'marketing-led' originates from the combination of 'marketing' and 'led', where 'marketing' refers to the activities of promoting and selling products or services, and 'led' is the past participle of 'lead', meaning to guide or direct.

'marketing' evolved from the Old English word 'mearcian', meaning to mark or signify, and 'led' from the Old English 'lædan', meaning to guide or bring forth.

Initially, 'marketing' referred to the act of buying and selling in a market, but over time it evolved to encompass a broader range of promotional activities.