ABSTRACT
In Tedlow’s three-phase development model of consumer marketing in the United States, the interwar years are located within phase II (1880s-1950s) during which national markets were created and national brands established (Tedlow 1990). In this schema marketing in the UK is generally perceived to lag behind developments in the United States particularly before 1950. Corley (1987) found few studies of marketing operations before 1939, although one (Davenport-Hines 1986) does contain case studies from this period. In the Unilever history, Wilson (1968) treats marketing as a post-1945 development, and Nevett (1982), although informed about advertising and the agencies, says little about their market research work. There is a view that no market research work was conducted in the UK before 1930 (BMRB 1956, Abrams 1951). Consumer marketing is closely linked with the coming of commercial TV which - unlike the United States where, by 1945, there were six commercial TV stations (Tedlow 1993: 16) - did not arrive in the UK until 1955 (Henry 1986). In short, UK marketing operations are seen to be located firmly in the post-war world. This view is being modified as new research emerges. Fry’s Cocoa
was marketed before the First World War (Davenport-Hines 1986); Cadbury practised and published on marketing distribution (Cadbury Ltd 1945); Wagner (1988) has examined the Cadbury v Rowntree product development battles of the 1930s; and Church (1993) has examined how far the Tedlow model is applicable to UK car produc tion and marketing between the wars. This chapter provides further evidence that UK operations were well developed in the 1930s. It examines the planning, research and marketing campaigns which established the Horlicks brand within the food and drink markets of that decade. This chapter first provides the necessary background to the pre
vailing economic and competitive conditions, and second, reviews
what might be meant by convenience foods. The third section is the substance of the chapter, and sets out in some detail a case study of the formation and establishment of the Horlicks brand within the milk food-drink market. The final section pulls the main points together.
