Digital technology has impacted the lives of consumers and businesses around the world. With access to the internet and the lowering cost of smart devices, audiences use the internet to improve their daily lives. In this connected world, access to information is seen as a necessity rather than a convenience

1. How was the Internet created?
In the 1950s and 60s, the United States was engaged in the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Each
country was working to increase its science and technology capabilities in order to prevent nuclear
attacks from the other, and also remain capable of attacking the other should the situation devolve.
At that time, computers were much larger and more expensive than today's models. Mainframe
computers took up entire rooms, and were only able to do specific tasks. Researchers needed to be
able to use the computers to perform these tasks, but often had to travel long distances to find a
computer to do a specific task. The proposed solution was a way to connect the computers so they
could speak to each other, allowing researchers to share data without needing to travel to the
location of the computer.
Unit 1- Evolution of Marketing
HISTORY OF INTERNET
Fig 1. Vexels (2020) History of computer timeline design.
Pinterest

2. The Internet has been one of our most transformative
and fast-growing technologies. The chart here shows
the growth in the number of Internet users around the
globe. Every day over the past five years, an average
of 640,000 people went online for the first time.
Unit 1- Evolution of Marketing
ACCESS TO THE INTERNET
Fig 2. World Bank (2022) Number of Internet Users. Our World in Data (online)

3. Unit 1- Evolution of Marketing
ACCESS TO THE INTERNET
Fig 3. Kemp S (2022) Overview of Internet Use. DataReportal (online)

4. A face-to-face interview was conducted in the United
Kingdom in 2020. During the survey, respondents
were asked “Which is the most important device you
use to connect to the internet, at home or elsewhere?”
Unit 1- Evolution of Marketing
DEVICES USED BY AUDIENCE
Fig 4. World Bank (2022) Number of Internet Users. Our World in Data (online)

5. Unit 1- Evolution of Marketing
DEVICES USED BY AUDIENCE
Fig 5. Merkulov N. (n.d) Tablet pc, mobile phone, notebook and hd tv. Shutterstock

6. Consumers are learning about products and their
features through a wide variety of channels. Among
the most popular are searching the web, going to
retail stores, TV ads, word of mouth, and online
reviews.
Unit 1- Evolution of Marketing
HOW CONSUMERS SEARCH
FOR INFORMATION
Fig 6. Iskiev M (2022)How do consumers prefer to learn about a product and its feature
(top 8). Hubspot (online)

7. Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X set themselves apart
from Boomers through their preference for learning
about products through social media and YouTube
ads. Gen Z also favors unboxing videos more than
any other generation. Meanwhile, Gen X and
Boomers show a clear preference for learning about
products through TV ads and in retail stores.
Boomers also favor word of mouth more than any
other generation. But there are also some
similarities -- learning about products by searching
the internet and through online reviews is popular
among all generations.
Unit 1- Evolution of Marketing
HOW CONSUMERS SEARCH
FOR INFORMATION
Fig 7. Iskiev M (2022)How do consumers prefer to learn about a product and its feature
(top 8). Hubspot (online)

8. Online shopping is growing so fast that the global online
shopping market size nearly hit 4 trillion in
2020. According to Invesp, the countries with the
leading average eCommerce revenue per shoppers are:
USA ($1,804), UK ($1,629), Sweden ($1,446), France
($1,228), Germany ($1,064), Japan ($968), Spain ($849),
China ($626), Russia ($396), and Brazil ($350).
Unit 1- Evolution of Marketing
WHAT CONSUMERS BUY ONLINE
Fig 8. Invespcro (n.d) Global Online Retail Spending Statistics and Trends.Optinmonster
(online)

9. As of 2018, the digital buyers’ penetration rate
worldwide is 47.3%. If we’re looking at statistics by
gender, the difference between the percentage of male
and female shoppers isn’t a breath stopper — 72% are
women, while 68% are men. The main difference
between men and women is what they shop for. Men
usually go for heavy-duty items like furniture and
computers while women usually shop for things like
groceries and clothing.
Unit 1- Evolution of Marketing
WHAT CONSUMERS BUY ONLINE
Fig 9. Dasha M (2019) Men vs. Women. Who Runs the Online Shopping World? Belvg
(online)

10. Online video consumption has been on the rise with the
current average viewer spending 100 minutes a day
watching digital videos. According to the latest online
video consumption statistics, 92.7 percent of global
internet users worldwide watch digital videos each week.
This refers to any kind of video – from music videos and
tutorials to gaming and influencer videos.
Unit 1- Evolution of Marketing
ONLINE VIDEO CONSUMPTION
Fig 10. DataReportal (2022) Most Popular Types of Videos on the Internet (2022)
Oberlo (online)

11. The exponential rate at which technology is developing, mutating, and adapting, especially throughout 2020, is so fast that you can't help but be swept away in a tidal
wave of progress—whether you're ready for it or not.
You might not think we've come that far, but if you had access to a time machine and went back less than 10 years, you'd be shocked to see:
• Evolving ad networks- Google changed the world of advertising with the introduction of various digital ad networks, Facebook quickly came along and introduced a
comparably powerful ad network. Furthermore, the gradual growth of Snapchat Ads and Instagram Ads offer more options for consumers to engage with
• Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality- Whether it is a new Snapchat geofilter or a virtual music video, developing virtual experiences has led consumers to a new
experience that they are already craving
• Social Media Content- With the growth of social media, people have begun to act, think, and purchase differently. The attention span of each person has been
diminished to less than 8 seconds. Simply put, people are now addicted to consuming social media content and brands need to understand how to fit within this new
social world.
• Digital Optimization- Around 550 of the largest organizations in the world have the ability to create customized domains that include their brand name, using
‘.brand’ domains like www.blog.google or www.summit.audi
• Chat Bots- With the emergence of automation software and specifically chatbots, companies are now able to better communicate with their consumers. This means
in the next few years consumers will have a drastic increase in expected quality of customer service from companies and problems will need to be solved
effectively.
Technology has changed every aspect of the way any business operates, and never before in history has that change occurred so fast. If you are able to keep up with the
trends and how they cause shifts in consumer behavior, then you will be prepared for the long-haul
Unit 1- Evolution of Marketing
CONSUMER TRENDS

12. The information technology industry has grown by leaps and
bounds in the past decade, and the next 10 years will contain
even more incredible change.
While the rapid rise of the mobile phone as the work phone
and big data had an incredible impact on IT in the 2010s,
we’re on the cusp of an era of automation- AI/machine
learning and data security. More pocket-sized access to servers
led to a rise in Big Data, as companies made serious IT
investments this decade to protect and analyze the tremendous
amounts of data generated. AI went from futuristic technology
to one of the biggest tools for growth in marketing and data
security around the world.
Unit 1- Evolution of Marketing
CONSUMER TRENDS
Fig 11. Ellis S (2019) Trends of IT. Office1 (online)

13. Technology has become a crucial part of our society. Without technological advancements, so much of our everyday lives would be drastically different. As technology
develops, it strives to fulfil the changing needs of society. Technology progresses as society evolves. That being said, progress comes at a price. This price is different
for each person, and varies based on how much people value technological and scientific advancements in their own lives.
Unit 1- Evolution of Marketing
SUMMARY

14. • https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-consumers-learn-about-products
• Dasha M (2019) Men vs. Women. Who Runs the Online Shopping World? Belvg (online) Available at https://belvg.com/blog/men-vs-women-who-runs-the-online-
shopping-world.html [Accessed on 12 November 2022]
• DataReportal (2022) Most Popular Types of Videos on the Internet (2022) Oberlo (online). Available at https://www.oberlo.co.uk/statistics/online-video-consumption-
statistics [Accessed on 12 November 2022]
• https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2022-october-global-statshot
• Ellis S (2019) Trends of IT. Office1 (online) Available at https://www.office1.com/blog/it-trends-what-has-changed-last-decade-where-going-next [Accessed on 12
November 2022]
• https://www.gomodus.com/blog/eight-ways-technology-changing-business
• Iskiev M (2022)How do consumers prefer to learn about a product and its feature (top 8). Hubspot (online) Available at https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-
consumers-learn-about-products [Accessed on 12 November 2022]
• Kemp S (2022) Overview of Internet Use. DataReportal (online) Available at https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2022-october-global-statshot [Accessed on 12
November 2022]
• Invespcro (n.d) Global Online Retail Spending Statistics and Trends. Optinmonster (online) Available at https://optinmonster.com/online-shopping-statistics/
[Accessed on 12 November 2022]
REFERENCES
Unit 1 – Evolution of Marketing

15. • Merkulov N. (n.d) Tablet pc, mobile phone, notebook and hd tv. Shutterstock. Available at https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/tablet-pc-mobile-phone-
notebook-hd-130409861 [Accessed on 2 November 2022]
• https://pressbooks.pub/anne1/chapter/conclusion/#:~:text=Technology%20has%20become%20a%20crucial,the%20changing%20needs%20of%20society.
• https://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/short-history-internet
• https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Internet
• https://thenextweb.com/news/5-ways-technology-is-changing-consumer-behaviors
• Vexels (2020) History of computer timeline design. Pinterest. Available at https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/749779037958644805/ [Accessed on 2 November 2022]
• World Bank (2022) Number of Internet Users. Our World in Data (online). Available at https://ourworldindata.org/internet Accessed on 2 November 2022]
• https://www.zenithmedia.com/online-video-viewing-to-reach-100-minutes-a-day-in-2021/
REFERENCES
Unit 1 – Evolution of Marketing