Marketing in Latin America: A Photo Essay

Marketing is a fundamental human activity that reflects the nature of the societies in which it occurs. In Latin America, the great diversity of marketing is a product of the differences in culture, economy, settlement pattern and standard of living which characterize the region. This essay uses photographs taken over a 30-year period (1963-1994) to illustrate marketing in Latin America. They were taken in countries ranging from Mexico to Argentina. The types of marketing portrayed extend from traditional periodic markets, little changed from pre- Columbian times, to modern upscale shopping centers that feature stores selling the latest in electronic equipment. Because these diverse types of marketing still exist, sometimes in relatively close proximity, as vital and important forms of economic exchange, they send a strong message about the continuity of traditions among Latin America's marginalized lower classes, and about the sophistication and buying power of the wealthy urban elite who can adopt consumption patterns similar to those of the world's industrialized countries.