MarketingEvolution
Marketing is never static. It grows, shifts, and adapts, reflecting changes in people, technology, and the world around us. Each era marks a fundamental shift in how brands connect with customers and how value is perceived. Here is a look at how marketing has evolved across six defining stages.
Marketing 1.0
Product is King
Era: 1950s | Focus: Mass Production & Distribution
Marketing began from a very simple point: create the best product and sell as much of it as possible. In this era, companies competed to improve quality and increase production, then distributed their products through mass distribution channels. Communication was strictly one-way—brands spoke, consumers listened. There was no room for discussion, only products ready to be absorbed by a market hungry for industrial innovation.
Marketing 2.0
The Rise of the Customer
Era: 1970s | Focus: Consumer Needs
A major shift occurred when companies began to ask: “What do customers really want?”
This era marked the birth of marketing driven by customer insight. Companies were no longer just creating great products—they were creating relevant ones. The concept of STP (Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning) emerged as a new star, helping brands target more specific segments. However, an intense focus on customer desires without considering long-term value risked leading companies to "make what people want" rather than "what the world truly needs."”
Marketing 3.0
Beyond the Transaction
Era: 2010s | Focus: Values, Morality & Humanity
Modern consumers want more than just good products—they seek brands with meaning. Marketing 3.0 emerged with a human-centric approach, integrating logic, emotion, and morality.
Three core pillars were established:
Social Marketing:supporting lifestyle and social change.
Green Marketing: environmentally friendly and sustainable.
Social-Entrepreneurship Marketing: creating impact for underserved communities.
This is where brands are no longer just sellers, but agents of change.
Marketing 4.0
Entering the Digital Playground
Era: 2017 | Focus: Customer Experience & Digital Technology
In this era, the customer journey became the core of strategy. From the Awareness stage to Advocacy, brands were expected to be present and actively engage with consumers across various touchpoints, both online and offline.
Key building blocks
Human-Centric Marketing:emotional appeal
Content Marketing: sparking curiosity
Omni-Channel: integrating digital and physical channels
Engagement: turning customers into advocates
Marketing 5.0
Technology for Humanity
Era: 2021 | Focus: AI, Data & Human-Like Automation
This is the moment when technology begins to think, feel, and interact like humans. Marketing 5.0 leverages six elements of Next Tech:
Thinking (AI)
Communicating (NLP)
Sensing (Sensor & mood tech)
Moving (Robotics)
Imagining (AR/VR)
Connecting (IoT & Blockchain)
Marketing is no longer just digital—it has become predictive, personalized, and highly responsive to context.
Marketing 6.0
The Immersive Future
Era: 2023 | Fokus: Meta-Channel & Mixed Reality
Marketing has reached a point where the boundaries between the physical and digital worlds disappear. With Meta-Channel, the customer experience unfolds seamlessly and simultaneously across both realms.
Its structure consists of:
The Enabler: IoT, AI, Spatial Computing, AR/VR, Blockchain
The Environment: Extended Reality & Metaverse
The Experience: Multi-Sensory, Spatial, and Metaverse Marketing The experiences created are not just “wow”—they are emotionally and sensorially immersive.