In the early days of instant cake mix, all housewives had to do was add water and bake. It was that simple. When people didn't quite take to the product, companies re-engineered their cake mixes with one small modification. The recipe now required the adding of a fresh egg and voila! Sales soared. It turns out that housewives wanted to feel more involved with the process. This crucial step made women feel less guilty about taking shortcuts and instead gave them a sense of ownership over the final product. They felt like they were baking cakes from scratch and, in …

During the holidays, it would have been difficult to find someone who did not engage in the sharing economy. We all have a friend or colleague who bought a gift on Etsy, stayed at an Airbnb, grabbed a ride from Uber, rented a dress for a New Year's Eve party at Rent the Runway or hired a Task Rabbit to put together that tricky toy. With 17 companies, and counting, reaching revenues over a billion dollars, the sharing economy is a force that even the slow adopters cannot ignore.

Back in 2010, two of the brightest CPG marketers I have ever worked with brought to my attention a new marketing book, How Brands Grow, by Byron Sharp, professor of marketing science at the University of South Australia. Sharp's book took an evidence-based look at the question posed in the title and, more specifically, whether marketers should invest in driving penetration (acquiring new customers) or driving purchase frequency (loyalty).

The 2016 ball has dropped, the holiday presents have been organized and put away, and the resolutions are in full-effect. But have you noticed something different about this year? Well, get ready. This is the year that physical fitness will be taken to the next level - and women are on top.

Growth comes from reflecting on and analyzing both success and failure. As we flip the calendar to a new year, we thought it would be helpful to share the five most common advertising mistakes that we've seen in the CPG category in hopes that we can all avoid these potential traps in 2016.

Many are already calling 2016 the "year of virtual reality," especially with the long-awaited Oculus Rift going on sale this week. With it comes a promise of multi-sensory storytelling with rich, immersive narratives and the ability to transport you to places you never thought possible.