CPG brands are famous for the "blanket everything" approach to advertising and marketing. When a new campaign launches, you know it. There's not a taxi, billboard, TV screen, mobile device, or website that's not wearing a piece of branded content or hosting clickable, interactive messaging. Marketers who work with smaller brands with smaller budgets, on the other hand, are more likely to roll the dice-and spend their budgets-on a handful of the most seemingly strategic channels. Either way can work if your content matches the channel or device.

Just as marketers were starting to dismiss Facebook for its low engagement rates and aging user base, the social media mammoth announced a series of updates that indicate the platform has the full intention of remaining the head honcho among other social networks for brands, businesses, and consumers. The most interesting of these new updates is the ability for users to shop and chat with brands through Facebook messenger.

The digitization of the global consumer packaged goods (CPG) business is posing huge challenges for marketers. The most obvious is the scope of the change that lies ahead. More than half of C-level executives globally, for example, believe that digital will bring about significant change or complete transformation of their businesses, according to a CEO study we conducted. This will impact CPG companies as much as it is hitting other sectors, too.

CRM, customer relationship management, has been around for years and it is no surprise that it is making a come back in the CPG space. That's because there are more options for consumers and less brand loyalty than ever before. And social media sites have made brands realize how important a direct consumer relationship is, both for the brand and the consumer. By liking or following your brand, consumers are raising their hands saying, "Yes, I want to have a relationship with you." Brands now realize that borrowing consumers on a social network like Facebook or Twitter is not enough, …

Brand integrity is a nuanced, important topic for any company. How consumers perceive a company through its products, image, and reputation has a huge impact on the ultimate value of their brand. When a brand loses integrity, its meaning and value to consumers is diminished. And, while every consumer experience may not live up to the highest order promises from the brand, it's essential for marketers to protect the integrity of their brands in order to retain the ability to connect with and win the hearts of consumers.

There aren't many choices for early morning dining in my neighborhood - and I'm talking 4 a.m. early - with the exception of a 24-hour McDonald's. Desperately wanting a coffee and breakfast in preparation for a long day ahead recently, I decided the only choice was the best one - McDonald's.

We've all read plenty about the whopper of a merger between Kraft and Heinz, creating the third-largest food and beverage company in North America and fifth-largest in the world. The question I'd like to explore is, "Is it a good thing or a bad thing?"

Not just a pretty face, this actor is now just as famous for being a seriously successful entrepreneur as she is for her films. With her business partner, Christopher Gangen, she has built an empire taking the parenting community by storm. Last year, Honest took in $150MM, three times what they earned in 2013 and their retail presence has exploded.

While winter may still be lingering in New York City, there is no denying that spring is here and finally making an appearance in other areas of the country. Along with flowers and longer days, spring brings noticeable changes in how we feel and behave. We're happier, more energized, and generally more excited about life when the sun is shining and warmer weather rolls around. In fact, it turns out that this change from winter blues to spring fever is actually backed by science.

What happens when the path-to-purchase model no longer exists? For years CPG companies have relied on focused efforts and investment to get their products onto the shopping list - the bridge between in-home and in-store experience. From brand preference, to need (identified by replenishment), to in-store trade-up or add-on, the model has been an effective strategy for influencing shoppers.