Brand Names Before the Industrial Revolution

Gary Richardson

No 13930, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: In medieval Europe, manufacturers sold durable goods to anonymous consumers in distant markets, this essay argues, by making products with conspicuous characteristics. Examples of these unique, observable traits included cloth of distinctive colors, fabric with unmistakable weaves, and pewter that resonated at a particular pitch. These attributes identified merchandise because consumers could observe them readily, but counterfeiters could copy them only at great cost, if at all. Conspicuous characteristics fulfilled many of the functions that patents, trademarks, and brand names do today. The words that referred to products with conspicuous characteristics served as brand names in the Middle Ages. Data drawn from an array of industries corroborates this conjecture. The abundance of evidence suggests that conspicuous characteristics played a key role in the expansion of manufacturing before the Industrial Revolution.

JEL-codes: L15 L2 N13 N4 N6 O14 O34 O5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his, nep-ind and nep-mkt
Note: DAE IO
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Working Paper: Brand Names Before the Industrial Revolution (2000)
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