Alchemy in eden: entrepreneurialism, branding, and food marketing in the United States, 1880–1920.
Through an investigation into the origins of American food marketing, this dissertation reveals how branding—specifically, the centennial brands Quaker Oats, Coca-Cola, and Crisco—came to underpin much of today's market-driven economy. In a manner akin to alchemy, the entrepreneurs behind these three firms recognized the inherent value of an agricultural Eden, then found ways to convert common, low-cost agricultural goods—oats, sugar, and cottonseed oil—into appealing, high-revenue branded food products. In the process, these ventures devised new demand-driven business models that exploited technology and communications advances, enabling them to tap a nascent consumer culture. Their pioneering efforts generated unprecedented profits, laid the foundation for iconic billion-dollar brands, and fundamentally changed how Americans make daily food choices.
Columbia College, Chicago.
Terri
T
Lonier
D018554:Avena / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history; D003369:Cottonseed Oil / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history; D016520:Entrepreneurship / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history; D019649:Food Industry / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005524:Food Technology / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D040541:Marketing / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000266:history; D014481:United States / Q000208:ethnology
D002241:Carbohydrates; D003369:Cottonseed Oil