Which of the following eras would best be described as one during which business was focused on selling?

Every day we are more and more amazed by the changes in marketing. Not so long ago we were handing out flyers and promoting our businesses through newspapers.

It doesn’t mean it doesn’t work anymore, but the world has changed. The marketing eras are the perfect example and it’s time for you as an entrepreneur to know it.

Asking the public what they’re looking for and how they need it is not something that was stipulated decades ago. In short, adapt or die is the new business mantra of this century.

Do you want to know if your company is in the new era of marketing? Don’t miss the following article:

The 5 eras of marketing

Marketing has gone through 5 eras since the first product was sold. Let’s see how it has evolved in all this time until the digital era:

1.0 : Product-centric marketing

It was developed in the decade of the 50s in the 20th century and was characterized by giving much emphasis to the product. It was here where the concept of the 4 Ps was developed, which gave very good results to the companies of the time.

The products at that time were very durable and sought to satisfy two generations: The Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) and the silent generation (1928-1945).

Many specialists agree that first the products were created and then the need, which originated the phenomenon known as consumerism.  

2.0: Customer-centric marketing

As time went by, brands realized that it was not feasible to create needs in users after having developed products, so they decided to change the formula.

Now they would focus on giving more importance to customer needs. 

For this they used a segmentation criterion to understand what the requirements of each group of people were. 

This era was very important because they started to work on the basis of niches and segmentation of the target public. Its target audience was the so-called Generation X (1965-1980).

3.0: Human-centered marketing

We keep moving forward and we find a marketing that focused on the famous millennial generation (1981-1996).

Have you ever wondered where phrases like social responsibility or sustainable business came from? Well, it was in this era of marketing 3.0.

It turns out that companies realized that people were looking for products that not only solved their needs, but also created a positive impact on the community. This is how many of the causes we know today developed.

Sustainable development, ecological care, climate change protection and many more were some of the causes that began in this era.

4.0: From traditional to digital marketing

Yes, it’s no secret that the advent of the Internet and cell phones completely changed users’ consumption patterns.

Companies had to adapt completely to offer multichannel shopping experiences, not only to show the product in a store, but also to use social networks to create content to solve customers’ doubts.

5.0: Technology at the service of humanity

It is said that marketing 5.0 brings together some of the characteristics of marketing 3.0 and 4.0.

Generation Z (1997-2009) still promotes social causes as a criterion when buying products and services, but they’ve developed other needs that have changed companies’ marketing strategies.

It should also be taken into account that in recent years disruptive technologies have arrived that completely changed the rules of the game. Some of them are:

  • Big data
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Cryptocurrencies
  • Augmented reality
  • Internet of things

Most of these trends have developed rapidly, so marketing 5.0 has to adapt to the new needs that users have today. Even so, we can already see some differences if we compare the current era with the previous ones.

Which of the following eras would best be described as one during which business was focused on selling?

What does 5.0 marketing entail?

As a brand you must focus on what is in the spotlight and 5.0 marketing is what reigns today. 

In this sense, 5.0 marketing is characterized by providing experiences to users through their connection with technology and their new consumption habits. 

Many studies reveal that innovation, sustainability, values and convenience will be priorities for this year, so your product must meet these patterns.

Some of the components that give life to marketing 5.0 are:

1. Predictive marketing

This is about using tools to predict new trends in the market. 

The user today is almost unpredictable, but with the right programs you can save time and resources through products that will have an outlet in the market.

2. Data marketing

Most businesses use big data for decision making. Many specialists already consider information as the most valuable treasure of companies today.

One example is Data Driven, which is business management based exclusively on data. Using it will allow you to create much more precise strategies according to the needs of your target audience at that moment.

3. Contextual marketing

Contextual marketing uses the user’s entire physical and digital environment to provide solutions to their requirements.

How do they do it?  Through the gadgets you have installed in your home or office that provide you with information at all times.

4. Augmented Marketing

These are tools used by marketing to improve interaction with users and allow you to save time.

Some examples are chatbots and virtual assistants that provide answers to basic questions that any customer can ask. 

Note that they definitively do not replace the worker, they only provide support until the person is needed. 

5. Agile marketing

The last component is agile marketing. It’s the union of different talents in a team around a common goal.

They are characterized by using physical and digital environments to meet the needs of the new customer of the 21st century.

In this way, much more effective marketing campaigns are created than in previous eras.

Which of the following eras would best be described as one during which business was focused on selling?

The new customer experience

The goal with 5.0 marketing is to delight the customer, not just sell a product. Gone are the years when companies focused only on the item, now the market is much more demanding.

The aspiration is to merge technology with people to provide users with a multiplatform experience that takes advantage of the best of the physical and virtual world and meets their needs.Have you already adapted to the new era of marketing? It’s time to make that leap in quality if you want to stay relevant in the coming years. Don’t think twice and apply marketing 5.0, we are sure you will soon see the results.

August 1, 2017Marketing1

Which of the following eras would best be described as one during which business was focused on selling?

companies began to realize that they must also take into consideration the long-term interests of the society. Societal marketing, an offshoot of the marketing concept and corporate social responsibility, began in the late of 1960s and early 1970s. It challenges companies to work for the benefits of both consumers and society while still attaining a profit. E.g. the Body Shop, a skin and cosmetics company, sells products that are made with only 100 percent natural ingredients.

Hive studio saw that it is time to begin to believe about how your marketing essence will evolve in the upcoming years. It’s a good way of thinking to look back for a moment, assess the success and improvement of the previous years’ marketing campaigns, and consider ways to evolve your Marketing approaches in the year to come. Marketing serve a variety of functions. As our Concerns at Hive Studio First and foremost, marketers are responsible for keeping an eye on what people need and want and then communicating these desires to the rest of the organizations. Marketing helps establish desirable pricing strategies and promote an organization by persuading customers that their products are the best. As you’ve learned, a product is any tangible good, service, or idea available for purchase in a market, as well as any intangible benefits derived from its consumption, such as the brand. Marketing is also responsible for distributing Products to Customers at a place and time most suitable to the customer. But perhaps the most important aspect of Marketing, as reflected in the AMA’s most recent definition is to successfully establish meaningful relationships with customers, to instill loyalty, to ensure repeat business. Marketing is one of the most visible functions of any organizations; however, the public sees only the tip of the Iceberg.

Evolution and Nature of Marketing across the 5 improved Eras
1- The Production Concept Era
Source MotorTrend

Hive Studio realized that most companies focused solely on production thus the production concept Era Evolved. A production orientation business dominated the market from the beginning of Capitalism to the mid 1950’s. The prevailing mind-set was that a good quality product would simply sell itself. This approach worked for many organizations during this Era because of strong demand and limited supply of product. Whenever demand outstrips supply, it creates sellers market.e.g. Henry Ford is motivated to remark in relation to his Model T Cars that customers could have ’’any color ( they wanted), so long as it is Black’’. At the time, Black was the only color available.

2- The Sales Concept Era

In the first part of the Era, in 1920s through the 1950s, technological advances accelerated production, however, the United States was in the middle of the great depression, during which unemployment nearing 30%, and people bought only what they absolutely needed. Supply exceeded demand for most products; therefore, competition for customers becomes more intense. Hive Studio emphasizes the importance of the Businesses that began to undertake aggressive sales tactics to sell or “push” their products, and the use of heavy public advertising in all available forms of Media become prevalent. During this Era, Marketing generally took place after a product was developed and produced Even today, many people associate Marketing with Selling or Advertising; however, it has become much more than that.

3- The Marketing Concept Era

By the 1950s, Production continued to expand more quickly than the growth in demand for goods and services, creating a Buyer’s Market and the start of the Marketing Concept Era. After WW2 consumers were be gaining to tire of the “Hard Sell” tactics that companies were using to force them to buy products they didn’t necessarily want or need. Eventually, businesses became to realize that simply producing quality products and pushing onto Customers through attractive Advertising and Promotional Campaigns didn’t guarantee Sales. Companies needed to determine what customers and then produce products that met those wants and needs, as opposed to producing products and then trying to convince customers to buy them.

Hive Studio highlights the Marketing Concept which changed the Focus from Finding the Right Customer for a product to producing a Right Product for a Customer and doing it better than the Competition. The marketing concept also focuses on aligning all functions of organizations to meet or exceed this customer needs through superior Products and customer service, as well as realizing a profit ( not just sales ) by satisfying customers over the Long Term. e.g. GE was one of the First companies to implement this new Marketing Strategy that Focused more on meeting the needs of the Customer. GE’s 1952 report outlined the Philosophy:’’ thus Marketing, through its studies and research, will establish … what the customer wants in a particular product, what price he is willing to pay, and where and when it will be wanted.

Marketing will have Authority in Product planning, Production Scheduling, and Inventory Control as well as Sales, Distribution, and Servicing of the Product”.

This requires constantly taking the pulse of changing customer needs and wants and then quickly adapting to meet them. Moreover, it may mean anticipating customers’ changing preferences before they are expressed or even known by the customer and satisfying this preferences before competitive. Even today, companies such as Apple have had great Success following this Philosophy. Apple has become a Master and Anticipating Customers’ Desires and Fulfilling them with its Range of IPods, IPod Accessories, Iphones, Iphone Apps, and the Ipad.

Source HighTechDad

4- Societal Marketing Era

In addition to considering a customer’s wants and needs, companies began to realize that they must also take into consideration the long-term interests of the society. Societal marketing, an offshoot of the marketing concept and corporate social responsibility, began in the late of 1960s and early 1970s. It challenges companies to work for the benefits of both consumers and society while still attaining a profit.

Source OneCut

E.g. the Body Shop, a skin and cosmetics company, sells products that are made with only 100 percent natural ingredients. The company also actively supports and pursues community trade-using highly killed but small-scale farmers, craftsmen, and rural cooperatives – “not because it’s fashionable but based on the belief that it’s only way to do business’’

5- Customer Relationship Era

The late 1990s saw the beginning of the customer relationship era, in which organizations try to intensify their focus on customer satisfaction over time. the result has been creation of customer relationship management ( CRM ), the process of establishing long-term relationships with individual customers to foster loyalty and repeat business. The marketing concept is good for acquiring customers by offering customized products, among other things, but like Hive Studio perception which is customer relationships management goes one step further by trying to please customers after the sale. It combines IT with customer service and marketing communications to retain customers to stimulate further sales of similar or supplementary product.

Source SlickDeals

e.g. several popular clothing store, including the Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy, offer coupons to customers who join their mailing list. Customers on the list also receive information about sales and promotions to keep them up-to-date on the latest deals at the store.

CRM  Customer Relationship Management

Hive Studio is believing that The idea is to learn as much as possible about customers and their shopping behaviors and create a meaningful one-on-one interactions with each of them. In practice, CRM often involves the sales force gathering information about specific customers to create a customer database. Other companies use CRM software to personalize e-mail or other communications. It enables a company to offer products tailored to specific customers’ needs and desires. CRM databases also mean the customers visiting an organization’s Website or phoning the customer service call center can be quickly and easily recognized so that offerings can be adapted to their preferences. CRM is a part of why airlines offer frequent flyer programs why credit card companies offer customized services and low-interest balance transfer to certain targeted customers.

Source Facecrooks  

Amazon.com uses its massive database and IT offer suggestions for future purchases to customers based on their prior purchases or browsing interests.