Have you ever bought something on a whim because it caught your eye or because it was a deal just too good to miss? Over 80% of Americans report they have made impulse purchases, and 40% of consumers say they regularly make unplanned purchases in-store.

CPG companies are developing innovative living services to ensure their brands stand out in a competitive marketplace.

Once Thanksgiving hits, the marathon that is the holiday season will have officially begun. This is a season where consumers will find themselves faced with a seemingly never-ending barrage of parties, from that annual ugly sweater party to the reunions with college roommates to company potlucks and all the invitations in between. With these parties come constant trips to the store, whether it's for gifts or your holiday food staples. Juggling all that's going on can make this a stressful time for many and that's where CPG brands have an opportunity to shine.

You always know you have something new when spell check gives you the squiggly red line under a word, right? For many marketers, that shiny new thing is the four-year-old Snapchat. For many CPG brands, it's uncharted territory.

One thing both Democrats and Republicans agree on and you hear in the debates on both sides of the aisle is that during the last seven years in America, the rich have gotten richer and the poor have gotten poorer. The sad build on that is the fact that during this same period, the rich have also gotten healthier and the poor have gotten sicker. The rich have read T. Colin Campbell's The China Study and Michael Pollan's Food Rules. They have the knowledge of how to achieve a better diet, the access to organic foods and the money to …

Social media marketing has become an essential component of every marketer's strategy as people look to their newsfeeds, YouTube, and Twitter stream for engaging content. With consumer attention shifting from traditional media, and ad-blocking technology at the forefront, people are in more control than ever of their entertainment consumption.

Just about every brand marketer talks about winning the battle at shelf. But there is another battleground that is too often ignored. Many brands may be much better served by focusing more on winning what I refer to as "the second battleground," that is driving frequency of use to shorten the brand's purchase cycle.

Our addiction to our phones has created many new behaviors - social media FOMO, three-dot anxiety, constantly refreshing our email - but would it also surprise you to know that the majority of mobile users shops online at least once a week, and for Millennials it's a daily habit? We're shopping at home, on the couch, in bed and even on the toilet and when we're not actually shopping, we are constantly browsing.