TikTok has launched a new campaign to encourage positivity and inclusion in the app, while also combating online bullying in an effort to foster a more open, encouraging community atmosphere.

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.

In today’s online ecosystem, content marketing is critical. Original, high-quality and engaging content is one of the best ways to cultivate brand awareness, build trust, generate leads and position our organizations as industry authorities.

Over the past year, we’ve all been inundated with messages. Stores were at limited capacity or completely closed, employees shifted to remote work and virtual school took over, so our inboxes and social media became our primary avenues for communication. No longer are we catching up at the water cooler, but instead via email or messaging apps, and it’s noisy in there. Businesses grasping to keep revenue flowing found their marketing efforts buried deep under the urgent messages of “don’t forget your 8 a.m. meeting” and “your child’s virtual class meet is starting now”— oops, is he still in his pajamas?

At the wireless speaker firm Sonos, three people share what is traditionally the role of a single CMO. There’s a VP of brand, a VP of product marketing and a VP of marketing.