How Marketing was done in the 1930s

Here is a quick dose of historical nuggets to nourish those entrepreneurial minds. On deck today - a throwback to the game-changing era of advertising in the 1930s.

As we well know, running a business ain't for the faint of heart, especially when economic disaster strikes. But the OG ad execs of the Great Depression era definitely wrote the playbook on perseverance. With unemployment at 25% and wallets on serious lockdown though, they had to get crafty!

See, while the women's movement had gained steam just years earlier, the dire straits of the 30s actually erased much of that progress. Suddenly putting food on tables took priority over progress. So what did advertisers do? They leaned ALL the way in!

Magazines and radio went hard selling the adventure of homemaking to gals. Meanwhile, Uncle Sam literally banned married women from working while husbands hunted for jobs. Whoa. Talk about using media influence to shape norms and behaviors!

And advertisers weren't just peddling gender roles either. With existential threats lurking, they tapped the power of celebrities, soldiers and Santa himself to get Americans riled up - employing tactics still used today. Can you say patriotic marketing?!

But here's the real biz takeaway - while some brands second guessed ad budgets in the turmoil, those who kept investing actually came out stronger! Because in the face of fear and uncertainty, connection and loyalty matters bigtime.

So next time crisis hits and scaling back tempts you, remember the hustlers of the 30s. Leveraging media visibility and purpose creatively during downturns pays off in the end. The influence on hearts, minds and wallets speaks for itself decade after decade!

Alright, those are just a few lessons from the OG ad game. What other historical eras inspire your approach? Hit reply and sound off! Til next time...