Verify the genuine novelty of the current news or occurrence.

In the world of business, it's essential to be thorough in our research and avoid spreading hype or misleading our audience. This principle holds true especially when it comes to understanding the history of a practice as intricate as content marketing.

Content marketing, as we know it today, has roots that can be traced back to at least 1921. Max Sackheim, a marketing pioneer, created one of the earliest examples of content marketing with an ad titled "Do You Make These Mistakes in English?" which ran in a newspaper. This ad, often considered the first effective direct marketing ad, marked the beginning of a recurring theme in business.

Fast forward to the 1960s, and companies like McDonald's and BMW were expanding their business models. However, they were not specifically noted for user data collection at that time. It wasn't until later that companies began accumulating and selling personal data, a practice that continues to this day.

The 1970s saw the birth of several key players in the data industry. Acxiom, Infogroup, and Merkle were all founded during this decade, laying the groundwork for the data-driven marketing we see today.

Comparing and contrasting the 1921 ad to modern forms of content marketing can reveal differences in audience sophistication, types of media available, and assumptions about what people will read. For instance, lengthy infomercials have been successful in modern times, suggesting that current assumptions about what people will engage with may not always be accurate.

Understanding the history of marketing and advertising can provide valuable insight when researching and writing about trends in business. By cultivating sources who have been in a field or studied it longer than us, we can gain a deeper understanding of the matrix of services and practices that shape the business landscape.

Business journalism can benefit from this historical perspective. By understanding where companies and industries are heading, what their competitive advantages are, and how consumers can invest or appreciate certain services and products, we can provide more informed and insightful reporting.

In conclusion, the next time you come across a novel concept in business, remember Ecclesiastes' wisdom: "there is nothing new under the sun." Doing thorough research and understanding the history of a practice can help avoid thinking that something is entirely new when it is actually a reiteration of a previous concept.