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Introduction
Whenthefirstcivilizationscodifiedthebartersystemandintroducedmoneyintocirculation,
commonlyunderstoodmarketingalreadyexisted.Accordingtohistoriansandarchaeologists,
theancientRomansunderstoodtheconceptofadvertisingand,hundredsofyearsbeforethe
goldenageofMadisonAvenue,eagerlydisplayedgraphicrepresentationsoftheirofferson
thewallsofshopsandontheweaponsandarmourofgladiatorsfightinginthearenas.The
earliestexamplesofmarketingcomefromareasasancientasMesopotamia,where,thou-
sandsofyearsbeforethecommonera,cuneiformtablets,describingpricesandcommercial
procedures,werealreadyproduced.Ofcourse,eventhenthemarketingwastiresomeand
fraudstershappenedeverywhere.Marketinghasalwaysservedonepurpose:toincreasesales.
Themoderndefinitionofmarketingsaysthatitis“asocietalprocessbywhichindividu-
alsandgroupsobtainwhattheyneedandwantthroughcreating,offering,andexchanging
productsandservicesofvaluefreelywithothers,”
1
butactuallythereverseistrue.Itturnsout
tobeasocietalprocessinwhichindividualsandgroupsmakeaprofitbycreating,offering
andfreelyexchanginggoodsandservicesforandwiththosewhoneedthem.Marketingis
notconductedbythosewhowanttobuysomething,itisactuallyconductedbythosewho
aretryingtosellsomething.
EvenforayounggirllivingonthebanksoftheEuphrates,whosenamehasalreadybeen
forgottenbyhistoryseveraltimes,itwasobviousthatshehadtogetupearlyandgotothe
markettoadvertiseherowncatchtothefirstcustomersinthecitythatwaswakingupto
life.Thousandsofyearsago,thisgirlknewwhichfishhercustomerswerewillingtobuyand
whichtheyavoided,howtoarrangethemtomakethemlookattractive,whichfacesinthe
crowdpassfrequentlybyherstall,andwhichoneswerethoseofcasualbuyers.Eventhen,
toher,anyinformationshecouldgatheraboutpotentialcustomerswasworthitsweightin
gold.Becausetheydirectlytranslatedintoherearnings.
Informationdriveandproactivitythetwotraitshavealwaysformedthebasisofthe
successofagoodmarketer.However,foralongtimetheproblemwasthatmarketinggains
weredifficulttoquantify.Retailersknewthatadvertisingwasnecessary,thattherewas
asignificantdifferenceinunpromotedandwell-promotedsales,butitwasimpossibleto
determineactualmarketingrevenues,especiallyinmulti-channelmarketing.Howmuch
profitdidascreamerinthemarketplacepraisingclaypotsbringtoaRomanmerchant,and
howmuchcouldtheadvertisementonthewallofhisshopearn?Itwasimpossibletofind
out,unfortunately,becauseotherwisehecouldhavehiredtwoscreamersinsteadofpaying
theartistforthedrawing.
1
Ph.Kotler,K.L.Keller,MarketingManagement,PrenticeHall,2011.
Introduction
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