Patent medicines were America's very first national consumer product brands
David Rosenthal · Coca-Cola: The Complete History & Strategy (Audio) · Acquired · Nov 24, 2025 · at 7:06
David Rosenthal discusses the post-Civil War origins of modern consumer packaged goods and advertising on Acquired.
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“Before this industry, there were no national brands in America or anywhere else. There were railroads and there were like big national industrial companies, but there weren't any national consumer product companies. Everything was local. There weren't any CPG companies.”
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