The Pirate Archives, William Ready Division of Archives and research collections, McMaster University

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the history and contents of an archival resource that is of interest to scholars of historical marketing. The Pirate Group Inc. archive, held by McMaster University Library’s William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections consists of over 27,000 sound recordings and 84 metres of textual records, documenting the work of Pirate, an award-winning Toronto-based advertising company founded in 1990. The comprehensiveness of the archives, which includes tens of thousands of advertising “spots”, gives researchers unprecedented access to the creative forces behind some of the most memorable advertisements produced in Canada. Design/methodology/approach This paper aims to answer the following questions: what is the Pirate Group Inc. and what is their documentary legacy? How can scholars of marketing history benefit from the records contained within the Pirate Group Inc. archive? How can researchers access the material at McMaster University Library’s William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections? Findings The authors assert that the Pirate Group Inc. archive may be of particular interest to scholars engaged in research on the following topics: Canadian nationalism in marketing campaigns, the advertising history of companies whose histories are under-studied due to a lack of archival resources and the recent history of radio and television political ad campaigns. Originality/value The paper contributes to historical research in marketing by asserting that the Pirate Group Inc. archive has continuing value for further research. The Pirate archive, which allows for unprecedented access into the study of Canadian advertising due to its comprehensiveness and its uniqueness among archival collections from the contemporary era, makes it a strong primary source for marketing historians.

European sources for advertising and marketing history

Purpose This paper aims to build on Fred Beard’s study of the world’s archives to identity historical advertising and marketing ephemera, published in this journal in 2018, by focussing on resources available in Europe to augment his survey. Design/methodology/approach Online searching, supplemented by literature emanating from the business archive sector, led to the identification of 177 repositories or online sites in Europe holding advertising and marketing archives of significance for researchers. These are set out in two accompanying tables. Findings A wide diversity of European archives that are open to researchers is revealed in this paper. Many are the archives of the business themselves, but a number of collecting repositories are also listed, brought together for the first time. Research limitations/implications This paper focusses solely on Europe but does not claim to be comprehensive, as the study was time-limited and readers will, no doubt, know of resources that the author has missed. The findings relate mostly to Western Europe, so there is scope for further study to encompass archives in the former eastern bloc. Exploration of sources in Africa, Asia and Latin America would further supplement Beard’s original study. Originality/value This research brings together the broadest list of advertising and marketing sources open to researchers in Europe published to date. As Beard’s focus was more on the Americas, this examination redresses the balance with an array of European sources which, it is hoped, will contribute to the greater use of many little-known or under-researched resources by researchers across the world.

Sources for advertising and marketing history at the McCracken Research Library, Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Purpose This paper aims to describe written and visual data sources useful for researching the history of advertising and marketing that are held in the collections of the McCracken Research Library at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming. Design/methodology/approach Knowledge of the McCracken collections has been acquired over several years of online searches and subsequent data analyses, communications with Library staff and from a personal visit to Cody in September 2021. Findings Several digital collections are surveyed. The Roy Marcot Firearms Advertisement Collection visually documents industry practices and also speaks to larger issues in American gun culture. The Winchester Publications provide insights via company magazines into product and management strategies, hardware retailing and visual merchandising tactics during the 1920s. The Schuyler, Hartley and Graham archive of business correspondence illustrate business-to-business marketing from the nineteenth through the early 20th century. The Buffalo Bill Collection reveals how the culturally important Wild West shows were promoted and experienced. Originality/value This paper familiarizes advertising and marketing historians with the primary sources in the McCracken Research Library and suggests some potential areas for study.

A bibliometric overview of the journal of historical research in marketing between 2009 and 2021

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reveal the contributions of the Journal of Historical Research in Marketing (JHRM) to the academic body of knowledge. Pursuant to this objective, the study classifies the publications and citation structure of the JHRM, the nature of the publications’ authorship, the most cited articles and authors and the themes that have been covered from the first day until now (2009–2021). Design/methodology/approach This paper uses bibliometric methodologies to analyze several aspects of the JHRM. Findings The average number of citations per paper is 4.54. The number of articles studying marketing history/practice (163) and the history of thought (158) is almost equal, consistent with the journal’s primary orientation. Compared with other journals, it could be said that JHRM achieved close ranks, especially with those of other historical journals of similar age. The most prolific authors whose articles have been published in the JHRM are used in universities located in the USA. The JHRM is closely connected to top-tier journals in the field. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to one journal (JHRM) only. However, the authors assert that the articles analyzed are representative samples of the entire school of marketing history. Another important consideration is that the value of many critical studies in the social sciences cannot be determined using only bibliometric measurements. Originality/value This paper contributes to the marketing literature from several perspectives. First, evaluating the JHRM in terms of its unique standing shows the scope of the field of marketing history. Second, it serves as a guide for existing and future authors regarding the JHRM and the history of marketing. Third, the JHRM’s contributions provide insights into emerging trends and new opportunities for the entire marketing community.

Celebrities in US Politics

The technological innovations during the 20th and 21st centuries that brought us radio, television, movies, the internet, and social media have created a class of people, celebrities, who, at first glance, wield enormous influence in our society—from setting fashion trends and hairstyles to advancing social movements and political causes. Donald Trump, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura, and Ronald Reagan rode their celebrity to elective office. Other celebrities are increasingly using their status to influence politics by endorsing candidates for office and pushing for change in domestic and foreign policy. This essay focuses on the scholarship on the effect of celebrities in American politics. The study of celebrities in American politics is a largely interdisciplinary enterprise, with contributions from political science, sociology, marketing, history, cultural studies, mass communication, and communication studies. The literature on celebrities, and, more specifically, celebrities in American politics, has branched off into five key areas – (1) Celebrity Endorsements, (2) Celebrities and American Government Institutions, (3) Celebrity Politics and Celebrity Culture, and (4) Celebrities and the Environment.

GREEN MARKETING AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL TO PERFORM CSR IN THE POST COVID ERA: A THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE

The concept of Green Marketing is focused on finding out new opportunities and to ensure better standard of living with sustainable development.The expectation of society for going green has boosted the concept of Green Marketing as a tool for Corporate Social Responsibility. Organizations always try to find out new opportunities and threats constantly presented by the marketing environment and simultaneously understand the importance of adapting to new practices. Green Marketing can be used as a tool to substantiate the CSR responsibilities of the firms and at the same time fulfilling market objectives.Covid-19 pandemic has opened a new window for businesses to shift towards a genuine and authentic CSR initiative and contribute to address urgent global, social and environmental challenges. Therefore the Covid-19 pandemic can lead to significant environmental changes in the modern marketing history,which can create a profound impact on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and basic marketing philosophy. This paper attempts to explain the concept of Green Marketing as a tool for CSR with few examples of companies coming forward towards various social causes in the Post Covid era.

Macromarketing, the Indispensable Discipline

The guest-editors introduce the Ruby Anniversary Issue of the Journal of Macromarketing. They provide an overview of the field, highlight the evolution and contributions of the Journal over the past 40 years, and share synopses of the articles and commentaries that comprise this special issue. Major themes addressed by contributors include the genesis and stages of the marketing field, including its origins in macromarketing and the various forces that necessitate a redoubled emphasis on macromarketing, today and in the future. All contributors explore fundamental issues pertaining to the interactions among markets, marketing and society. Some focus on particular periods; some examine timeless and timely subthemes, such as marketing systems, sustainability, globalization, societal well-being, marketing ethics and social justice, and marketing history. And some focus on the expanding reach, impact, perspective, and topics of macromarketing – the discipline’s capabilities to influence business, policy and consumption, to redress current and historical shortcomings and transgressions, and to help solve the most pressing challenges confronting humanity. Moving forward, those challenges also create opportunities. The type and systemic complexity of those challenges/opportunities, and the ubiquity of markets and marketing, make macromarketing indispensable to the sustainability of our world, and the well-being of its inhabitants.

Toward a Doctrine of Socially Responsible Marketing (SRM): A Macro and Normative-Ethical Perspective

In this conceptual article, the authors use a macro-level analysis and normative ethical theory to delineate and to explicate a doctrine of socially responsible marketing (SRM). Applying a theory-in-formation approach, we postulate a literature-informed definition of SRM. We discuss why a macro and normative-ethical rather than a micro and positive-descriptive perspective is essential to justifying the elements of SRM. We explore and explain why the roots of an authentic doctrine of SRM can be discerned from the literatures of marketing history, corporate social responsibility, institutional economics and moral philosophy. In so doing, the mandate to engage in socially responsible marketing is shown to be anchored in a social contract. This conception offers three essential elements of SRM—corporate citizenship, stakeholder orientation and social/ecological sustainability—each of which augers a pro-social rather than instrumental-financial approach to marketing practice. We recommend a specific normative-ethical standard, embodied in distributive justice, to best evaluate SRM. We counsel adopting a macromarketing perspective of constructive engagement for those seeking responsible marketing for a better society and world. Finally, we offer a short research agenda for advancing Marketing’s embrace of SRM.