It's a new year: Time to evaluate results of the past in order to meet the goals of the future.

It's up to us as marketers to create "reference" brands, the one to which all competing brands are compared.

Sometimes a marketer's biggest problem isn't getting teens to use a brand more. Instead, it's getting them to use it less.

Digital commerce is not easy for adult beverage brands. Complex legal considerations vary by state and retailer, with a variety of ecommerce models.

The layout targets quick in-and-out shoppers, who are given a tablet upon arrival to help them navigate the store.

Among the trends: Consumers will come to expect products that are created just for them, such as a food product custom-made for their individual genetic makeup.

A marketing and activation plan focused on tertiary potential fans demands significant human and financial resources, while risking dilution of the core product,

Actually, it's the rigidity, repetitiveness and monotony of the commercial that's ruined it. The TV ad does not need to be reinvented, it just needs to evolve.

The category is wrestling with changes particular to the industry, like a loss of consumer trust.

Among those challenges: Are we targeting too much? The changing face of retail. Reimagining the value of brands.