April 21, 2008
Brands then and now
The FT has a report on Global Brands today; meanwhile, the NBER tells me about this research from economist Gary Richardson:
In medieval Europe, manufacturers sold durable goods to anonymous consumers in distant markets, this essay argues, by making products with conspicuous characteristics. Examples of these unique, observable traits included cloth of distinctive colors, fabric with
unmistakable weaves, and pewter that resonated at a particular pitch.
These attributes identified merchandise because consumers could observe them readily, but counterfeiters could copy them only at great cost, if at all. Conspicuous characteristics fulfilled many of the functions that patents, trademarks, and brand names do today.
The words that referred to products with conspicuous characteristics served as brand names in the Middle Ages. Data drawn from an array of industries corroborates this conjecture. The abundance of evidence suggests that conspicuous characteristics played a key role in the expansion of manufacturing before the Industrial Revolution.
Of medieval brands, have any survived until today other than the major religions and some nation states that were part of the branding of many products? Among the strongest and longest surviving brands may be those associated with place such as many foods and drinks as well as those carpets and cloths with distinctive characteristics, which are all brand identities shared among more than one or many producers! There are brands that can be shared and those that cannot or will not be shared.
Posted by: Robert McDowell, Edinburgh | April 24th, 2008 at 8:25 am | Report this comment