The Foundations of Marketing Practice by Fullerton, Ronald;

Short description:

During the nineteenth century, the German book market experienced phenomenal growth, driven by German publishers’ dynamic entrepreneurial attitude towards developing and distributing books. Embracing aggressive marketing on a large scale, they developed an increasing sense of what their markets wanted. Based almost entirely upon primary sources including over seventy years of trade newspapers, this is an in depth study of how and why this market developed—decades before there was any written theory about marketing. This uniquely well-researched study provides an in-depth account of how markets were developed in very sophisticated ways long before there was a formal discipline of marketing.

Long description:

Between 1815 and 1890, the German book market experienced phenomenal growth, driven by German publishers’ dynamic entrepreneurial attitude towards developing and distributing books. Embracing aggressive marketing on a large scale, they developed a growing sense of what their markets wanted. This study, based almost entirely upon primary sources including over seventy years of trade newspapers, is an in depth account of how and why this market developed—decades before there was any written theory about marketing.

This book is therefore about both marketing practice and marketing theory. It provides a uniquely well-researched account of how markets were developed in very sophisticated ways long before there was a formal discipline of marketing: for example, German publishers used segmentation at least 150 years before the first US articles on the subject appeared. Much of their experience was also shared by the UK and US book markets through international interactions between booksellers and other businessmen.

All scholars of marketing will find this historical account a fascinating insight into markets and marketing, This will also be of interest to social historians, scholars of German history, book trade and book trade historians.

'Few others alive today "do" marketing history as well as Ron Fullerton. In addition to being an intellectual tour de force as regards nineteenth century German book publishing, Foundations is also an important scholarly contribution that all but demolishes the long prevailing ethnocentric view of marketing management as a product of mid-1950s America.' - Stanley J. Shapiro, Professor Emeritus, Simon Fraser University, Canada

'In a delightful piece of historical scholarship, Ron Fullerton has produced a splendid read about the application of the marketing mix to the German book trade. Dr. Fullerton’s book is particularly fascinating because the sophisticated use of marketing tools and techniques that he so clearly describes occurred in the nineteenth century before the advent of "so called" modern marketing of the twentieth century. A must read for marketing historians.' - Eric Shaw, Emeritus Professor, Florida Atlantic University, USA

Table of Contents:

Introduction: The Role of Marketing in the Growth of the German Book Markets, 1815-1890.  1. Separate, Distinct, Both Sluggish: The German book markets at the close of the Napoleonic Wars, 1815-1820.  2. The Regular Book Market Explodes, 1820-1843.  3. Engines of Growth: Dynamic and entrepreneurial marketing 1820-1843.  4. The Mass Book Market, 1820-1870.  5. The Decline and Recovery of the Regular Trade, 1843-1866.  6. The Book Market of the Regular Trade at Mid-Century, 1843-1866  7. Good Times, 1867-1888: The middle and upper class book market after mid-century.  8. The Mass Book Market Explodes, 1870-1890.  Conclusion: The Role of Dynamic High Capitalist Marketing Practice in the German Book Markets