Virality. This is the single most overused and meaningless term in digital marketing today. With virality, content is being shared by a great mass of people -- which can happen either spontaneously, through great planning or dumb luck. Virality is what we all want, and it's something many of us will never get. You need a few key ingredients to create something that could go viral:

In most organizations, there are those who assume leadership roles and others who assume management roles. It's generally accepted that finding individuals with exceptional skills in both leadership and management is a rarity. However, navigating the fast-paced and complex world of digital marketing requires individuals in senior management and leadership roles, to a degree, to possess hybrid qualities.

Back in October I predicted that 2012 would be the Year of Television. At the time I believed that Apple would soon release a revolutionary, all-in-one television. I had no empirical evidence for this prediction, and Apple is famously secretive about its product roadmap. Instead, I just had a gut feeling that after tackling other consumer technology devices like the computer, MP3 player, phone, laptop and tablet, Apple would naturally set its sights on the television. Since the publication of my column, there have been a few tantalizing signs that an Apple television product may, in fact, be coming soon.

Have you ever noticed that everyone wants to be perceived as "innovative" -- but no one wants to actually be "first"? Think about it. How many times have you filled out an RFP where someone asked you for "ground-breaking, out-of-the-box, new ideas" that haven't been done before, and statistical support or analytics to support why this is a great idea for their brand. If the idea was so ground-breaking and it hasn't been done before, then how could you possibly have data to support it?

It's that time of year again. Retailers have been planning the following six weeks for the last 46. For those who are unaware of just how big the holiday season is for ecommerce: It is common to generate 25%-40% of marketing-driven revenues during the next six weeks. The ramp-up starts this week of Black Friday. Most ecommerce marketers have their biggest day on Cyber Monday, followed by Green Monday, and the more recent Free Shipping Day. Here's what it takes to have a killer holiday:

America is a startup nation. Whether it has been manufacturing, whaling or software, one of this country's defining characteristics seems to be taking unnecessary risks to create markets where none existed previously. As an entrepreneur, I'm a huge fan of startups. Both my parents started their own small businesses, so entrepreneurialism runs in my family. So it may be surprising to know that I don't always encourage people to take the same path. Here's why:

Do you ever rage? I'm not asking if you ever get angry. I'm asking if you ever rage. I'm asking if your stomach ever clenches into a ball the size of a mandarin, if your guts fill with bile and acid, if you can no longer hold onto your coffee cup because your hand is shaking so hard and the only solution that can possibly satisfy you is to throw it through a window or at someone.

I've finally found a way to quantify the relative effectiveness of TV and online display advertising. It's two decimal points. That's how much more effective TV ads are, relative to online display ads on an impression basis.

Sometimes I mourn the simple things-- the things that I miss from the old days. For example, I mourn that your kids may never enter a record store -- ever.

There's no contesting the value and insight derived from direct consumer relationships in social media. Most brands are fully committed to developing and nurturing these connections by now, even though many have stutter-stepped their way into these "relationships."