Business and Marketing Pilgrims

The early patriarchs and ancestors of modern business and marketing thought have been research but not much. Documentary materials are used to examine the philosophic origins of marketing thought at the University of Wisconsin and the Harvard Business School. Evidence suggests that the German Historical school of economics provided much of the philosophic foundation of the discipline. Marketing management philosophies date back to the production emphasis of Ford. The product concept emphasises better quality products, but can result in marketing myopia. People buy holes not drills, they want transportation not trains. Selling philosophy believed people needed to be sold things they didn't realize they needed. The marketing concept identified the needs and wants of society and then set to provide them more effectively and efficiently than the competition. The social marketing of Kotler does the same but with much more emphasis on doing so for the good and improvement of society. Borden in 1964 defined the marketing mix, a combination of the 4P's - product, price, place and promotion. Services marketing has added people, process and physical evidence to make 7P's. There is undisputed interest in relationship marketing. Many think it is recent but it can be found in examples of earlier business to business relationships going back to ancient China. Relationship marketing as it relates to consumer marketing is not new. There may be only a few studies that demonstrate its historical existence, Gronroos, Gummesson, Ford, Anderson, Morgan and Hunt and other academics, but John Wanamaker's philosophy for example highlights his relationship marketing credentials.

Robert Bartels study of 1976, tells of early courses at Ohio State University from 1905-40, University of Pennsylvania, 1905, Wisconsin, 1910, and in 1917 Butler published 'Marketing Methods'. Bartels classified the development of marketing thought as follows: 1900-1910 the period of discovery - the conception of marketing occurred and a name was given to it; 1910-1920 period of conceptualization - concepts were classified, and terms were defined; 1920-1930 period of integration - principles were postulated and the general body was integrated for the first time; 1930-1940 period of development - specialized areas were developed, hypothetical assumptions verified and quantified, new approaches to the explanation of marketing; 1940-1950 period of reappraisal - the concept and traditional explanation were re-appraised for the new needs for marketing and scientific aspects were considered; 1950-1960 period of reconception -traditional approaches supplemented by emphasis on decision making, societal aspects of marketing, and quantitative marketing analysis. New concepts from management and other social sciences were introduced into marketing; 1960-1970 period of differentiation - new concepts took on substantial identity as significant components of the total structure of thought such elements as managerialism, holism, environmentalism, systems, and internationalism; 1970 period of socialization - social marketing became much more important as the influence of marketing upon society became a focus.

Marketing research was begun about 1910. Research carried out by Charles Coolidge Parlin into the agricultural implement business in 1911 was called commercial research. In his study of department store lines he used the phrase 'the consumer is king'. Parlin made commercial fact finding a profession. It has continued to be developed and refined ever since.

Business philosophy also developed during this time. The first were the classical and scientific schools, Taylorism and Fordism from 1850-1950. People like Urwick, Fayol, Gantt, Brech and Weber making contributions. Development started with the social and psychological Hawthorn Studies of Elton Mayo of the Human Relations School during 1924-36. Then the socio-technical studies of Trist and the Tavistock Institute of 1951 in the Durham Mines and Woodward's studies in 1965 led the the development of Systems Thinking. They can be applied and adapted to public and private sectors.

All of this was continuous research and development in search of better and more perfect ways to do things. They bear their first fruits with patience. These people were the conduits of new and life giving power and transformational change.