With the proliferation of influencer content and the increased scrutiny of the FTC on disclosures, one of the critical elements is maintaining authenticity. In a time where so many CPG brands are investing in influencer marketing due to the abounding opportunities, do too many sponsored posts mean death to an influencer's credibility, audience and engagement?

The winning focus for any consumer packaged goods brand is stated in its name - the consumer. These brands, more than any other, are faced with the challenge of ensuring their consumers have an effective and seamless marketing experience. In light of this focus, the CPG brands that will reign supreme in the marketing landscape are those that move away from a multi-channel approach and begin directing their marketing power towards true omni-channel tactics.

Thanks to digital disruption, the nature of consumer packaged goods companies is changing. Rather than simply selling goods, leading CPG companies are looking to create and curate customer experiences. These experiences are underpinned by a new form of collaboration, using platforms to connect with consumers like never before.

I was called the other morning by a local TV station to come to the studio for an on-camera interview about my marketing predictions for 2017. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I had meetings with clients all morning, so I missed my 15 minutes of fame. I say "fortunately" as I no doubt would have just rambled on about all the things that everyone else says - mobile video, influencer marketing, AI, programmatic media, data data data - and you all would have been bored to tears.

Omni-channel marketing seeks to provide the consumer a seamless shopper experience whether in-store, online, desktop or mobile. Retail marketers like Starbucks, Sephora, and Crate & Barrel have made moving towards this goal a priority, investing in processes and platforms to ensure consumers enjoy a familiar and consistent interaction whether brick, click, swipe or scan. As this continues to become the norm, consumers will expect frictionless interactions with all brands.

Hollywood has largely equated the idea of being wanted in America with criminality. Whether it is westerns or gangster flicks or TV's John Walsh, we typically associate this word with the desire to capture the most despicable and dangerous of criminals.

Amazon's growth and emergence as a retail powerhouse are undeniable. They are one of the top 10 retailers in the world with annual revenue of over $100 billion. A significant force in the retail space, Amazon is setting its sights on selling a lot more CPG products in 2017.

It's a new year! We're looking forward to the latest in virtual reality and augmented reality, anticipating advancements to the Internet of Things. But, really, no amount of dazzle beats the basics, the ABCs and 123s. With that in mind, we want to steer back to the fundamentals of creating successful ads.