It starts sooner than we might have thought. The moment comes early when you realize that you can make your first serious purchase. In the case of my son, it's a new phone. He truly is passionate about phone technology, from the science and marketing behind the very first iPhone to the latest and greatest new products.

Americans are uploading photos by the hundreds of thousands. In fact, according to Yahoo, it's something like 880 billion! Says Business Insider, "That's 123 photos for every man, woman and child on Earth." Every minute, 27,800 photos are uploaded to Instagram. And Facebook sees over six billion photos per month. The numbers are staggering.

Recently, my columns have been focusing on wealthy consumers (millionaires -consumers with a personal net worth - total assets less total liabilities - of $1 million or more). These have generated some interesting feedback from readers regarding the wealthy - about 20 million adults, according to our survey's projections based on Bureau of the Census estimates.

Luxury brands may need to rethink the way in which they market to affluent consumers, because affluent consumers are certainly rethinking the way in which they purchase products. According to Unity Marketing's Luxury Consumption Index, consumer confidence has dropped sharply in 2014.

Recently, I wrote about Affluents "rising up the hierarchy of needs" - increasing their discretionary spending as their economic anxiety and the fear of unemployment ease. We've seen spending increases in specific areas such as travel and sports equipment, as well as broader marketplace trends suggesting a growing interest in leisure, luxury and experiences.

The mobile phone is the modern day concierge, especially for consumers with a luxury appetite. They use mobile devices to shop online, share photos via Instagram, send text messages, check emails, and more, which is why mobile marketing should always be included as part of a brand's consumer engagement experience.

Luxury goods marketers have long understood the value of scarcity. Whether they are selling high-end watches, leather goods or clothing, these brands thrive on their ability to create a product image that is exclusive and only for the most discerning tastes. A carefully honed reputation as a purveyor of high status items allows them to charge above-average prices for a product that may or may not actually be superior to generic competitors.

In our latest survey wave, we asked two questions that we believe provide useful insights for advertisers and their agencies to consider as they determine where and how to engage millionaires with meaningful advertising messages. The first question relates to the media platforms on which consumers recall seeing or hearing advertising in the past 30 days, while the second assesses consumers' level of interest (engagement) with the advertising they saw or heard on these specific media platforms.

The affluent consumer has come a long way in the 21st century. Today's big spender is a working executive who is always on the go, which leaves little time for full-day shopping trips on Madison Avenue. While these shoppers still occasionally enjoy going into Nordstrom's, the reality is that they are probably researching first before they go shopping or buying online in between meetings.

I recently started a search for a new car. While I have a fairly good idea of what my budget is and what vehicles fall under what I am willing to spend, one of the most significant observations I have made as a member of the marketing industry is how different brands name their models.