Mother's Day is a minor holiday. Some might call it a "Hallmark holiday." But it is universal -- not restricted by religion or nationality. If you have a mother, you celebrate Mother's Day. This is very valuable for advertisers. While Mother's Day is not a titanic advertising event like the Super Bowl, this year brands proved it could drive viewership and earned media.

Remember when TV shows and movies were far and away the most popular type of digital programming, and nothing else came close? Now, original online programming is picking up steam in content popularity contests. About 52 million Americans watch original digital video each month, a 15% rise from the 45 million per month in 2013. That's about one in five U.S adults who tune into this genre on a regular basis, according to new research from the Interactive Advertising Bureau, conducted with research firm GfK.

Think about all the different ways consumers access video content today. There are so many great content channels and everything happens instantaneously. Compared to even a year ago, the ease of access is exponential, as are the methods and mechanisms for the discovery of new content. But ubiquitous video doesn't mean that people are fleeing comfort and familiarity.

With free and easy publishing tools, high schooler can now create a high-traffic site within months. And with low-cost video capture and publication tools, enterprising publishing entrepreneurs can create their own video content channels. If those entrepreneurs focus on a specific niche, they can find an audience and income and profits quicker than most media execs ever imagined.

No longer just a diversion or a novelty act, online video is growing up right before our eyes, as the NewFronts proved. Good content is attracting good money.

As interactive video advertising has increasingly included platforms other than the desktop, the term "video-neutral" has been on the lips of more and more advertisers and agencies. But the fact that "video neutrality" hasn't happened yet perhaps indicates several thing: first and foremost, that the industry doesn't really understand what "video-neutral" means. And so, for the sake of making sure we are all on the same page, I submit my working definition of the term

McDonald's, the perennial emblem of global fast food giants, has come to a crossroads. After decades of dominating the industry, the brand has found itself surrounded by increasingly threatening competitors that are eating away at its market share. While McDonald's has blamed its lackluster first-quarter sales on external factors like brutal winter weather, it would be nave to think that the successful marketing campaigns of other fast food chains haven't had their effect. In January, Chipotle reinforced its reputation as a provider of healthier fast food with the launch of "Farmed and Dangerous," a Web series that satirizes Big Agriculture's …

The NewFronts were great, digital video ad dollars are rising, and brands are taking original video quite seriously. Next stop on the online video train? Viewability.

With the explosion of smartphones and digital tablets and the steady rise of Internet-connected televisions, gaming consoles, and more, consumers are increasingly watching online video when and where they want. New research from Experian Marketing Services on cross-device video found that as of October 2013, 48% of all U.S. adults and 67% of those under the age of 35 watched online video during a typical week, up from 45% and 64%, respectively, just six months earlier. At the same time, the share of households considered "cord-cutters" - those with high speed Internet but no cable or satellite TV - is …

Many marketers now consider online video nearly on par with TV. In fact, many believe original digital video will become as vital to their business as TV ads within three to five years, according to a new study from the Interactive Advertising Bureau. The finding is useful for brands and new media content producers heading into this year's digital content NewFronts. But it's also an important finding that underscores the growing acceptance of online video advertising.