Ever wondered how would you have been able to identify what you want to buy, or what would the marketplace look like without products having a name, a logo, or even a signage?
That’s where come in Branding and Advertising.
Branding is a unique name or image for a product or a service. This serves to distinguish, demarcate and position a product in a marketplace, as it leaves a distinct impression in buyers’ mind while attracting new customers.
The Beginning: Earliest Marketplace
The earliest days of trade are said to have happened in Babylon. Back then, merchants attracted buyers to acquire commodities like spices, wine and rugs with a scream pitch. To grab the attention of crowd, they would display picture signs and would even paint in front of the store.
The Next: Medieval Marketplace
It was during the Sung Dynasty of China around 960-1279 AD that block-printing originated. This development triggered the way for several early forms of branding that encompassed wrappers, signboards and printed advertisements.
Also Read: Show your product and showcase your brand with ad films
The 1400s: Arrival of the Printing Press
A German businessman, Johannes Gutenberg, invented the printing press. And ever since, printed information became a possibility and advertising started to take shape to sell objects. It was during this era that the first English language advertisement came about – a leaflet that promoted a book.
The 1600-1700: The First Newspaper Advertisement
The first newspaper advertisement is said to have appeared in England in 1625, while in 1704 the first advertisement in an American newspaper is said to have been published. They were messages that were reprinted periodically – almost like reminder advertising.
The Industrial Revolution
The mid-1700s saw the rise of the Industrial Revolution and thus forayed branding and advertising. With bulk production, buyers had the advantage of choosing. It was then that manufacturers decided that their products need to be differentiated. So arrived what we call a ‘logo’ that indicated who the manufacturer was.
Birth of Advertising Agencies
It was in the 1800s that England witnessed the birth of something called an “Advertising Agency”. Manufacturers then found novel and innovative ways to take their products to customers. The first known mediums or vehicles of advertising were banners and men with placards. Makers of products started using ‘brand names’ to market and promote their offerings. That would often happen through nice-looking packaging and slogans.
Branded Luxury Goods
During the early 20th century as commerce grew, more people started spending money on branded goods and luxury items. Thus, kicked in the desire for branded products and led to the emergence of mass media.
Sponsored Communication: Radio and TV
Long before Television rose as the preferred platform for advertisements, it was the Radio that hogged limelight for paid broadcasts during programmes. Clearly, ‘brand names’ that were announced on the Radio received way better response than the ones that didn’t.
Today
Here comes the Internet era: It’s an era in which everything is quick, urgent, demanding and can be done on-demand. There’s technology to think and implement. Whether it is communication or creativity, whether it is copy or art, whether it is reaching out the consumer you want or the world en masse.
Marriage of Creativity and Technology
This era is also about reduced attention span, while the consumer can be reached anywhere, on any medium, through any device, at any time. In fact, the brand needs to pay for promotion only once – and if the communication or advertising is worthy, the consumers do the rest by making it ‘viral’. There is interaction, entertainment, and even involvement with advertisement. What’s ruling them is phrases like ‘social media’ and ‘digital marketing’.
So, whether it is Digital or Traditional media, all one needs to do is get the combination of creativity and channelling right. White Thoughts & Branding can be that partner for you, in taking your brand to the masses, classes, or that particular individual you want to reach. You can know more about us at whitethoughts.in
