Abstract / Description of output
This short paper suggests that historical research offers us an opportunity to ‘observe’ customers and provides a context to understand and reflect on contemporary marketing. It considers the role of historical research in marketing through two projects. The first highlights the impact of legislation and changing demographic and lifestyle of consumers that shaped the unique character of the modern Japanese konbini and notes the limited historical account of the customer experience or store employees. The success of the Japanese convenience store owes much to this history. The second focuses on the visual dimension and the depiction of British family life in Good Housekeeping magazine advertising over a sixty-year period. It highlights not only what brands were being targetted at British families during this period but looks at how the family unit was portrayed by commercial advertisers in this popular magazine. In post-war Britain advertising featured images of the patriarchal nuclear family with a number of campaigns focused on mothers and children at home. While advertisments for new kitchen equipment on the pages of Good Housekeeping in the 1950's offered a release from the drudgery of domestic work women remained responsible for the ‘housework’ and there was little to challenge this idea. Magazine advertising offers an insight into how family life was depicted in this post war period and reminds us of the debate around the unintended consequences of this promotional activity. Historical perspectives add context and often reflect broader social, cultural, technological and legislative changes that shape our consumption practices. Only in looking to the past can we really understand the present.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 42-47 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Japan Marketing History Review |
Volume | 1 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 31 Mar 2022 |
Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)
- Japanese konbini
- British family life
- magazine advertising
- visual history