We're only a few days into the FIFA World Cup, but it's been an exhilarating ride thus far. Here's a rundown of some of my favorite World Cup ads - with more to come as the tournament progresses.

Rewarded. Value-exchange. User-initiated. Whatever you call it, the video ad format mobile consumers opt into is one of the fastest-growing ad units. Why? It is the perfect companion to freemium: Users can use their time as a bargaining chip to receive more value from an app. In exchange for their attention, they might receive premium content, in-app currency, or more lives/energy in a game. It's one of the rare ad mediums where the consumer (see above), publisher (higher eCPMs) and advertiser (CTR, video completions, app installs) all derive real, tangible value.

I can still hear the echoes of pundits claiming the imminent demise of print catalogs, direct mail, and direct response television (DRTV) as e-marketing ascended to dominance.

With artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly accepted as a marketing tool, marketers are surveying the landscape to decide who can provide them with the most productive tools for their needs. A company called WayBlazer led by a team with an impressive background in travel technology promises a solution where users can seamlessly search and chat using natural language that understands context and intent. WayBlazer then recommends destinations and products such as packages, hotels, vacation rentals, cruises and more. Each recommendation dynamically ranks and merchandises the most relevant images and reviews for each individual user.

What does it mean to be authentic? What does it mean to be truthful? What does it mean to be trustworthy?

The rise of social media over the last decade has kept healthcare at large on its toes. For one stakeholder in particular, doctors, we've seen a slow but constantly evolving level of engagement across a range of forums, social platforms and apps. These were designed specifically for them to communicate with each other and brands, like other health systems, conferences, medical device and pharmaceutical companies.

School's out for summer! This year, as students prepared for their final exams, many turned to study videos to help them cope with long hours and late nights. These videos typically aren't instructional; instead, they're just another way teens connect with others online to form a community and share best practices.

There is one thing every company should do before embarking on marketing and communications initiatives. If you haven't yet pinned down your key marketing messages, stop what you're doing. Stop writing website copy. Stop creating content. Stop putting time into social and traditional media.

Criteo surveyed thousands of members of Gen Z in the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Brazil, and Japan to understand what they think about shopping, e.g., what motivates them to shop and what they want from the retail experience.

Brand marketers must consider that, while the influencers are better at creating engaging content for today's consumer, their reach continues to decrease, and brands now have to pay both the content creators and the platforms in order to boost and amplify the content to actually reach the intended consumer, which means additional dollars allocated. Brands are still not asking the right questions regarding analytics, causing a gap between value and worth.