History of whatever.... If you can't afford Porcelain then we have just what you want

[GordonJ]

History repeats.

Any given expert, and this is true for all of us, will take as much credit as we can get away with for whatever particular success we have. You (as a scientist) can see this clearly with Noble Prizes and not much stands out like M. Currie, who sent her husband (and took credit) for HER work.

We celebrate Edison, and only recently remembered Tesla, although there were MANY great innovators in the Electric field in the beginning. Likewise, Ford had at best, an average car, but his genius of mass production changed the world.

I like to pick on Copywriters, some of the most puffed up people out there. Taking a historical perspective one can oft find other reasons WHY a promotion did so well, albeit, great persuasive copy, but where is the TIMING or how did that play in? Example, DO YOU MAKE THESE MISTAKES IN ENGLISH touted as one of the greatest of headlines. And there have been mountains written about how great the ad was...and it was. But...

Where is the information about the millions of immigrants coming to America and learning English, and the publications they read, where this ad was run.

Trying to fit in to a new culture, language is the bedrock, we see it today in Copywriting groups from non native English writers who make simple grammar errors. But way back, new Americans and their children, didn't want to make mistakes in English...my point being, that maybe we should look at great sales figures using copy as only one of four factors (NPGS formula).

Distribution of the ads played a role. Take 1896...

The first modern Olympics in Athens. Only possible due to transatlantic ocean liners and railroads, to bring the athletes to the venue.

All male all European except USA. Quite a long way from today.

Same year FANNIE FARMER published her first cookbook. at her own expense and only 3,000 were published, yet 100 years later, it was still being sold.

Now there were many events during this year. The supreme court upholds the equal but separate concept which creates racial divides still felt today.

The Alaskan gold rush. The first mass produced gasoline TRUCK, which changes distribution and delivery the world over.

And for us Remote Direct Marketers (haven't forgotten you)...the US Postal Service begins FREE rural delivery. What?

See, 1896 was the very beginning of a flight from the rural to industrial cities like Detroit, Cleveland, Akron, Canton because of TECHNOLOGY, Cars mainly.

Within two decades the automobile industry will create millions of jobs and shortly after, the aerospace, communications (Radio) industries add to the flight from the country.

But before 1896, people had to hop in their horse pulled buggies and go to town to pick up mail and to the railroad depot for freight. By the way, it would be another 16 years for the USPS to begin to deliver packages, although some people tried, one attempt which changed things was when someone mailed a child (great story).

Anyhow, relevant to our discussion, we see a surge in mail order offers to rural folk at the turn of the century, and a huge boom in BOOK sales after 1913, because millions of people were now getting mail delivered routinely whereas before, it could be a week or two between getting and sending mail.

Do you think this new MARKET had any impact on book sales? And within a decade THE TRUCKING industry emerged, by the way, Akron was one of the giants in the trucking industry post American Freeway system up until about 20 years ago.

See, now an Entrepreneur with a truck could pick up parcels at the depot and deliver them to closer pick up points, so someone living 50 miles from the city, which would be a full day trip by horse and buggy, could now retrieve their Sears, Wards, or Stove, Plates, furniture...within a few hours distance.

So whenever I see claims made by marketers, especially those who make big breakthrough claims and attribute it to their genius marketing skills, I have a tendency to look at the bigger picture and often see TIMING played as much a role as did their genius.

Today, what has the history of Post Covid been? Isolation. Removal. Less mobility. What will the future bring, knowing that one can ride the coming waves and cash in on whatever is coming down the pike.

Just today, I had a video conference with one of my doctors, and I thought, sheesh, this saved me so much time cause all we did was chat and review...very seldom when I make an office visit is anything DONE, they can see me on the video now. This is just one industry that is making rapid changes, and the reason behind the gigantic growth of video communications.

History is easier when we look at the past, but knowing today is going to be tomorrow's past, we need to keep eyes clear for opportunities.

Gordon

PS In 1896, The Winton Motor Carriage Company of Cleveland, OH was formed, the first to use detachable trailers and the rest, as we say, is history.

Originally Posted by Dien Rice

Hi Gordon,

Wow... I had no idea of all that... Pretty amazing!

Some surprises in there too...

For some reason, I had the idea mail order only went back to say, the late 19th century, but clearly it predates that...

Thanks!

Very keen to hear any more when you have time to share...

Best wishes,

Dien