6 Stages how marketing evolved over centuries

16th century : Craft and Art Era
CRAFT  of making a product well. "Made to Order" operation.  Customers came because of craftsmanship reputation. Furniture, carriages, carpets, houses, clothes were all made to order. Generally there was a scarcity of crafted products in the world. Craftsmen and artisans were respected.

17th & 18th century : Manufacturing Era
USING MACHINES for mass manufacturing. Products became standardized and mass manufactured. The cost came down as a result of mass manufacturing. Lower prices enable more people to access the products. The industrial era began. The population of craftsmen and artisans began shrinking

19th century : Sales Era
Machine owners realized the power of SALES NETWORKS which amplified their increased customer access and considerably improved volumes  This increased batch sizes and brought down the cost mush more. Example : Ford Model T. The era of mass manufacturing was born. . Manufactured products at affordable price were accessible to many and significantly improved the life of many people. 

20th century : Marketing Era
Competition came in. Many started making similar products and using the mass marketing techniques. The mass media like radio and TV were born. The road and rail networks improved and the storage systems also improved. People even in remote locations began enjoying the benefits of mass marketed products due to awareness and availability. Since all made similar "me too" products, the marketing people focused on differentiation based on what the customer's needs were. The era of marketing was born.

21st century : Services / Experience era

It is now becoming difficult to differentiate products based on physical attributes because similar technology of making and selling is available to all. Internet has brought possibilities of individual access, prosperity has enabled people to afford customization. The service economy is booming everywhere.