Last January, I rang in the New Year with a look at the marketing of shows like "Intervention," "Celebrity Rehab" and "DUI." Now, I'm celebrating Chrismukkah with "Project Roadblock," aPSA initiative in which local TV stations around the country offer free airtime during the week of Dec. 26 in an effort to put the brakes on drunk driving. The multi-platform campaign, which also includes a social media program, runs during one of the deadliest auto-fatality weeks of the year and culminates with a concentrated roadblock of on-air spots, texts, and tweets leading up to New Year's Eve.

"He puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. Maybe Christmas, he thought ... doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!"

If 2012 was the year of the London Olympics, the Election, and GangnamStyle, what does 2013 hold in store for marketers? Where will the growth come from? We see a number of trends ready to shape the way we do business. Across several categories below, we'll make a "safe" and an "out on a limb" prediction.

It's very exciting to see how mobile video is taking off these days. I'm pretty passionate about the medium, obviously, so I'm always excited to see brands launching video ads that are optimized for tablets and smart phones. I know it works, and I know they'll see great results. Except ...

Frequently, I find myself sitting in a room with a brand manager or agency discussing their "marketing pillars" and many times, if targeting women, entertainment is top of the list. These people are charged with leveraging entertainment platforms, or more daunting yet, creating new entertainment experiences, that will both engage users and align with their brand. This all sounds like fun but with many media options out there, breaking through the clutter is no easy task and delivering an ROI without insurmountable spend can be quite the challenge.