Imagine trying to market your restaurant, gym, or boutique today… exactly like they did in the 1960s. You’d be lighting money on fire.
The truth is—marketing hasn’t just changed a little—it’s been completely reinvented. And if you’re a small business owner? You’re living in the greatest era in history to attract clients, build your brand, and dominate your niche.
Hi, I’m Brett Linkletter, CEO and Co‑founder of Dineline. In this video, I’ll walk you through how marketing has transformed—and why small businesses are finally winning.
Marketing in the 1960s: Mad Men Era and Big-Budget Blue Chips
The 1960s marked the Marketing Company Era, where marketing departments became core strategic players—focusing on the 4Ps (product, price, place, promotion) as popularized by E. Jerome McCarthy in 1960 wegotu.us+3Pinckney Harmon+3Wikipedia+3.
This was the Mad Men era: marketing was glamorous, expensive, and dominated by big brands like Coca-Cola and Cadillac. Small businesses? They could only dream. Their tools were limited—a neon sign, flyers, or a local newspaper mention—and there was no way to measure effectiveness. It was all “spray and pray.”
1970s–1980s: Mass Media Madness
By the 70s and 80s, advertising got louder—TV ads, magazine spreads, and billboards multiplied. National brands only grew stronger. Small businesses remained struggling, with limited options and virtually no feedback or tracking. Still no personalization, no customer journey—just hoping those ads worked.
1990s: Cracks in the Armor — Infomercials and Direct Mail
The 90s introduced early marketing evolutions: infomercials, direct mail, and the Yellow Pages. These weren’t revolutionary but offered small businesses something: limited tracking and focused visibility. It was slow, clunky, and expensive—but a crack in the armor nonetheless.
Early 2000s: Internet 1.0 — First Rays of Hope
Enter the internet. A basic website became a must-have, and email marketing came into play. Though many still treated online marketing like a digital billboard—with pop-ups and inelegant design—the internet leveled the playing field. Now, a local restaurant could have a website just like Starbucks. The door was open.
2010s: Social Media Shakes Everything Up
The smartphone era exploded. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter made low-cost, creative, and authentic marketing possible. Content became king, trust became the currency.
A small business using Instagram ads for $5 could reach thousands. Suddenly, speed, creativity, and relatability mattered more than budgets. This era empowered small businesses to out-market bigger ones through connection and authenticity Landingiismartcom.com.
Today: Data, AI, and Tools Like Dishio — True Leveling of the Field
Now, marketing is precision. With data and AI, you can track who visits, who returns, and what they’re likely to want next.
AI-powered personalization helps predict customer behavior, optimize campaigns, and improve experiences vanityfair.com+15arxiv.org+15Pinckney Harmon+15.
Tools like Dishio make it even simpler:
Scan a menu; Dishio captures guest data.
Track behaviors: visit frequency, preferred days, offers redeemed.
Automatically trigger personalized remarketing campaigns.
Build your own customer database—you own your growth, not rent attention from Google or Facebook.
Today’s marketing is smart, fast, and measurable. Small businesses now have the power to compete, scale, and build loyalty like never before.
Wrap-Up: Your Move
If you’re still marketing like the 1960s—random flyers, hoping for foot traffic—you’re playing the wrong game. Today’s marketing is smarter and more efficient. With data-driven marketing, automation, and tools like Dishio, you can:
Track real results.
Build real relationships.
Scale faster than any previous era.
The power is in your hands. What will you do with it?