A Short History of Content Marketing (List)

Content marketing — how far back does it go? Since the internet?

Not even close!

Content marketing… is not a recent invention.

No matter what Google Trends might have you believe.

Here are the earliest documented examples of content marketing:

1732 – Benjamin Franklin creates an annual almanac to promote his writing services.

1895 – Farm equipment company John Deere publishes the first issue of its magazine The Furrow, meant to inform and educate the agricultural industry. The magazine still exists today.

1892 – Coca-Cola publishes a calendar to promote its brand and products.

1904 – Jell-O publishes a free cookbook featuring recipes made with their product.

1906 – Famous typewriter manufacturer Underwood offers free typing lessons to promote its products.

1910 – Tire company Michelin creates its famous guide. The Michelin Guide of the time lists garages and gas stations along the road. Michelin later expands its guide to include restaurants and a star-rating system.

1913 – Food brand Campbell’s publishes recipes using its canned soups, in an effort to boost sales.

1918 – Cereal brand Wheaties publishes a recipe book to promote its product.

1920 – Procter & Gamble publishes “The P&G Family,” a free magazine for women offering tips on using the brand’s products.

1925 – Candy company Wrigley’s publishes a recipe book titled “What Mrs. Wrigley’s Cook Book.”

1930 – Car brands start including comic strips in their advertising to attract younger readers.

And the list goes on!

Content marketing is tied to the media of its era

As you can see, since the 18th century, content marketing has always taken the shape of a medium (a magazine, a book, a calendar, etc.) to present informative or entertaining content.

Content marketing has therefore existed for a very long time, and it evolves along with the media people consume in each era. It’s only around 2010 that people started paying closer attention to its theory, art, and science as a marketing approach in its own right.

It’s also in 2010 that the Content Marketing Institute is founded, to document best practices in this industry — right around the same time Google Trends picks up an uptick.

Some brands, like Red Bull for instance, are pioneers of content marketing — so much so that you have to wonder if they’re not selling products just to fund their media arm.

If you’d like to launch your own content marketing campaign, get in touch!