The volume of consumption today is much higher than in the earlier decades of the 20th century. But have you ever stopped to think about how this evolutionary process of consumption took place?
Social and economic changes are strong protagonists in this scenario, along with some historical events that changed the reality of the planet, such as the Great World Wars.
However, it was not only historical events that caused major transformations. Companies themselves are responsible, even if not entirely, for the changes in the way we consume.
Some of these changes include:
The evolution of brands;
The advent of advertising and marketing;
The democratization of the media;
The way companies began to position lebanon whatsapp data themselves with customers.
In today's text, our focus will be to present the evolution of consumption until it reached the level it is today. Throughout the content, we will show how socioeconomic changes contributed to changing people's consumption model and how companies positioned themselves within this context.
Enjoy reading!
The impact of wars on consumer behavior
Until the first half of the 20th century, the world experienced two major world wars. While the First World War left many people ecstatic about the destructive power of military combat, the Second World War served to confirm the theory that men possess an arsenal capable of changing the course of the planet.
The First World War arose from conflicts within the current political system, while the Second World War was a consequence of political inability to resolve small, local conflicts, which gradually coalesced and took on larger proportions.
But how was such an intense and devastating conflict able to initiate an evolution in consumerism? For the simple fact that war does not only bring suffering and destruction, it also brings in a lot of money for the victors. In this case, the United States was the main beneficiary.
The economic explosion in the United States
With the war, the North American economy experienced a significant leap in productivity. The country's exports increased from 5 billion dollars in 1941 to 14.5 billion in 1944, the penultimate year of the Second World War.
Also in 1944, even before the end of the conflict, the Bretton Woods Conference was held, bringing together 700 representatives from nations to discuss a new economic order across the globe. The focus was on rebuilding capitalism and establishing financial and trade rules to avoid political wear and tear and economic crises, such as the one that occurred in the United States in 1929.
At Bretton Woods, global institutions were developed to assist countries in their economic recovery, including the IMF and the World Bank. Both institutions focused on assisting in economic regulation and facilitating foreign trade, establishing the dollar as the world's strong currency.