, market research, industrial marketing and advertising, the key areas of interest before the Second World War. Featuring some very scarce and inaccessible original writings, the set should be of use to any study of the basic principles of marketing as once practised, as well as "back to basics" lesson for those working in modern marketing.