THE BIRTH OF BRANDING – A HISTORICAL REVIEW OF THE FIRST BRANDS

Abstract

Which was the first brand? This is a question that marketing professionals and ordinary people interested in brands may ask. And by the way, when did brands appear in our life? Well, these questions are not easy to answer. Some people trace brands back to the industrial revolution. Others say that their origin can be found in medieval guilds, the church, or the Roman Empire. And there are people who claim that evidences of branding can be found as early as in the first cave paintings. There is also a variety of possible results of our quest for the first product categories which included brands. The categories that have included most examples are alcoholic beverages, cosmetic and cleaning products, kitchenware, medicines and pharmaceutical preparations. This study summarizes our knowledge of the topic, and concludes by presenting how the tools used by the first brands can be applied for today’s modern brands.