was retail consumer modeling started in the 70s?

[dpopiz]

first it was mass consumer goods in the 60s and then mass consumer marketing in the 70s

 

[herbiehancock]

Mass consumer goods began in the 1960's?

WTF?

I'd think mass consumer goods, as you put it, can really be traced back to maybe the Sears and Roebuck catalog, which began in 1896. This may be the pivotal happening that allowed consumer goods to be marketed directly to consumers across the country. Before the Sears catalog came out, people bought from local general stores, esp. in the rural and developing sections of the country like out West. The catalog gave everyone access to most all the goods available at the time from their home....albeit with a delivery time involved, but that's much like today with internet purchases. You could even buy a house from the catalog....and Sears and Roebuck houses are somewhat prized today by rebuilders/rehabbers. Heck, there were even whole neighborhoods built with Sears houses.

Of course, one must not forget the introduction of another pivotal item that changed the way we buy and build and most everything.....a very societal change agent. This would be the successful introduction of the assembly line and the mass-produced automobile, the Model T from Ford. This was a huge change agent for the country as it gave every American the opportunity to won a car, until then the exclusive domain of the very rich. Now, any average American could own their own personal transportation device, have time payments, and this had many implications in American society. Many papers have been written about this.....research it a bit. (Hint: dating in America changed drastically as did goods delivery, and the shrinking of America as far as travel time, access, etc.)


Then you seem to forget the huge spike in consumer buying immediately after World War II. Automobiles, refrigerators, houses, almost any consumer good that was available at the time was in huge demand and sold well. Of course, the lifting of the govt's rationing of goods during the war and the return of hundreds of thousands of GI's back home had a bit to do with it, too. And this is not to mention all the babies that were produced during the next decade.

No, mass consumerism nor mass consumer goods didn't begin in the 1960's but much earlier than that. Do some research.

 

[IronWing]

The 70s did see the rise of two advances in marketing. The first was the widespread issuing of general use credit cards. Prior to the 70s, CCs were mainly single store cards (Sear card, JCPenney card) or gas cards. Yes, MasterCharge, BankAmericard, and American Express were available but they had nowhere near the base of users they do now.

The second change in marketing was in the teen/twenties market where marketers started leading trends instead of watching and reacting to trends. With TV, marketers figured out that they could show kids what is cool instead of watching kids to find out what was cool and mimicing it.

 

[dpopiz]

what im wondering is when marketing became a science