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1 – 4 of 4This paper aims to examine a copy Hiraga Gennai wrote advertising the toothpowder brand Sosekiko in terms of its target audience, product decisions pertaining to branding and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine a copy Hiraga Gennai wrote advertising the toothpowder brand Sosekiko in terms of its target audience, product decisions pertaining to branding and packaging, pricing and advertising objectives and message appeals. A masterless samurai in the eighteenth century, Hiraga Gennai is considered Japan’s first advertising copywriter. Life of the versatile Renaissance man Gennai and the influences of his accomplishments on advertising in following generations are briefly discussed.
Design/methodology/approach
The research draws from a sampling of classical and contemporary literature as well as the interpretation of the images shown here. Visual content is described and analyzed as well.
Findings
Gennai’s witty and humorous advertising copy for handbills attracted the townspeople of Edo. The toothpowder market was mature and competitive, and Gennai’s copy emphasized differentiation through packaging and volume discount rather than ingredients. The advertising copy has culturally unique aspect: It appeals to the audience’s ninjo, or feelings of humanity, and explicitly solicited disseminating positive word-of-mouth by the audience.
Originality/value
This research shows that activities resembling more contemporary marketing practices, such as advertising and branding, for consumer products such as toothpowder existed in eighteenth-century Japan, more than a century prior to the paradigmatic development of marketing concept. The possibility for Gennai as a potential strategic marketing planner and implementer, in addition to advertising copywriter, is researched and analyzed.
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Keywords
D.G. Brian Jones, Eric H. Shaw and Deborah Goldring
The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of the Conferences on Historical Analysis & Research in Marketing (CHARM) from their inception in 1983 through 2007 focusing on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of the Conferences on Historical Analysis & Research in Marketing (CHARM) from their inception in 1983 through 2007 focusing on the influence of Stanley C. Hollander, who co‐founded the CHARM conference and whose drive and determination fueled its growth for the first 20 years.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses traditional historical narrative based on personal interviews, archival research, and content analysis of CHARM Proceedings.
Findings
The history of CHARM is described and Hollander's role in developing the conference is highlighted.
Originality/value
There is no written history of CHARM. This story is a major part of Hollander's legacy.
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Keywords
This paper aims to investigate the history and distribution of trade ceramics in Southeast Asia over a thousand-year period stretching from the ninth to the early nineteenth…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the history and distribution of trade ceramics in Southeast Asia over a thousand-year period stretching from the ninth to the early nineteenth century CE.
Design/methodology/approach
The study takes a material culture approach to the writing of marketing history by researching the ceramics trade from the starting point of artifacts and their social context. It draws from literatures on Chinese and Southeast Asian ceramics art history and archaeology. It also is informed by first-hand experience inspecting surviving artifacts in shops, talking to dealers and taking in museum displays.
Findings
After a brief historical overview of the ceramics trade in Southeast Asia, the research further explores topics in physical distribution (transportation routes, hubs and local marketplaces and ships, cargo and packing) and product assortments, adaptation and globalization of consumer culture.
Research limitations/implications
The art history and archaeological literatures provide a good overview of the ceramics trade and analysis of surviving material artifacts, but only limited information about distribution and consumption. Many questions remain unanswered.
Originality/value
This study contributes to international business and marketing history by documenting a thousand years of trade among China, mainland and insular Southeast Asia, and a long-standing cultural exchange facilitated by seaborne commerce. It also shares a marketing perspective with the fields of Southeast Asian art history and archaeology. Research in marketing history has neglected this region. To fully understand the development of marketing in the pre-industrial era, accounts from civilizations outside the West must be included.
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