From the beginning of the Industrial Revolution until the 1950s, companies focused on maximizing economies of scale and minimizing production costs. Since high quality products were scarce during this period, brands could make products on a massive scale that were functional and durable, but ignore marketing elements such as add-on features and design. This was largely due to the growing numbers of affluent and middle class people that the rise of capitalism had created.
Source: Boundless. “Marketing Orientation.” Boundless Marketing. Boundless, 21 Jul. 2015. Retrieved 19 Jan. 2016 from https://www.boundless.com/marketing/textbooks/36/introduction-to-marketing-1/evolution-of-the-marketing-orientation-19/marketing-orientation-118-6857/
Source: Boundless. “Marketing Orientation.” Boundless Marketing. Boundless, 21 Jul. 2015. Retrieved 19 Jan. 2016 from https://www.boundless.com/marketing/textbooks/36/introduction-to-marketing-1/evolution-of-the-marketing-orientation-19/marketing-orientation-118-6857/