According to etymologists, the term ‘marketing’ first appeared in the sixteenth century, referring to the process of buying and selling at a market. If a time-traveller had told them back then what marketing looks like today, it would have been impossible to explain. To understand the future, we need to study the past, said many well-respected historians and philosophers. But is that entirely true when it comes to marketing? Perhaps studying our history tells us a lot about who we are and makes an interesting case about how our society has evolved. And yes, it can tell us about how marketing and the business world are headed. But what can really tell us where we’re going is recent tech developments and disruptive changes all around us.