White papers have been informing and persuading for more than a century. And, like everything else, will continue to evolve along with culture, demographics, and technology. Narrative text, no matter how it’s packaged, will continue to help business people solve a problem, understand an issue, or make a decision.

1. 1910 - 1930'S 1939 - 1960's
White Papers
began explaining
advances in
science &
technology.
Added graphics
& color
The Decade that Invented
the Future:
1989 - The world-wide
web invented by Sir
Timothy Berners-Lee
changed the way
governments, business &
people operate
1980's - 1900's
Facebook & Twitter go
mainstream convincing
people a virtual friend or
follower is just as good as
the real thing.
USB Flash Drives - a
portable floppy disc
making white papers
portable, re-writable and
accessible.
21st Century
Evolving Technology for B2B
Writers:
Foods eaten with one hand
(Energy bars, donuts)
Remote tele-working at
Starbucks or Panera with
double shot lattes, whip, and
a bagel
Special Feature
1970's - 1980's
With the rise of personal
computers, white papers became
popular in information
technology.
Providing a steady stream of
developments requiring
explanation to potential buyers
1993 - Adobe PDF - perhaps the
first document sharing
technology
1994 - JPEG - Lit up the web with
images
1998 - Google - Making data
research easy.
1993 - 1999
As technology makes using
media faster, easier & more
affordable, readers expect to
see these new medias used in
B2B Marketing.
The flexibility of the white
paper will provide it with
staying power, engaging
audiences of all ages.
White Papers Today
White Paper Timeline
(c) AsTheWordsTurn 2017
First White Paper written in
the United Kingdom by Her
Majesty's Stationary Office.
Text Only
Named for the white covers